Serpentine belt broke!

[artman]

Scary. My belt broke three blocks from home right when I turned the AC on. It only took those three blocks for it to boil over (all over my driveway) so I guess I am fairly lucky I was close to home and watching my gauges and warning lights. Was not that fun with no power steering... Has anyone heard of the serpentine belt failing only after 4k miles?

Anyways, will get a new belt from dealer Mon. Does anyone have any hints or anything I should watch for on installing the belt? Will try to tackle putting it on my own. Thanxs.

 

[Qualitywires.com]

I would make sure all the groves are properly alighned and the belt isn't rubbing against anything. Could just have been a bad belt.

 

[artman]

Just looked at the routing. Does the single radiator hose from water pump need to be removed? If so I can barely get my hand and pliers down to that clamp to remove it. Looks to be more tricky than I original anticipated.

 

[Sean Roe]

No, the hose does not need to come off. There's a label on one of the fenderwells showing the belt routing. You just need a wrench to pull the spring loaded adjuster up..

 

[Steve-Indy]

Broken belt a bummer...2001 manual says to: (1) Position the drive belt over all except the tensioner pulley.
(2) Rotate tensioner clockwise and slip the belt under the pulley
(3) Allow the tensioner to rest on the back of the drive belt.
(4) Install the air ducts.

Sean, do you mean a true serpentine belt installation wrench?? (if so, one can find that item at most auto parts stores or on a Snap-on truck.

P.S. Sean CAN TELL YOU about driving a GTS WITHOUT power steering...remember the SpeedVision GT Series at Laguna Seca in 1999...he did one heck of a JOB to finish the race without power steering...and bring his Viper and himself home in one piece!!!

 

[artman]

Thank you both gentlemen. I think I might have it straight now after looking at it some more. With that tensioner pully (the lower left one on pass side?), is it suppose to move? Mine seems to be locked in place and there is no spring tension (I cannot move it). Is there a bolt to loosen this pulley or is it locked and broken?