What are the reasons for frequent belt breakage?
2 Answers
The reasons for frequent belt breakage are as follows: 1. Reason one: The belt breaks shortly after use. Check whether the belt is excessively stretched locally, forcibly installed, or damaged by contact with the edge of the mechanical frame, causing it to break. 2. Reason two: The belt breaks after deviation. Check whether the shape of the pulley is appropriate. 3. Reason three: Remove the shoulder of the pulley. 4. Reason four: Adjust the parallelism of the pulley. 5. Reason five: Check whether the pulley is twisted, worn, or deformed. 6. Reason six: Check whether the installed belt has reached the specified stretch rate. Exceeding the specified stretch rate or installing the belt too tightly can cause the belt to break due to overload operation.
My car had been frequently breaking belts a while back, and it took three attempts to figure out the issue. Installing the belt too tight can cause excessive load, and over-tightening the tensioner often leads to this. If the pulley is aged and not smooth, it constantly wears down the edges of the belt during operation. Once, I found coolant leaking from the water pump onto the belt, causing the rubber to swell. Another hidden danger is when an aftermarket turbocharger spins too fast, exceeding the original belt’s design limits. When replacing the belt, always use specialized tools to adjust the tension—never cut corners by estimating by hand. I’ve learned my lesson now—before every winter, I pop the hood to check for cracks and tension in the belt. After all, getting stranded on a freezing day is pure misery.
