Serpentine belt heads up

[davelees1]

I noticed a little bit of wear on the forward edge of the serpentine belt on my 2004 M2 with 560,000 miles on it and MB engine. Looking closer, the idler pulley was about 1/16" further out than the belt. I assumed the bearing was going or gone. I took it to the nearest Freightliner dealer, about 2 miles away. The bearings in the idler and take up pulley were both shot. Total repair cost was $200 for labor, $260 for parts and about $60 for some Mickey Mouse charges, but it sure beats a breakdown on the road. I just checked the belt about 150 miles earlier and it looked like new. When these go, they go quick. Maybe I should have replaced everything at 500,000 miles. BTW, I was at a TA when it found the problem. They didn't have a belt and the Freightliner dealer only had one. I will be buying a spare soon.

 

[ATeam]

Good catch. Good thinking.

 

[Dreammaker]

I noticed a little bit of wear on the forward edge of the serpentine belt on my 2004 M2 with 560,000 miles on it and MB engine. Looking closer, the idler pulley was about 1/16" further out than the belt. I assumed the bearing was going or gone. I took it to the nearest Freightliner dealer, about 2 miles away. The bearings in the idler and take up pulley were both shot. Total repair cost was $200 for labor, $260 for parts and about $60 for some Mickey Mouse charges, but it sure beats a breakdown on the road. I just checked the belt about 150 miles earlier and it looked like new. When these go, they go quick. Maybe I should have replaced everything at 500,000 miles. BTW, I was at a TA when it found the problem. They didn't have a belt and the Freightliner dealer only had one. I will be buying a spare soon.

I lost one a while back. I always carry one now. The truck is not happy without that belt. I'm glad you made it to a dealer.

 

[FIS53]

I have a smaller MB motor and at just over 200k I decided to change the belt (pm thing), well on the way to the mechanic it broke. Since I was only a couple of miles I finished the drive. He put on a new belt but found the tensioner was out of alignment slightly and this caused the belt to break. Similar thing in that only the week before it looked good. SO they go fast and also no noise warning like the last buggy.
Rob

 

[Bruno]

You should always keep extra belts in your truck for that reason. It don't take that long to put one on if it breaks. You just need a 1/4 inch rachet to do it.

 

[Turtle]

Imagine if you will, driving your truck, or specifically a Sprinter, and just as you pull into a rather remote town in southern Alberta your belt tensioner fails causing the serpentine belt to turn into spaghetti, and in the process the belt rips the transmission cooler lines causing transmission fluid to spray everywhere. In a matter of seconds the battery light comes on because the alternator is no longer turning, and within minutes the transmission will no longer shift into any gear at all because there's no fluid in there. Further, imagine that this breakdown happens late on a Friday afternoon juuuust as the mother of all winter storms begins to descend upon western Canada and the upper Midwest and in the short few hours between breakdown and tow truck the temperature has gone from 39 degrees above zero to 12 below zero and it's snowed nearly two feet amidst 40-50 MPH winds. Imagine the unbelievable luck of finding a dealer less than one mile up the street, only they can't look at it until Monday, and when they do they find that they can't get the parts in until Wednesday morning, and in the meantime over the weekend the temperature has dropped to -38 degrees with just silly wind chill figures. In addition, imagine that while the truck was sitting at the dealer lot all weekend the battery froze solid.

Oh, and imagine that you're loaded all this time, still 330 miles from the consignee.

You're traveling through another dimension. A dimension, not only of sight and sound, but of mind. A journey into a wondrous land whose boundaries are that of imagination. But it's not your imagination, you're in the Twilight Zone.

 

[RLENT]

But it's not your imagination, you're in the Twilight Zone.

Hmmmmm ... funny (not) ..... I could have sworn that it was "The Turtle Zone" ......

Stay warm.

 

[Moot]

Turtle, sorry to hear about your breakdown. Fortunately you are leased to a top notch carrier with a large international presence. Couple that with professional dispatch, safety, swap and breakdown departments and the seamless communication between all departments and the driver and well... just another day at the beach right! Except for the brisk temperatures.

Fartfignewton.

Did you let Rod Serling smoke in your Sprinter?

 

[cheri1122]

Turtle: I'm sorry to hear about it too, but now I'm wondering, did you really drop the bottle of hot sauce, or did you nip at it to keep warm? 'S ok, we understand - I'd have drunk it too, and I can't stand the stuff, lol. Heck, I'd have let Rod Serling light a bonfire, (almost hoping for the insurance payoff) under the circumstances!
Hope it's all better now.

 

[davekc]

Now just imagine if that really happened.
I'm following right with you except for the waiting three days on a part from Freightliner.

 

[Turtle]

If only a Freightliner Sprinter was actually a Freightliner and parts were easy to come by. But, imagine that when they get the tensioner off they discover that when the tensioner bolt broke, causing the tensioner and belt failure, it also took out the timing cover, and the closest timing cover is in the States. Normal time on parts from the States is two weeks. Obviously, that's not an option, so they're doin' something different and I should be outta here Wed afternoon.

I do wonder if the house bank batteries are all frozen, too.

 

[OntarioVanMan]

yeah... but the twilight zone pays well.....

that'll teach ya for running the west for so long....

 

[Steady Eddie]

Been there done that 8 times this year. They always say, "need a new pulley, need a new pully, need two pulleys blahblah. My trans coolant line was taken out twice. The last one went while I was in Nashville and the tech said he didn't have one that fit mine, however, he had a coolant line for one that is used on a Sprinter with roof air. It was more metal tubing than the rubber line and hangs lower, so if it goes again it will hit metal instead of rubber. I also had the wiring ripped out twice. I had everything replaced and that lasted 6800 miles. When it went that time it took the dip stick and broke fan, fan cover, wires, split and damaged the heat shield, belt tenssor, and the two pulley's. DC paid that bill. I have a claim in with them now, but don't think much will come of it. Oh, and since the coolant line went I ended up replacing the transmission a few months later. My belts split, throws half in the fan and this damages everything. I have two pulley's and three belts I carry. One belt shows the start of the split. 17mm socket and a pin is needed to change the belt. The pin goes into the tenssenor to hold it in place while changing the belt, or you could just pull on the belt until you can insert the pin or 16 peeny nail. Good luck on getting back in service.

 

[TeamCaffee]

Bob changed our tensioner at 400,000 miles and carries it as a spare. We also about had the belt problem since the serpentine belt is so hard to find so we have a spare of that. I believe the tensioner is just one weaker item on the M2.

 

[OntarioVanMan]

Bob changed our tensioner at 400,000 miles and carries it as a spare. We also about had the belt problem since the serpentine belt is so hard to find so we have a spare of that. I believe the tensioner is just one weaker item on the M2.

And a lot of other problems can be traced back to that weakest link......

I am going to buy one and replace mine before trouble comes...me thinks by comparison I am living on borrowed time at 364,000 miles nearly everyone has changed thier tensioner in a Sprinter....

 

[Twizted1]

Another reason I say Sprinter = piece of shaaat.
No way I will invest in a truck that has so many issues old + new sprinters.My trusty chevy express has 360 k on her now and I did lose a idler pulley and had to change it out on a load along with the belt that got chewed up.I always keep spare parts,extra belt,alternator,starter,front wheel hub,fuel pump,fuel injector and coil.I do the regular maintence plus preventive maintenance religiously.Keep enough tools for a complete engine tear down or trans-rear end removal.Although the shows over if somethings that major goes wrong.Im ready to frankinstein a 5.7 0r 6.0 in a sprinter,would make a more reliable truck.plus more accessable parts.

 

[Steady Eddie]

If only a Freightliner Sprinter was actually a Freightliner and parts were easy to come by. But, imagine that when they get the tensioner off they discover that when the tensioner bolt broke, causing the tensioner and belt failure, it also took out the timing cover, and the closest timing cover is in the States. Normal time on parts from the States is two weeks. Obviously, that's not an option, so they're doin' something different and I should be outta here Wed afternoon.

I do wonder if the house bank batteries are all frozen, too.

Turtle!?

How bout an update on your problem? You running now?

 

[Moot]

Turtle!?

How bout an update on your problem? You running now?

I talked with the shelled one about an hour ago. He has been running, but it was from his Sprinter to the truck stop toilet. Seems he may have contracted some food poisoning. I thought he knew to drink only bottle water when traveling north of the border.

 

[Turtle]

Yeah, they got the part in and got me running on Wednesday afternoon. I delivered to Edmonton Thursday morning, then went to Calgary and slept. Went to Shelby, Montana where I accepted a load going from Bismark to Saksakoon. The load was a 40-skid load on a recovery from a straight truck, so that meant deliver two of them 571 miles up there, and then deadhead back and do it all again (I can haul 2 skids). Delivered the first 2 on Sunday morning and the other two Monday morning, then made it as far as Minot to get some sleep.

Left Minot towards Fargo and the van went into limp home mode and it was snowing heavily. An hour out of Fargo the van started working fine. Got to Fargo and went to sleep, and then the next day headed towards home (western KY) via Minneapolis. Got an hour out of Fargo and it went into limp home mode. The van's drivable in limp home mode, you just have no acceleration whatsoever. On flat ground with no wind, you can go from zero to 60 in about a mile and a half or two miles, and then you'll max out at about 60. Hills are fun.

It's either an EGR valve, a MASS airflow sensor, or a bad air temp sensor. It also won't come up to operating temp (about 190 degrees F) and instead wants to stay between 165-170, so I dunno. I'll get it looked at on Monday when I go home.

I got into Minneapolis and ended up getting a load offer picking up Friday morning going to Green Bay. Figured since the van is drivable, might as well. Green Bay is only 100 miles out of my way, and it's nearly 300 loaded.

Was going to spend Christmas Day with Moot and his family, but I ended up spending it either in bed or quickly moving back and forth into the TA with my tail in the head. I'm better now, and should be fine Friday morning by the time I pick this up. I'm parked right next to the pickup at the Paraside Island Resort and Casino, which is pretty large, and there's an astonishing number of people here out in the middle of nowhere at midnight on Christmas night. The place is packed.

 

[danthewolf00]

limp home mode can be unlocked by pulling over shutting off your engine opening your driver door closing it (use the clicker)locking then unlocking it then opening and closing it wait 30 secs then off you go!

i know sounds dumb but it works every time on my 07