Serpentine belt came off

ROKTAXI · **Posted:** Sun Jun 28, 2020 10:01 am

Went to start the Jeep this morning and had no PS. The belt was off and as noted in the photo there seems to be an anomaly on the edge of the pully. Any on what may be causing it?

Also, having just moved to Rochester NY, are there any trusted mechanics in this area?

Thanks in advance!

https://drive.google.com/file/d/16feGE0MOdfEryT2gZmuJe90a28-MAnzu/view?usp=sharing

jws84_02 · **Posted:** Sun Jun 28, 2020 10:25 am

Pics won’t load for me but usually when the belt comes off it’s a bad tensioner. And the bad tensioner is usually caused by a bad alt decoupler

ROKTAXI · **Posted:** Sun Jun 28, 2020 11:06 am

jws84_02 wrote:

Pics won’t load for me but usually when the belt comes off it’s a bad tensioner. And the bad tensioner is usually caused by a bad alt decoupler

Is there anyone else that can't open the picture?

The tensioner appears to be OK, but there's some metal shavings on the lower PS pulley. It appears to be rubbing on the upper idler bracket??

edit: forgot to add that there are no marks on the belt that indicate rubbing from anything. Both front and back look unmarked.

Sergio del Castillo · **Posted:** Sun Jun 28, 2020 1:24 pm

I also lost the serpentine belt one on the road. Luckily was in town and just a few miles from my technician. The guilty part was the tensioner, but also replace the the idler pulley, just in case. This happened at about 135K miles, they were the factory ones.

Sergio del Castillo · **Posted:** Sun Jun 28, 2020 1:26 pm

PS: I had the alternator coupler replaced before. Also I can't open your pictures.

ROKTAXI · **Posted:** Sun Jun 28, 2020 2:10 pm

Sergio del Castillo wrote:

PS: I had the alternator coupler replaced before. Also I can't open your pictures.

I tried another site to upload px. Let me know if this works:

https://postimg.cc/Sj1wHkSV

Thx.

edit: do I have to remove the shroud to put the new belt on?

WWDiesel · **Posted:** Sun Jun 28, 2020 2:56 pm

Picture works now. Posted it for you below.
Looks to me like your tensioner bolt has backed out and allowed the tensioner housing to come in contact with the PS pulley or something in the tensioner housing has broke?
Best to pull shroud to get at the tensioner and idler pulleys properly and inspect everything.

While you have the shroud off, most cut theirs in half to make removal and installation much easier.
Lots of examples of cutting the shroud on LOST if you search.
This is one of many:>> viewtopic.php?f=98&t=87178

jws84_02 · **Posted:** Sun Jun 28, 2020 3:57 pm

Yeah either your tensioner has come loose or it’s sprung. Can’t really see the other half to tell if it’s the second scenario

ROKTAXI · **Posted:** Sun Jun 28, 2020 4:29 pm

Thanks for all the replies. This is getting above my "pay grade" and was hoping it would be not so involved. I have resorted to a mobile mechanic to help. Was hoping to see if there was a "trusted CRD mechanic" in my area, but not having any luck. The only real good luck I've had is that it happened just as I was leaving the house and not in some parking lot somewhere or on the road or.......!!!

geordi · **Posted:** Mon Jun 29, 2020 3:24 am

Hey Roktaxi,

I'm the traveling CRD tech if you still need assistance, this is the ONLY vehicle I work on and I've helped over 110 of them now. But for this one here's what will solve it for you, 95% certainty of what happened:
Your alternator clutched pulley has failed, (were the headlights "pulsing" recently?) and when that happens, the tensioner starts bouncing. There is a rubber core in the tensioner, and that can't handle the bouncing and it eventually rips. When THAT happens, the two halves of the tensioner separate, and the outer half presses into the power steering pulley as you have seen on yours, and it starts cutting into the aluminum housing. USUALLY the belt jumps before it gets to this stage.

What you need is a new tensioner, and a new alternator pulley from IDparts.com. The serpentine idlers can also be replaced (THEY ARE REVERSE THREAD) if the bearings are at all loose or sloppy.

ROKTAXI · **Posted:** Mon Jun 29, 2020 1:31 pm

geordi wrote:

Hey Roktaxi,

....Your alternator clutched pulley has failed, (were the headlights "pulsing" recently?) and when that happens, the tensioner starts bouncing. USUALLY the belt jumps before it gets to this stage.

.....What you need is a new tensioner, and a new alternator pulley from IDparts.com. The serpentine idlers can also be replaced (THEY ARE REVERSE THREAD) if the bearings are at all loose or sloppy.

Thanks so much for the info! You were spot-on regarding the alternator! The alternator gave me no warning signs, but the mechanic was eyeballing it and after I told him what you said, and noted it wasn't turning as it should. The idler was toast of course.

geordi · **Posted:** Mon Jun 29, 2020 4:44 pm

About the alternator - If you still have the "Denso" unit as noted by the sticker on the body, KEEP THIS AT ALL COST. These are WAY better units than any of the Chinesium rebuilds from the auto stores. They can be rebuilt here in the USA if needed, but shouldn't, as they are crazy good quality. Only the pulley is the wear item and IDparts has the sealed bearing quality replacement. The local auto stores have open bearing pulleys which will work for a while... But usually fail out around 40k miles.

Serpentine belt came off

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