Fan Belts

[SARGE]

What a royal pain this day has been. My son barely made it to work, 30 miles from where he lives, and the belt broke on his 2002 Jeep Liberty as he was a few minutes from the parking lot. Overheating by then. Who does he call - a Dad who gave away most of his tools and can't even change a spare tire anymore. But I have credit cards. Called something named Mobile Mechanics who dispatched a guy and my worse fears confirmed - a pulley had frozen, the a/c. Couldn't just be a rotten belt. So I asked the guy if could get a belt for the Jeep w/o the a/c - nope, doesn't exist. Has to be towed and have compressor replaced. I said whatever. Then I call the owner and say just install the new compressor and belt onsite and I understood can't recharge but at least the pulley will turn and he can roll. Then the mechanic calls, waiting for me to bring him the stuff. My BP rising, I inform him that I had told the owner (dispatcher) for him to go to the nearest Auto Zone, Napa, whatever, get the parts on the counter, call me and I'll give them my credit card #. I haven't heard yet how that fiasco is going.

All this for a cotton pickin' serpentine belt. In old days, we would just leave off the particular belt. Alot of times when one belt broke, it flopped the others off, so I carried spare alternator and water pump belts to limp home. To heck if the a/c froze up.

[MaxRat]

i think the mechanic is lazy or ignorant... they make a bypass belt for non-AC and also an AC delete pulley that takes place of the AC unit....

I've put them on Ford, Dodge and GM when that has happened and replaced the belt....

[David M]

Apparently it can be done.

I found this doing a Google search....
How to Bypass the A/C 2002 Jeep Liberty 3.7L - JeepForum.com

You don't need to be so mad at Google now.

[SARGE]

Being hamstrung, stuck here with a phone, trying to coordinate between the owner and mechanic onsite, communication seriously lacking, head and chest hurting, it all came to an end. Mobile Mechanic got to Auto Zone, parts on counter, clerk said couldn't enter credit card, had to be there in person. I yelled I can order everything online and you can't take a $400 transaction over the phone? Game over. These things happen on week-ends, right? My own guys will tend to this Monday, wrecker to my main man at Kwik Kar and all. So it gets left in parking lot a few days. What a day. Son has to get off work now before dark because his wife can't drive after dark to come pick him up on her driving restrictions, and she has to borrow a car to do that. Because of a frozen pulley. They don't have 2 nickels to rub together so glad can help. They live so far away. In the end, galbud said maybe I was so frustrated because at one time I would have gone and done all the work myself, and she is right.

[MaxRat]

Yes Sarge I think your GalBud is right....

I get very irritated when someone or something cant be done when i know it can and I cannot do it myself in a situation just like yours....

It isnt easy at all and people just dont have the same ambition people like us do when it comes to that...

[SARGE]

Originally Posted by MaxRat Yes Sarge I think your GalBud is right.... I get very irritated when someone or something cant be done when i know it can and I cannot do it myself in a situation just like yours.... It isnt easy at all and people just dont have the same ambition people like us do when it comes to that...

And there it is. I asked son about the tires, said bought 4 new ones for $120, which means bought 4 retreads in my mind. Going 30 miles each way to work on highway everyday, wife and baby sometimes dropping him off...you do the thinking. So he will get a new belt, a/c compressor and 4 new tires, throw in a new battery, from my best mechanic bud who I trust totally. Seems a Dad never stops being a Dad. Now I gotta travel 30 miles and return to get the key for the wrecker, lol.

[MaxRat]

Well thats the good thing Of being a parent... Kids are willing to gamble and so are we just not with our kids or grandkids...

At least you're in a position to be able to help... not many parents can say that in todays economy...

Nice thing is they dont do retreads around here... not for passenger cars or trucks. Semi Only...

Beings its morning and everyone is still sleeping i might as well story up a little bit....

My Oldest two daughters are out in the real world and have been a few years... My oldest moved out about 4-5 years ago... young and green and no clue about real life other than what I've taught them... i think I've done well. Some college and now grandbabies and she's just been married 1 year to the nicest of kids.

Good back ground, good clean cut kid with good manors and good upbringing. Just the kind of kid you would want for a son-in-law... college educated for Auto-Mechanics and has a darn good job at a local Carquest garage making good money.... just bought a nice house and they really seem to have their crap together... I really like the kid.

He wants to do a little work from home so i am helping him piece together some stuff as a little father-in-law / son-in-law bonding time... we are currently finishing the building of an Air Compressor i started 15 years ago and making a new home for in at his place. He's green but not arrogant and willing to learn.

My next oldest daughter has been out a few years and is in college full time and holds a full time job... has a live in boyfriend who doesnt work or go to school and she just struggles her butt off... I've offered to help and give advice but that hasnt really worked. I bought her a nice car when she graduated for her high honor role grades... Kid got a Full 4 year ride all cost included for college just on her grades...car needs a muffler and she cant afford to fix it and I've offered and it has still needed one for the last few years... poor car.

Sometimes you just wonder why people choose to struggle that way when there is no real reason to....

[David M]

Originally Posted by MaxRat has a live in boyfriend who doesnt work or go to school and she just struggles her butt off... .

I despise people like this.

There is no excuse for not working or going to school. I don't care what anyone says, there are jobs out there if you work hard enough to get one. Jobs are not handed out on silver platters, even the crappy low paying jobs. He just might have to do something that he does not enjoy doing in order to support himself, but that's life sometimes. There is no excuse for leeching off of someone else or not going to school in order to better yourself.

My parents told me before I turned 18 that I am to get a job or go to college after I graduated from high school. They were not going to support a bum...and I agreed with them. So I did both, I busted my ass with a low paying part time job while going to college full time.

[MaxRat]

From what I hear she claims he's sick and needs a surgery... I've heard this for 2 years i know of.... I have to agree on it though. She's been mad at me and her mother and the rest of the family for saying the same thing but that's life....

[SARGE]

My initial point, I guess, was to express frustration in trying to get things done. In the end, the parts were on the counter, mechanic waiting, and Auto Zone wouldn't take my credit card over the phone, and I couldn't go there in person. $65 an hour for 4 hours for nothing. I went today to get his key and popped the hood. Glad I didn't volunteer to fix it - way too tight space between radiator and all the pulleys that needed replacing because of burned up belt residue. I always heard is a royal pain worjing on a Jeep. On my '72 Cheyenne, I could see concrete when I popped the hood.

[glc]

Don't feel too bad, Sarge - back in February I had an idler pulley seize up on my truck and burn the belt off. I was out on I-80 in East Overshoe, Nebraska, and it was on a Saturday afternoon. $230 for a tow into Lincoln, 3 nights in a hotel at $110 a night, and $630 to Anderson Ford for both idler pulleys, idler pulley bracket, tensioner and pulley, belt, labor at $105/hr, and overnight shipping for the bracket. It was Super Bowl weekend too - at least the room had a 32" flat screen, but no HD service.

I was heading to Chicago for a Super Bowl party.

[MaxRat]

Ouch G that had to hurt.....

Jeeps do suck to work on.. my brother has a Jeep SUV with a V8... trying to change the cap and rotor is no fun I tell you and not easy...

Our 97 van is sitting in the driveway and has for the better part of a month... it blew the water pump shaft and shredded the belt. The Clutch fan is a reverse thread screw on fan and it just hasnt given up letting loose. I've given up trying to get it off and figure I'll just have to pull the hole pump off and then get the fan loose.

There is even less room in a full size van engine compartment than a jeep... it was a job just getting the upper fan shroud out...

[EzyStvy]

I was on my way to pickup Ex #2 for our first date when my timing belt broke.

Should have seen that a sign of things to come

[MaxRat]

Isnt it funny how fate/karma step in and we refuse to listen...?

If only....

[David M]

Originally Posted by SARGE . I always heard is a royal pain worjing on a Jeep. On my '72 Cheyenne, I could see concrete when I popped the hood.

These days you are lucky if you can see the engine block. I was looking around at towing vehicles lately and the engine compartments look like a snake pit of wires, hoses and plastic shrouds of one sort or another. It appears that just getting to the spark plugs in some of these engines might take hours. God forbid if a head gasket ever had to be replaced.

2014 Jeep Grand Cherokee EcoDiesel Summit 3.0-liter V-6 diesel engine photo

By the way, the Diesel Grand Cherokee looks really nice, at least in internet articles. EPA 28 MPG highway for a 4WD that can tow 7200 pounds is pretty impressive. 420 ft/lb of torque would help with the towing. I have been thinking about selling the Mini and the Dodge Ram for a single vehicle that I can both commute and tow in. The Diesel Cherokees won't be available until the end of this year.

2014 Jeep Grand Cherokee EcoDiesel V-6 First Drive ? Review ? Car and Driver

[glc]

With today's emission controls, diesels are high maintenance cost and don't get the fuel mileage they should.

[David M]

Other than oil and filter changes...and a urea tank that needs to be filled once every 10,000 miles....what else is there for maintenance? I don't mean to be argumentative, but the EPA numbers would be wrong? I realize EPA numbers are not exact, but relative to each other they should be pretty accurate? Which means this would be one of the most fuel efficient SUV's of this size and towing capacity...right? I'm not seeing any SUV's that can tow this much with a EPA highway of much over 20 mpg. For me monthly fuel costs can be huge since I commute over 100 miles per day. At one point in time I was commuting with the Dodge RAM and it was costing me $700 per month in fuel...which is partially why I bought the Mini. I own three vehicles, just trying to cut it down to two if it makes economic sense. That would save on my insurance bill as well. I'm still exploring the idea.

My wife flat out told me we are not selling the trailer boat. Isn't that interesting coming from a wife?

At least for marine Diesels, Tier 2 and Tier 3 Diesels are more efficient than the old school non computer controlled Diesels. The Tier 2 and 3 Diesels have computer controlled injection and valve timing (solenoid controlled). They are also quieter and don't smell nearly as bad. With the urea tank, I suspect the Jeep might have a Tier 3 engine. I would have never guessed piss could make a Diesel run cleaner.

[glc]

Exactly how much does the boat/trailer weigh?

There's more than urea involved in diesel emissions - you have cats and DPF, and fuel filters and water separators. EPA numbers are better than they used to be, but still somewhat fantasy. Even with urea, they still regen, and that kills the mileage.

If anything, you might be better off finding an old Dodge 2500 with a Cummins, pre-emissions (before 04). Only downside to those is the crappy automatic transmission. My nephew had a 2000 that got 29 mpg on the highway at 60 mph.

Too bad you need to tow - if you didn't, I'd recommend you trade off the Mini for a VW TDI for commuting. My nephew's fiancee has one and it's never gotten less than 40 mpg.

[David M]

The combined weight is around 4000 pounds (19 feet), but she wants to get a boat with a covered forward cabin so we can sleep on the boat...to go boat camping and fishing at lakes. (20-23 feet and roughly 5000-6000 pounds combined trailer and boat weight)

Yes, I wish I had known about the Diesel VW a couple years ago when I bought the Mini. I don't know if it was available then. I could have bought a car that costs less and has better mileage but she and I wanted a convertible. Back then the Mini was the convertible with the best mileage....other than a Miata and those are frighteningly small in addition to a certain sexual orientation and gender that predominantly drives them in this area.

[glc]

2013 is the first year of the Beetle convertible with TDI.

Test Drive: 2013 Volkswagen Beetle Convertible TDI | Fox News