Call it good luck or bad luck

[DieselFiend]

So I'm close to the dealer after making a 50 minute drive from where I live just to get my speedo recalculated for my stock winter tires and I hear this constant squeek or chirp in which the frequency increases as the RPM's increase. I pull into the service bay overhang and take a look under the hood and low and behold, the forward strand of the belt is completely shredded off and has wrapped around the fan clutch.

Here's the big question, I've heard of this happening to many 04. 5 - 05 year trucks. Seems to be a constant problem. Is this thing going to be covered under the engine warranty? I've got 44K on it now but a belt, under normal circumstances should last a lot longer than that. Thank in advance fellow TDR brothers and sistas.

 

[DPKetchum]

TSB on this. Dealer can show you. Its a new alt. pully. Its covered under 3/36 but not powertrain or the 100k engine warranty.

 

[swexlin]

My original belt shredded at only 5400 miles. Dealer did cover it under warrant - probably because of the low mileage. This was in August of 2004, and the TSB did not exist at the time. My replacement has been OK since then (knock wood) but I do check it regularly.



Tell your dealer that your belt was chirping worse than usual. The TSB is installing an override clutch alternator pulley, which will eliminate the chirp at shutdown. The chirp, which of course is normal for all diesels, and which many on this forum and on DTR seem to think is very cool (don't know why) seems to stress these third gen belts more than usual. It is my (admittedly unscientific) opinion that, for whatever reason, this conributes to the shredding issue on these 04. 5 and 05 trucks.



By the way, when mine went, most of the belt wrapped itself around the fan spindle, and it took an hour with pliars and a couple of scraped knuckles (while waiting for the flatbed to get it to the dealer) to get it off.

 

[DPKetchum]

My 03 has never chirped. My 93 did every time.

 

[swexlin]

I don't want to get into this being a chirping thread. Only that the chirp, which is caused by STRESS and SLIPPAGE on the belt at shutdown, MAY contribute to premature failure on the 04. 5s and 05s. Why? I don't know.



I was just saying that to get the TSB done, he's going to have to tell them he had the chirp, because that's what the TSB is for, not for belt shredding.

 

[Mark1si]

My truck is in the shop now with the same problem.

 

[DieselFiend]

how many miles do you have on it Mark? How much are the charging you to fix it? You'd think, under normal circumstances, that a belt should last twice as long as 44K.

 

[Mark1si]

It has 25k on it. I think it is going to be fixed under warranty. They are doing the door seal and something with the ball joints due to death wobble above 70. The tech said there is something out on the ball joints

 

[JFlagg]

It has 25k on it. I think it is going to be fixed under warranty. They are doing the door seal and something with the ball joints due to death wobble above 70. The tech said there is something out on the ball joints

A Dodge diesel with ball joint problems???? :--)

 

[DieselFiend]

Dealer said $95 for the belt installed. Pretty fair I think.

 

[Nate]

Not really. The belt is $40 from Napa and maybe 5 mins to install it.

 

[swexlin]

Viper, did you insist they do the TSB? A modern belt should last 100K miles - many members on here have never replaced a belt. That being said, most dealers will only cover them under the 3/36.



And, from what I understand, these belts are VERY difficult to replace. For peace of mind, get the TSB.

 

[MChessick]

The serpetine belt is VERY easy to replace. I replaced mine at 120k just for the sake of it. It took me about 7 minutes, required a 1/2 inch breaker bar and that was it.



Mark

 

[swexlin]

I replaced mine at 120k just for the sake of it

You just made my point with the belts!! These things should last a while.



As for the replacement, I just recall some posts from people saying it was more difficult than they expected; I guess it just depends on ability.

 

[Bob4x4]

The serpetine belt is VERY easy to replace. I replaced mine at 120k just for the sake of it. It took me about 7 minutes, required a 1/2 inch breaker bar and that was it.



Mark

Look again... ... ... ... . the 05/06 are not the same as the 03 :-laf



Bob

 

[DieselFiend]

Look again... ... ... ... . the 05/06 are not the same as the 03 :-laf



Bob

According to the service manual, it is easy to replace. But, at autozone or napa, the belt is still $60 plus for $95 I'll let the dealer spend an hour getting the belt rib out of the fan clutch. When it came lose it wound up really tight around the fan clutch shaft. So I think I'm good with it.

I asked them if they would go ahead and do the TSB and the explained that since the truck is over the 3/36k warranty that I'd have to pay to have it done. They also said that they'll look over everything really good and if they find the actual cause of the belt failure that they'll cover it under the warranty. But the guy did give me a line of BS. I told him I was pretty sure that the normal life expectancy of a belt is 100K or more. He told me 45K to 65K. This is total BS. There's no reason a belt shouldn't last 100K.

 

[swexlin]

I told him I was pretty sure that the normal life expectancy of a belt is 100K or more. He told me 45K to 65K. This is total BS. There's no reason a belt shouldn't last 100K.

Exactly. I've owned many cars and trucks over the last 25 years, and belts in general last a long time, unless there is some sort of alignment or mis-installment issue.

 

[DieselFiend]

Of course you know what the service guy says is true. Uh huh, yeah right. Anything to make you feel better about giving them money.

 

[DPKetchum]

I think MAYBE a pully(alt) differance on 05 up. Don't think its a belt issue but a pully issue and maybe with the hard shutdown these engines do it walks off one rib or two and that starts the failure. These things have CHIRPED since 1989 when turned off. With it being a known issue and with a TSB to correct I would ask for D. C. assistance if vehicle is out of warranty. If belt replaced ONCE already for coming off/shredding and its done it again for sure I'd be wanting them to step up to the plate.

 

[swexlin]

Don't think its a belt issue but a pully issue and maybe with the hard shutdown these engines do it walks off one rib or two and that starts the failure

This is my opinion too. All diesels chirp; my PSD did it worse than this Dodge ever did. But, for some reason, the 04. 5s and some 05s seem to stress the belts more than usual.