Belt Auction

if the poly V belt of a mercedes 320 is removed, and the engine is started, can it affect the engine in anyway?

My mechanic removed the poly V belt of my ML 320, because he wanted to confirm if the 'engine noise' he is hearing comes from the belt. in the process, he started the engine to confirm the noise. However, on my way home, I hear a noise coming from around the base of the wiper blades and I am wondering what noise it is and if the removal of the belt caused it.

Public Comments

1. no checking engine noise like that is normal procedure...... as for what is causing ur noise take it back to mechanic and have him look...
2. The V-belt powers the steering pump, alternator, water pump and a/c. There's no harm in running the motor briefly without it. As long as the belt was replaced correctly, look for another source for your rattle. Perhaps he removed the plastic engine cover and replaced it incorrectly.
3. For a short period of time, no. But considering that the belt drives the water pump, it could overheat the engine and also run the battery dry as the belt also runs the alternator so running the engine for any longer length of time without the belt is not recommended. The belt has nothing to do directly with the wiper assembly (indirectly, the belt runs the alternator which powers the wiper motor). The cause is not from the belt removal if the noise is indeed from the wipers.