My wife's minivan (Dodge caravan, if it hepls) just destroyed the main serpentine drive belt.the one for power steeering, alternator... not too bad I'm thinking after 60k miles...

However, after fitting a new one it showing signs of tracking sideways (it's one of the flat ones with about 6 tiny vees)...trying jump a groove on the PS pump.

Any idea what could cause this?...only thing I could think of was maybe the automatic tensioner at fault...worn and maybe leaning and trying to throw the belt......puzzled...

[Edited on 29/1/04 by Alan B]

Alan,what normally happens is one of the pulleys is out of line,mounting bolts loose,bearing shagged etc,check with a straight edge

Thx mate....yeah the tensioner does seem a bit out of line too...that must be it....cheers

you design machines alan........ If you use conveyors you will know the phenomenon of belt tacking on a conveyor - this seems like the same principal as described by conrod

atb

steve

[Edited on 29/1/04 by stephen_gusterson]

Oh yeah sure I do...can be a real pain in the ass......I was mainly trying to see if anyone had experienced the phenomenon being caused by a faulty tensioner......having a proper look it does definitely seem out of line, yet not blatantly broken at all.....I guess it's bite the bullet and try a new one....bollox



Belt tracking

[Edited on 29/1/04 by Alan B]

Hmmm? I wonder if the yellow arrow thingy is anything to do with problem..

Alan,
I think that yellow arrow was fitted to vans as part of a recall. It's to help you identify where the pulleys have come out of alignment

ATB,
Ian

Ah..that explains a lot.....

Bloody pain to work round though..

alan
its been fitted the wrong way round

it's supposed to push the belt out not in

last time i saw an arrow like that i was surounded by injuns

Looks bleedin sharp that arrow,I'd say that was the bastard that cut the belt.
Cheers,
Bob

Getting rapidly back to the thread...

I'm sure I read somewhere that having one of these belts too tight can make it jump off...

...or did I imagine it... yes, that was it, it was the product of an over-fertile imagination... or was it the 5 double brandies... hic!



David

David, can't comment one way or the other on that theory, except that all the tensioning force is pre-set.....however the new one I fitted did have less force, and seems to have cured the problem...hard to see how the tension force could increase with age/wear/use etc.....

Still it's back running again.....

Anyone want the arrow?......I decided not to refit it...

put it on ebay

people buy anything on there!!!!!