Engine/Transmission (1998.5 - 2002) Serpentine Belt Jumps Track

[Ramtough]

Just short of 53K miles on 01 2500. Was leaving home pulling trailer - had not gotten 2 miles w/cold engine when the check guages light came on & volt meter went to 0. Investigaion revealed that the engine had THROWN THE BELT off. Engine & truck were being driven in a 25 mph zone w/AC off. Nothing unusual happened that I can recall. This came as a total surprise.



During routine maintenance, I've been watching the belt & it appears to be in perfect shape. No cracks, no side damage & appears OK on the top. I replaced it but now I am gun shy. I've never heard of this happening before. Checked back on the forum and saw some posts about a year ago talking about belts walking off due to problems with the tensioner. This does not seem to be a problem for me.



Regarding the tensioner, I did note that when I installed the new belt that only about 1/2 of the tensioner's possible range was used by the new belt. This compares with GM engines that I have worked on where you are lucky to get a new belt under a fully retracted tensioner. Could my tensioner be getting weak?



Any thoughts would be helpful because I am now afraid to go on the road not knowing what caused this to happen.

 

[illflem]

Most often a belt jump is caused by an out of alignment component pulley or tensioner. If nothing has been removed that could have been replaced out of line I would suspect the tensioner is worn at the pivot point causing the belt to track off to one side. Most of the ones I've replaced had a little wobble moving the tensioner arm fore and aft with the belt removed but then again on others there was no discernible play. New tensioner still fixed the problem though. It takes very little play at the pivot to cause the belt to go off track.

 

[EricBu12]

Would it be wise to in a "just in case" thing to replace the Tensioner with a belt replacement at 50 or 60K?



I bought the Goodyear Gatorback belt and have been waiting to replace it sometime.



I have the aluminum pully from practical solutions but if the pivot gets worn, it would be good piece of mind to just do it anyway... .

 

[jboehm]

mine was replaced at the end of my 36k warranty when it let loose, since then I've replaced it at least once a year. Don't know what the problem is, but it's starting to bug me. Just replaced it again the other nite, was one hole rib off the pulleys.

 

[EricBu12]

i just replaced my belt with the gatorback belt. At 48K I have had no problems at all. Belt was showing cracks so I stored it for a spare... . I did that PS pully replacement early on, wonder if that is why I have had no problems... .

 

[jboehm]

no cracks... I can understand the first one, and it went barely under warrantee, but every other belt I've put on, only lasts a year,and less. . Maybe I should get the replacement idler pully... . DUH Seems funny... . but I didn't get the "gatorback belt" either, but I don't think that's the problem The belt runs REAL cllose to the oil pan... maybe a rock made it jump...



Other than buying the Idler Pullly... , (and I'm not to sure that's the problem, but... ... ... ...

 

[lil red cummins]

i have had very bad luck with DC tensioners. i lost 2 on my old 92 caravan. once in the driveway and the second time when my wife had it on the ohio turnpike and i was in new orleans!. i was not happy. that van is now gone and i check the tensioners on all my other vehicles at every oil change to make sure they have not frozen up.

 

[illflem]

Caravan are notorious for the tensioner spring breaking. The Cummins one seems to hold up very well.

 

[jboehm]

I don't think it's the spring on the tensioner... . Jeeeze... took two of us to change it the other nite. !!!!!!



Maybe a new tensioner pully, or idler pully... I don't know it jumped one rib on the belt, and I never knew it , until I went under and changed oil... . Ya know what I mean?



Stupid. . stuff. . I don't like. especially when I'm going on a long camping trip. !

 

[Sageair]

Were there any strange noises at the time the belt jumped off? This is gonna sound weird but I lost a belt on a vehicle after hearing a thump. While replaceing the belt I discovered a little fur on the pulley. A cat had crawled up into the engine compartment and went thru the belt/pulley knocking the belt off. Pretty wild but it happened to me.