Constant Breaking Of Alternator / Water Pump Belt

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Constant Breaking Of Alternator / Water Pump Belt

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Mazda >> Mazda Vehicles >> Mazda Protege >> Constant Breaking Of Alternator / Water Pump Belt

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Constant Breaking Of Alternator / Water Pump Belt - 2/1/2008 9:17:03 PM

ncrypto

Posts: 2
Joined: 2/1/2008
Status: offline

"1997 Mazda Protege DX"
"1.5 Engine"

Well I am at the end of my rope....Have gone through 3 surpentine belts in a month. Only happens at night with the headlights and heater going. 3 seperate qualified mechanics cant figure it out. I found one of the belts after it broke and it seemed sticky (not from oil) but from overheating. The edges of the belt were frazzled to. The pulley's all seem lined up and no noticable squeal from the belts either. Alternator & water pump seems to spin freely and again with no noise. Alternator checked and charging normally.
Did find out today the water pump pully seemed just a little (very little) loose & wobbly ( but no coolent leakage, noise, and the water pump is pumping keeping the temp normal). Could that little looseness cause a belt to fail ? The last one only lasted 1 day and snapped.
Through a google search found a lot of Mazda owners being plagued with constant belt breakage...But no solutions.

Thanks So Much, Charles

Post #: 1

RE: Constant Breaking Of Alternator / Water Pump Belt - 2/2/2008 1:35:46 PM

wsoape281

Posts: 751
Joined: 3/1/2007
Status: offline

looseness could cause failure of the belt. if the shaft has any play, what is happening is that you are tightening it up at the shortest distance possible and then it is stretching the belt more and more until it just snaps it.

(in reply to ncrypto)

Post #: 2

RE: Constant Breaking Of Alternator / Water Pump Belt - 2/18/2008 5:14:16 AM

mannydingo

Posts: 4
Joined: 3/13/2007
Status: offline

Your belt problem is not associated with that other belt problem us Protege owners have experienced. Ours would squeak like crazy until the belt would break. Your water pump pulley either needs the small bolts tightened or, if the pulley is damaged, the whole pump needs to be replaced. I've had that happen on a Nissan Altima. The pump worked fine but the pulley would wobble. I can't guarantee that's all it is with your car but that's what it sounds like.

(in reply to wsoape281)

Post #: 3

RE: Constant Breaking Of Alternator / Water Pump Belt - 2/18/2008 4:34:50 PM

wsoape281

Posts: 751
Joined: 3/1/2007
Status: offline

if the shaft has play in the water pump or if the shaft is bent, the water pump needs to be replaced. that goes back to what i had said earlier. if the shaft is bent, the shaft will keep getting more and more bent the longer that it stays on, which goes back to what you had said about the last one only lasting a day. after breaking this many belts, i would go ahead and swap out the pulley as well. the pulley will get covered in rubber and shards of metal that are deposited by the old belts. that will keep breaking belts after the other problem is fixed.

(in reply to mannydingo)

Post #: 4

RE: Constant Breaking Of Alternator / Water Pump Belt - 2/22/2008 1:51:52 AM

80sGuy

Posts: 15
Joined: 11/17/2006
Status: offline

All pullies that are asociated with the drive belts should spin tightly but freely and solid without any sort of 'wobbly' play. So the culprit lies in your water pump, get it replaced.

(in reply to wsoape281)

Post #: 5

RE: Constant Breaking Of Alternator / Water Pump Belt - 5/1/2008 7:49:40 AM

tjharder

Posts: 5
Joined: 1/2/2008
Status: offline

Any further help on this topic would be appreciated. I just replaced my waterpump yesterday because after 3rd belt breaking off and a new alternator, i noticed a slight amount of play in the pump pully. My coworker doubted it but had no other advice. The sqealling continued on the drive home.
I found that the alternator was getting extremely hot. I think now that the belt is burning off. The alternator is brand new and doing the exact same thing as the old one. Frustated. I am going to repalce the alternator again.

(in reply to 80sGuy)

Post #: 6