Vehicle quershun for ya'll.....

[Big Muddy]

Grandaughter's little 2.4 liter 2011 Jeep Patriot keeps tossing serpentine belts....she's replaced three of 'em in five months....they aren't breaking, they are just coming off the pulleys, then get ripped up.....just trying to save her a little bling, I took a look, and can't find any worn pulleys or bearings....tensioner and idler pulleys look, rotate, and operate, just fine.

Any suggestions from the GH brain trust??? Thanks.

[BarryBobPosthole]

Check out the power steering pump and see if its out of alignment. That's about the weakest link in that chain I'd bet.

BKB

[Big Muddy]

Yep, phole, that got checked first, since it sits at the top.

[Big Skyz]

My first suggestion is to replace it with a Toyota. Wait, that's my only suggestion. :)

[No-till Boss]

Are you buying the replacement belts from the dealership ? or somewhere else ?

[Arty]

When a new one is put on, are there any places on any of the pulleys where it is not completed seated in the grooves? I guess I'm asking if it's lapping over to one side or the other of any pulleys?
I had an old 91 Chevy truck that the fly wheel somehow worked its way up just about a 1/16 maybe 1/8 inch forward, and the belt wasn't seated properly. Started throwing belts. Took me two belts to figure out the problem.

[Thumper]

Chevy runs their accessories off the flywheel? I always knew they were kinda goofy ... now I KNOW it!

(just messin' with ya') :D

Oh, back to the subject of this post, and I'd go with Sky's suggestion. ;)

[Buckrub]

You can't ask these guys REAL advice, Ed. They cover up their extreme ignorance with petty humor. Sad, I know.

[Arty]

Chevy runs their accessories off the flywheel? I always knew they were kinda goofy ... now I KNOW it! (just messin' with ya') :D Oh, back to the subject of this post, and I'd go with Sky's suggestion. ;)
You know what the hell I mean. Ya pump head

[Buckrub]

He couldn't drive it to town where he lives, guys.

[Thumper]

Muddy, this is probably a super stupid question ... and I don't know what type pulleys the Jeep has, but make sure someone isn't installing a cog belt on grooved pulleys ... or vicey-versey. Is a (real) mechanic changing these belts, or a friend/neighbor/boy friend? It almost has to be an alignment problem someplace, but I'd sure take a close look at the idler pulley. Are you SURE it's turning? They usually get shiney and sometimes look like they're turning when they're actually locked up or "dragging". A belt will not always squeal on a locked up idler pulley. Mark it and take a VERY close look when it's running. Also, it may not be maintaining proper tension and allowing the belt to slip and burn up. I'm sure someone has checked it with the belt OFF ... but I'd hate to assume that.

[Thumper]

You can't ask these guys REAL advice, Ed. They cover up their extreme ignorance with petty humor. Sad, I know.

Ha! No reason offering advice to YOU Buckster ... when have you ever followed any of it? And how many times did you get burned for NOT following the advice given here by all us "extremely ignorant" people? ;)

[Buckrub]

Well, I was joking. You know for a fact that I do NOT consider y'all ignorant. Geez. Gooses and ganders eat sauce........

But I've followed your, and others, advice very often. I know what I don't know, and I know who does. SO I ask, and I do follow it. I ask questions about it, which seems to bother some folks, but I do follow it. Not sure where that's coming from.

But whatever.......I've learned not to ask much anymore. My 'close' friends ridicule me enough! :)

With that, I'm about packed and gone. Good luck!

[Thumper]

Cool your jets dude .... you'll get your blood pressure up. There's a smiley face at the end of my post for a reason ... pay attention to those things. ;)

[Buckrub]

I saw it.

My jets are always cool, contrary to popular opinion. But facts are facts!

Oh.......BP is 124/71.............pulse 69.

[Buckrub]

Gone. Love ya, man. Gotta run chain saws for a few days. Prolly wear this city boy out.

Byeee.

[Thumper]

I'm out'ta here too. Time for a meeting with my surgeon to go over the CT Scan results. :(

[Egghead]

I wonder if it is the harmonic balancer with its innards going bad? The wife's minivan threw a serpentine belt due to the rubber component wearing out. Would be weird on a vehicle of that age I think, but haven't seen it mentioned...