Belt change complexity?
- Thread starter Robotazky
- Start date
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- 2008 Mazda5 Touring
A broken serpentine belt will cause you to overheat almost instantly, and of course this is detrimental. What problem are you having?
The workshop manual shows the serpentine belt behind the a/c belt. Since the a/c belt is elastic (so-to-speak), and requires cutting off to replace the serpentine, you would need both new.
The workshop manual shows the serpentine belt behind the a/c belt. Since the a/c belt is elastic (so-to-speak), and requires cutting off to replace the serpentine, you would need both new.
I meant "the belts", in general, not just the one. I have a squealing A/C belt when I drive 80 MPH in a downpour. I'm going to replace both while I'm at it.
FYI, I hydroplaned a bit twice with the cruise on and the cruise kicked off. The second time the ABS light came on. Oddly, the manual refers to battery issues as a possibility if the ABS light comes on, so I didn't stop in case I would be broken down further from home from a dead battery. The next day the brakes were on slightly when I pulled out. I was concerned to say the least. I drove away and immediately they let off and the light went out. I guess this means that I drove for two hours with the brakes on. Great. Why the stupid ABS light would have anything to do with the battery is beyond me. That seems lazy on the programming part.
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- 2006 Mazda5 Touring
You have to CUT the AC belt off?! WTF Why in hell would you have to cut the belt off? Is there no tensioner or other mechanism to loosen and remove the thing? Also what do you mean by elastic? I have never heard of such a thing. Also are there any idlers or serpentine tensioners that need replacement when the belt is done? Sorry for all the questions, but something sounds really weird about that whole process... PS. ^^ This is why running the CC in rainy weather is a bad idea
I think when he says "elastic" he means there is SOME elasticity but not much, not like a rubber band. ACC belts usually are made with fibers to make them stronger. Also, I have worked on vehicles where just cutting a belt off is the easiest way to remove [that particular belt] but then when you replace it with a new [unstretched] belt there is always something you loosen, either a tensioner, or in many cases the accessory itself like the alternator or the compressor will have an adjusting bolt for this. If you've ever worked on tractors (i.e., Freightliners) there may be several belts involved...3, 4 or 5 even. They are usually V-belts.
A/C belt comes off first to get to the serpentine belt. You can screw around with taking off a very tight belt, or you can cut it off in 5 seconds. Your choice, but the manual provides you the fastest and, thankfully, most efficient method. You can probably use a "jig" to get it off and then use the "jig" to get it back on, but the A/C belt will wear out much faster than the other, so if you need to replace the serpentine, you should also replace the A/C. It just makes sense. The serpentine belt does have a tensioner that you can use a wrench on to loosen the belt and change it out.
In 30 years of driving over a million miles, I've never had an issue with using cruise in the rain. None. Cruise, that doesn't cut off like a computerized b****, keeps the power on and pulls right through the hydroplane. It's when you slam on the brakes or let off in deep water that you're screwed. I was on an interstate, so it's straight line driving. Plow through it is the rule of thumb. The cruise suddenly cutting off was dangerous. I'll have to remember to baby my little girl car next time it rains so that I don't upset it.
Anyway, regarding the belts, the dealership started in on a big long scam trying to scare my wife into believing the car needed un-Godly amounts of work without even seeing it, as usual, so I'll be doing the belts myself and saving untold amounts of money. There's a special place in Hell for dealership service people.
In 30 years of driving over a million miles, I've never had an issue with using cruise in the rain. None. Cruise, that doesn't cut off like a computerized b****, keeps the power on and pulls right through the hydroplane. It's when you slam on the brakes or let off in deep water that you're screwed. I was on an interstate, so it's straight line driving. Plow through it is the rule of thumb. The cruise suddenly cutting off was dangerous. I'll have to remember to baby my little girl car next time it rains so that I don't upset it.
Anyway, regarding the belts, the dealership started in on a big long scam trying to scare my wife into believing the car needed un-Godly amounts of work without even seeing it, as usual, so I'll be doing the belts myself and saving untold amounts of money. There's a special place in Hell for dealership service people.
Wishmaster
Member
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- 07 Galaxy Gray AT Mazda5 GT
Nope, all that driving has given you some bad habits, rule of thumb is let off the gas, don't brake, but definitely let off the gas, you shouldn't try and power through, this can just make it worse. Braking is bad, but letting off is not bad and is in fact much better than gassing it. This is why cruise control while hydroplaning is bad, doesn't allow you to let off the gas without braking or hitting a button first, sometimes by then it's too late. And if hydroplaning badly it will also cause one front wheel to spin up much faster than the other which can cause more problems. - http://alerts.nationalsafetycommission.com/2009/03/hazards-of-driving-in-rain-with-cruise.php
But it is strange that it cut out like that... wonder if one wheel was spinning up faster than the other and maybe that causes it to cut out? If so, glad it does this.
Hope your belt change goes well!
If I'm in deep water suddenly, going slow speeds, as in 45 mph and down, I will let off the gas because it is practical. If I'm going 80 mph and hydroplane because there is just so much rain on a flat road, I power through it because letting off the gas at high RPMs induces engine braking and is effectively braking during a hydroplane and more dangerous. Obviously the best thing to do is to slow down, but that's not always MY preferred action. I've been in situations on interstates where I knowingly hydroplaned over and over because I know my car very well, the road very well, and am a very experienced driver, plus I was in a hurry which is obviously very important. (wink)
You can't teach people universal theories on safe driving for all circumstances. Sort of like Dave Ramsey telling everyone to cut up their credit cards because most people don't have any sense and can't use them responsibly. The reality is that using credit cards is fine, and in some cases most practical and safe, if you never pay interest. But since most people do not have sense, he tells people to just avoid credit cards. We can tell everyone to let off the gas during a hydroplane, but it's not always the best way to handle the situation. If what I'm saying doesn't make sense, then you would want to have a policy of letting off the gas during a hydroplane and hoping for the best, or avoid higher speeds in a downpour in general.
I have 30 years and over a million miles under my belt and not one single wreck. Who knows? Maybe I'll slow down when I get old.
Wishmaster
Member
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- 07 Galaxy Gray AT Mazda5 GT
Right exactly... for those of us who will continue to prefer to drive under 80 mph in the rain, the much safer thing to do is to not use cruise control in rainy conditions and let off of the gas when experiencing hydroplaning. Basically anything under 75 mph (as I don't drive faster than that in conditions where hydroplaning may happen), let off the gas when you experience hydroplaning.
One million miles and no wrecks is great, but I think 20 years of driving in Vancouver trumps you for wet weather experience... you might have a million miles but I'll bet I've, unwillingly, got more rain miles
Right exactly... for those of us who will continue to prefer to drive under 80 mph in the rain, the much safer thing to do is to not use cruise control in rainy conditions and let off of the gas when experiencing hydroplaning. Basically anything under 75 mph (as I don't drive faster than that in conditions where hydroplaning may happen), let off the gas when you experience hydroplaning.
One million miles and no wrecks is great, but I think 20 years of driving in Vancouver trumps you for wet weather experience... you might have a million miles but I'll bet I've, unwillingly, got more rain miles
There is no precise equation to determine the speed at which a vehicle will aquaplane. Existing efforts have derived rules of thumb from empirical testing.
In general, cars aquaplane at speeds above 53 mph (72 km/h), where water ponds to a depth of at least 1/10 of an inch (2.5 mm) over a distance of 30 feet (9 meters) or more.
From my personal experience, many moons ago, I've lost one car in Vancouver that hydroplaned after coming out from under the bridge, I was doing about 100 km/h (60 mph) on the good front tires and bold rears.
My wife just lost our other car hydroplaning at around 80 km/h (50 mph) with tires at about 80% new, kinda the reason I ended up with Mazda 5
I'd say in the rain... slow down. Some times you can plow right through, other times the plow gets you.
If that were the case, they wouln't manufacture Z-rated directional tires, since everyone from Skip Barber to Dale Earnhardt to BMW and AMG would be telling everyone to keep their supercars in the garage unless its a perfect day. Tire technology has come a long way from the 1950s and bias-ply tires. Goodyear Gatorbacks revolutionized wet weather performance. Now, if we are including winds or curvy, hilly roads...well different story.
You are hydroplaning LOOOOOONG before you finally begin drifting and get a sense that you are hydroplaning. One thing about PNW though: Its the only place I have ever driven where you get more traction driving in the worn ruts in the road when the surface it wet. Wet weather driving there is much different than in most of the rest of North America. Your asphalt actually wears differently because it is constantly rain-soaked.
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- 2008 Mazda5 Touring
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- 2006 Mazda5 Touring
Sorry, I read it as " You HAVE to cut the belt off" That was my bad, I figured there had to be a means of removing that sucker. I am interested in this "jig" thing-a-jig, that sounds like a fabulous piece of vaporware. As to CC in the rain at 80 MPH, all I will say is Via Con Dios my friend, at some point Darwin and the law of averages WILL catch up with you
LOL! Thanks.
Right exactly... for those of us who will continue to prefer to drive under 80 mph in the rain, the much safer thing to do is to not use cruise control in rainy conditions and let off of the gas when experiencing hydroplaning. Basically anything under 75 mph (as I don't drive faster than that in conditions where hydroplaning may happen), let off the gas when you experience hydroplaning.
One million miles and no wrecks is great, but I think 20 years of driving in Vancouver trumps you for wet weather experience... you might have a million miles but I'll bet I've, unwillingly, got more rain miles
It's entirely possible that you do have more miles in the rain. The roads in my state are usually very good and asphalt. Rain on concrete roads is obviously much more dangerous, and I would like to qualify my comments by saying I do not necessarily drive 80 mph in the rain on concrete. Also, I don't drive on tires that are anything but the best for the vehicle and I don't run them down low on tread. All of my tires are 50% or more at all times because I'm very particular about tires. It certainly helps to have great all-weather tires when I'm going 80 mph in the rain.
I think with this vehicle I will just turn off the cruise if I'm going fast in the rain. Problem solved. Now I still have a squeaky belt to deal with. Driving 60 mph in the rain won't help that. I've tried it.
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- Banned For Being A Troll
If you weirdos are experiencing hydro planning in your car, I would recommend replacing whatever you have as tires and getting something a bit more expensive than the "Walmart Special"
I have used Yokohama S-Drive and Parada-SPEC 2 on my Stock Mazda 3 daily for three years and MP5T since 2002. I have never experienced a situation where I felt the car lift and loose contact.
(For the record, I can remeber 17 distinct times where I know I was going too fast in very bad weather)
Summer Tires > All Season Tires.
I have used Yokohama S-Drive and Parada-SPEC 2 on my Stock Mazda 3 daily for three years and MP5T since 2002. I have never experienced a situation where I felt the car lift and loose contact.
(For the record, I can remeber 17 distinct times where I know I was going too fast in very bad weather)
Summer Tires > All Season Tires.
