User Submitted:
Belt Slipped
My husband ran over some
My husband ran over some brush and he thinks that it might have caused the belt to slip off. We really don't know for sure, lol. One thing that is sure, the water pump had to be replaced and yes, we are very lucky, it cost us $175 and it could have been a lot worse. That was the tow charge, part and labor.
It ended up being the water
It ended up being the water pump. On the 3rd, my husband and son was going fishing when the water pump went out. He had to have it towed and the mechanic said the belt slipped because of the water pump. We got it fixed and fairly cheap too- the mechanic is a friend of the family. I sure am glad we weren't on the interstate when the water pump went out!
If the belt that slipped
If the belt that slipped off in the engine was the timing belt – you need to get another one. The other belts on the vehicle have either self adjusters or have a manual adjust so if the belt begins to streatch you can tighten it up. The timing belts on the other hand, don't have much room for any play. There are self adjustors for the timing belts but usually if the belt slips off it means that there is too much play in the system. If you don't get a new belt, you will be taking a big chance of the motor going out of time, and that can cause some major internal problems with the engine.
I can't say as I've ever
I can't say as I've ever heard of a water pump throwing a belt off. I wonder if it seized up and that is what threw the belt? I'm glad you have a good mechanic who is also a friend. In the long run that can save you tons of money!