Serious problem here on a trip to the E.coast and two belts have destroyed them selves..Weird the third one seems to be holding up.......anyone offer some insight??
did the usual checks....all ok
thanks

 

Usual suspect is the idler pulley.
It can be just slightly askew and cause the belts to ride on one of the other pulleys wrong and eat themselves.


phox

 

It's usually a worn tensioner assembly. The joint where the tensioner pivots gets worn, which tilts the idler pulley a little. Usually the belt will walk back into the alternator and get chewed up there.

 

thanks,will try it

 

Let us know what you find out. I have another theory, but I want to see if what the others have told you works first. Sure seems like it should.

 

another train of thought. if the belt wap installed backward the ribs would be out of line and would try to realign and get chewed up.

 

Just from looking at my 99 it is the tensioner. I always keep another belt and and a ratchet with me in case it breaks. I just have not had the time to replace it. Not sure of the cost for the tensioner. Does anyone know?

 

Around $90 for the tensioner. A lot of auto parts stores stock them.

 

Mine occasionally will chew up a belt because I have oil leaking past the timing cover/crank seal that gets on the belt. I need to fix that

 

Ok this is all jadded to me...for awhile went thrue a belt on trip to E. coast every 500 miles one was a napa 2 were other parts stores (dont remember thir names) and the last one was a autozone.
The weird part is the last one has been on over 3500 miles with no sighn of trouble.....I cant imagin 3 bad ones in a row,but I guess the moral of the story is be prepared ..No I dont think the A.Z. was the cure, but what ever the deal i am glad it all went away!!