Drive belt chewing up

[Dcudney]

Has anybody had a problem with the serpentine drive belt walking off and shredding as it goes?? My 04. 5 developed quite a squeal and when I opened the hood I found one rib of the drive wrapped around the fan. The belt had walked outward on the A/C compressor and was now rubbing on the tensioner, which was what the squeal was. I took the belt off and checked all moving parts, none were binding so I replaced belt and noise gone-for now.

Anyone run into this yet??? Dan -- email address removed --

 

[John - K5AWO]

Pull the belt off, inspect the idler tenion pulley for slop in the bearing. Some of these idlers have been made out of plastic and don't hold up to well.



There was a post on here in the last two months about a cast iron replacement pulley. I believe it is sourced thru Cummins.



I have a link to it at home, if no one puts you on to it, I will look it up tonight.



This thread talks about one available from Practical Solutions.

https://www.turbodieselregister.com/forums/showthread.php?t=62685&highlight=cast+iron+idler



This thread also talks about it.

https://www.turbodieselregister.com/forums/showthread.php?t=27901&highlight=cast+iron+idler





John

 

[swexlin]

Why, yes indeedy. :-{} Please see my post here;



https://www.turbodieselregister.com/forums/showthread.php?t=109395&highlight=Belt+Shredding



and the replies. Several of us have had this happen, and I refuse to believe there were this many defective belts from the factory. I have about 500 miles now on my new belt. FWIW, the original belt chirpped HORRIBLY on shutdown, and this Mopar replacement is quiet.



BY the way, how many miles on your truck when this happened. I had NO warning, started the truck (on the morning of the Fall Brawl Tuneup :{ ), heard horrible noises under the hood, and there was half the belt wrapped around the fan spindle. I said some choice words... ...

 

[swexlin]

By the way, where did you get a replacement belt? My dealer had to order one, and it too two days to come in.

 

[Yo Hoot]

Most likely they ordered the belt as soon as they could. That's why the truck sat.

 

[rashwor]

Keep us posted on this. I know I had this happen on my old '92 and it was not the belt or the tensioner pulley. It was the tensioner arm assembly. The pulley was still fine.



I hope the belt is the long term fix, but I would not be surprised if it is not.

 

[swexlin]

I hope the belt is the long term fix, but I would not be surprised if it is not

That is my worry also. I am now paranoid, and find myself checking the belt every few days.



Modern belts go for tens of thousands of miles before major deterioration, so there is something else going on here.

 

[Dcudney]

Thanks everybody for your responses. My truck has 7100 miles on, dealer had no belt in stock or at local parts whse. Should be here Monday. Truck is still running on original belt, minus 1 rib. I repositioned it so its running true. No visible tracking problem and all parts moving free, no excess play. So far OK, I do have a spare from NAPA just in case. Dealer said he shows no TSB's for this problem, but odd how no belts in stock, NAPA had 3 on shelf! Thanks again, Dan

 

[jelag]

my 04 has almost 80K miles... . I don't think I've looked under the hood 5 times except to have the truck serviced... . my personal suggestion is that there is something that is mis aligned under there... . missing a shim or spacer... or one accessory not sitting tight to the bracket. . allowing the mis alignment... and the excessive belt wear...



Jim

 

[swexlin]

my personal suggestion is that there is something that is mis aligned under there... . missing a shim or spacer... or one accessory not sitting tight to the bracket. . allowing the mis alignment... and the excessive belt wear...

That's always been my thought too. But my dealer (and those others' dealers, if you go back and read my thread) just poo-pooed that idea, and said "defective belt". I don't think I've EVER had a defective belt on any of many vehicles I've driven over the last 25 years. I know they're out there, but this is TOO much of a coincidence on brand new vehicles, all of the same type.



So, now I'm just paranoid, will get a spare, learn how to change it, and take my chances. If it happens again, then back to the dealer it will go for documentation. A third time, then from there. Hopefully, if this happens to others, maybe there will be a TSB.

 

[bepatte]

I have been checking mine about once a week. Specifically, I've been checking to see if it's been walking off of the tensioner. So far, it hasn't moved. I'm very curious from anyone who may have checked on a regular basis, does it appear to have jumped or gradually walked off?

 

[swexlin]

I think most of us here that had it happen may not be able to tell. With me, I got no warning, just a racket under the hood. I hadn't had my hood open in a while, so I don't know if it was "walking" or not.

 

[340Mark]

I Have a different belt problem it make a clicking noise as it jumps out of the grooves and then back. never has walked off----yet. i suspect misalignment or looseness but haven't found it yet.

 

[swexlin]

Mark, please fill in your sig. What year is your truck? I would recommend you have your dealer look at it. Maybe your's is doind what the rest of ours have done; you have just caught it earlier.



Please keep us posted.

 

[340Mark]

Mark, please fill in your sig. What year is your truck? I would recommend you have your dealer look at it. Maybe your's is doind what the rest of ours have done; you have just caught it earlier.



Please keep us posted.

Minor slip up my truck is a 98 24v. I was searching for this type of problem and wound up in third gen forums. But the causes are probably the same.

 

[SRichards]

My Belt came apart two days after I picked up my 05 ,Took it back to dodge and they put on a new one . They told me it was put on wrong from the Factory We'll see!!!

 

[Radshooter]

Just out of curiosity, how many of you that are having troubles with the belt have an extra pulley for the E-brake? Is it a vacuum system or compressor system? Just wondering if this would have anything to do with it.

Steve

 

[swexlin]

My Belt came apart two days after I picked up my 05 ,Took it back to dodge and they put on a new one . They told me it was put on wrong from the Factory We'll see!!!

Yeah, and my dealer told me a defective belt. I say AGAIN: in 25 years of driving many different vehicles, I have never had a belt failure on a stock engine. By my count (based on those who replied to my own thread), there are at least 1/2 dozen of us with the "600s" who have had this happen. Put on wrong, defective belts... . BS. :-{} Something in the design of these pullies, tensioners, or the way it is set up is causing this.

 

[Prairie Dog]

If it was an early 03 I would expect the craked alternator bracket is the cause, maybe it should be checked anyway.

 

[Dcudney]

FYI-My belt started coming apart at 7100 miles. New (MOPAR) belt put on by me

(I am a Tech for another Mfg, I know Serv Mgr. , was easier/quicker for me to install) and I have 9700 miles on it with no problems. The new belt was same part #, same rib design but does not "chirp" on shutdown. Keeping my fingers crossed.

04. 5 2500 Atm Stock