serpintine belt comes off when I go through a water puddle

[chilln]

Year: 90
Model: dodge
Engine Size: 3.3L
Auto/Manual: Auto
Mileage: 147K

Hi,

Serpintine belt comes off when it gets even a little spray from going through a sheet of water on roadway.

I put on a new belt and still it comes off.

The belt guard is on and intact that is supposed to keep it from getting wet.

I try very hard to go very slow through water to keep it from spraying the belt, but even a thin sheet of water on the roadway is enough to make it come off and it is nearly impossible to even see those in time let alone slow down enough for them.

You know what a bum job it is to put it back on even when you are in a nice garage let alone stuck out on a highway somewhere, at night, in the rain, cold, etc. etc. and it got to be replaced there, because you don't have a water pump without it.

Got any clues as to what is going on?

I appreciate your feedback,

chilln

[sandman]

chilln Wrote:Year: 90
Model: dodge
Engine Size: 3.3L
Auto/Manual: Auto
Mileage: 147K

Hi,

Serpintine belt comes off when it gets even a little spray from going through a sheet of water on roadway.

I put on a new belt and still it comes off.

The belt guard is on and intact that is supposed to keep it from getting wet.

I try very hard to go very slow through water to keep it from spraying the belt, but even a thin sheet of water on the roadway is enough to make it come off and it is nearly impossible to even see those in time let alone slow down enough for them.

You know what a bum job it is to put it back on even when you are in a nice garage let alone stuck out on a highway somewhere, at night, in the rain, cold, etc. etc. and it got to be replaced there, because you don't have a water pump without it.

Got any clues as to what is going on?

I appreciate your feedback,

chilln

sounds like you may have a bad belt tensioner

[way2old]

Dayco makes a kit that has a pulley with shoulders on it that keeps the belt in place. Might be worth looking into. We have used it about 10 times with no more problems. I think Car Quest carries them.

[chilln]

I appreciate the responses.

Perhaps I'll check out the tensioner and if I need to get a new one I'll look into a Denso with shoulders. The one I got now has a lot of tension so another new one like it will probably do the same thing.

[chilln]

It has been awhile.

Soon after I last posted the tensioner actually broke off when I turned the wheel hard to leave the driveway. The bolt holding it on was bending and that was causing a misalignment that made the belt slip off. I replaced it with a new one that has a "plastic" pulley. I didn't like the idea of "plastic" instead of the "original" metal pulley, but I needed a new one asap and that is what they had in stock. The belt no longer comes off when I go over a sheet of water on the road.

The new belt I had already on started squeaking bad after awhile (I figure it is because it got wore unevenly from the old pulley). I first tried belt conditioner to shut it up; that made it much worse. I then tried a, "counter-intuitive", trick I seen used at a repair shop I worked at, "spray lubricant" on the gripping side of the belt, and that shut it up.

[Rupe]

Those spray "repairs in a can" only work on a temporary basis and you are likely correct that the new belt has worn or stretched off-kilter so should be replaced when you get a chance.

When you get the belt off hold it up by one finger and see if it "hangs straight" compared to a new belt and you will see what I mean.

Belts are made like tires and have "cords" inside that can stretch / break. If this were a tire it would probably have a wobble or bad sidewall bubble.

[chilln]

It has been days since I sprayed the lubricant on the belt and it is still totally quiet.

Thanks for the advice, but before I throw money at it and going through the bad headache of installing another new belt I'll "wait-n-hear" since this belt (that is only a couple months old) is working just fine now.

chilln

[Rupe]

Glad to hear it seems ok and I forgot you are dealing with a 20 years old car so I can respect the idea of a budget. If it works then don't fool with it!