dangators05

I've tried to search for some answers but haven't turned up any. I was wondering if anyone knows how my serpentine/accessory belt would become frayed (almost to the point of completely ripped).
I've owned the car for about 3 weeks and would describe my driving style as pretty average. The car an '02 and has 37,000 miles...no aftermarket mods.

Any guesses or suggestions as to the cause before I take it to Honda would be greatly appreciated. At this point, it's in the garage and the only time it's going anywhere is directly to the Service Department.

Note: I am not a gearhead, more like a gearhead-in-training. I believe that the belt I am calling the serpentine/accessory belt is the correct name. It's the belt at the front of the motor (towards the front bumper) that is connected to the alternator. If this is wrong, I apologize and don't mind a correction.

xviper

There is only one drive belt on the engine. It's a pretty simple and easy fix. Not only will Honda charge you the usual shop rates, but top dollar on the belt. Since you are budding gearhead, why don't you just do this yourself? If you must have genuine Honda parts, then just buy the belt. Otherwise, you can get an aftermarket one at a fraction of the cost the dealer is going to charge you.
Look at how the belt is routed. There is even a diagram stuck somewhere under the hood. Put a socket on the belt tensioner nut and pull on it till the tensioner lets loose the belt. Slip the old one off and new one on and you're done.

There are lots of reasons why your belt is fraying. Not all belts are created equal. Some may just have a shorter lifespan than others. Doesn't necessarily mean that something was wrong. You should go crazy trying to find a reason why yours is at the end of its life. Watch it go around when the engine is running. You shouldn't see any points where the belt is running odd or not on center of the pulley it's going around. If it is, you have your answer. Look further into it. If all seems OK, it probably is.

Slows2k

The most likely cause for a frayed belt is one that was installed with one of the ribs off the pulleys, which cuts the edge of the belt. It's a easy visual check. If the belt is not on the pulleys correctly, you'l be able to see the pulley grooves with the belt still installed.

dangators05

Thanks for the help. After speaking with a friend (everyone has "the mechanic friend") I've decided that this is a little too advanced for me and am taking the car to Honda. Not to mention that if I muff it up my girlfriend would KILL me. It's techniquely her car, but I love it more.

I appreciate all the help that you guys give to everyone, keep up the good work. (Not to mention that I eventually found a similar thread about the belt, I promise I searched about 10 times before posting.)

Beyond that, my girlfriend would like to add a question to the "All your questions...answered" thread, which we both found to be hilarious.

"Dear Mr. Xviper, I just had my car shipped to me and think it's super-pretty. I really like the silver color, it's really sparkly. Just one problem, ummm, how do I start it? I keep turning the key and nothing happens. Is it me? Will I blow up the car? Did I cause some damage? I heard you have a crystal ball, do you think it'll have the answer?"

xviper

I'll see about adding this one.

Done:
https://www.s2ki.com/forums/index.php?showt...dpost&p=7343365

dangators05

Perfect!!!

Wisconsin S2k

crystal ball

dangators05

After buying a new serpentine belt ($25) and having it installed at PepBoy's ($35) there is now a distinct whine coming from under the hood. I assume that it is as simple as the belt was put on too tight and will stretch over time....is this the case?
Just to clarify, the motor make a high-pitched whine (most notably around 4500 rpm), which is almost unnoticeable at idle.

FYI: Honda belt quoted at $65 + God only knows for the install. So I guess the PepBoy's route was cheaper...unless they've done something to hurt my baby!

Did I mention the car is silver? I think that could change the outcome considering that Sebring Silver is by far the fastest color!

xviper

The belt is self tensioned. The only way it can be too tight is if they sold you a belt that was marginally too short. It shouldn't whine at all. I would be concerned that too much tension is applied to one of the pulleys and that's what you hear. You should have the guys at Pepboys check it out and maybe document that this new noise is there after they put on the belt in case you have to go back to them if the belt caused some damage to one of the driven components.
Have them check to see if it's belt noise or pulley noise. If it's belt noise, that should go away as the belt stretches a bit. If it's pulley noise, this may only get worse.
Any chance you kept the old belt for comparison of length? It may be too stretched but it'll still give you an idea of how far off the new one is.