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  #1  
Old 12-07-2007, 03:07 PM
Craig
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617 belt life?

I was just wondering what everyone else's experience with 617 v-belts is. I just replaced mine, one of the alternator/water pump belts broke last week when I was traveling so I orders four new belts. After another 1500 miles of driving, I replaced them this week.

They had been on the car for about 1.5 years/ 60K miles and they looked pretty rough. I believe I have the tension set correctly, they just seen to wear out faster than I would expect. I'm wondering if I should just start replacing them every year.

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  #2  
Old 12-07-2007, 03:11 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Craig View Post
I was just wondering what everyone else's experience with 617 v-belts is. I just replaced mine, one of the alternator/water pump belts broke last week when I was traveling so I orders four new belts. After another 1500 miles of driving, I replaced them this week.

They had been on the car for about 1.5 years/ 60K miles and they looked pretty rough. I believe I have the tension set correctly, they just seen to wear out faster than I would expect. I'm wondering if I should just start replacing them every year.
I wouldn't bother. None of them are catastrophic by themselves on the turbos. On an NA I would replace the single water/fan/alt one regularly.
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  #3  
Old 12-08-2007, 07:13 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Craig View Post
I was just wondering what everyone else's experience with 617 v-belts is. I just replaced mine, one of the alternator/water pump belts broke last week when I was traveling so I orders four new belts. After another 1500 miles of driving, I replaced them this week.

They had been on the car for about 1.5 years/ 60K miles and they looked pretty rough. I believe I have the tension set correctly, they just seen to wear out faster than I would expect. I'm wondering if I should just start replacing them every year.
I had to replace them each year until a smart guy at the auto parts store realized what was happening and sold me wider belts. The ones I was using (from MB) were too thin and would ride down into the groove too low causing them to overheat and stretch. Now that I have I think a 15mm wide belt, they are working fine.

Just check them and replace as needed. I lost the AC belt once and it took out the PS belt, so you could have a problem like that happen.
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  #4  
Old 12-08-2007, 07:35 PM
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60K seems like pretty decent life span to me. what brand?

I put all new Napa (contenintal or gates? cant remember.)belts on last year, they still seem fine-20k later.
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  #5  
Old 12-08-2007, 07:39 PM
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They don't last that long. 60k miles is about all your going to get out of them. Conti's are going to be the best, I have had horrible luck with domestic brands.
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  #6  
Old 12-08-2007, 07:41 PM
Craig
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Originally Posted by mobetta View Post
60K seems like pretty decent life span to me. what brand?
The ones that I just replaced were from the dealer (installed in a hotel parking lot in VT about 1.5 years ago after the last one broke). I just put on a set of conti's. Maybe the life's not too bad, it just seems like I have to replace them frequently.
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  #7  
Old 12-08-2007, 07:45 PM
Craig
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Originally Posted by Hatterasguy View Post
They don't last that long. 60k miles is about all your going to get out of them. Conti's are going to be the best, I have had horrible luck with domestic brands.
Maybe I'll just replace them every fall so I don't have to deal with them breaking at inconvenient times (I'm driving about 40K miles/year these days). I've also had bad luck with the "NAPA" type belts, I don't think the fit into the pulley correctly.
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  #8  
Old 12-08-2007, 08:32 PM
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Originally Posted by winmutt View Post
I wouldn't bother. None of them are catastrophic by themselves on the turbos.
Under the right circumstances, a sudden and unanticipated loss of power steering certainly could be catastrophic.
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  #9  
Old 12-08-2007, 09:32 PM
Craig
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Originally Posted by tangofox007 View Post
Under the right circumstances, a sudden and unanticipated loss of power steering certainly could be catastrophic.
A few years ago I had one of the alternator/water pump belts break and knock all three of the other belts off. I ended up with none of them in place on the side of I-80 in IN. I managed to put one good belt back in place.
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  #10  
Old 12-08-2007, 10:40 PM
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Originally Posted by Hatterasguy View Post
They don't last that long. 60k miles is about all your going to get out of them. Conti's are going to be the best, I have had horrible luck with domestic brands.

Gee, I didn't think you drove that SD for 60K miles............being that you owned it for less than two years.

And, AFAIK, the SDL doesn't use V-belts, but, I haven't looked under the hood very carefully.

Maybe you've been driving that Jetta more than you admit..........but, 60K in less than one year would be quite a feat. The customers must be really annoyed with the back seat.
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  #11  
Old 12-08-2007, 11:55 PM
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Originally Posted by tangofox007 View Post
Under the right circumstances, a sudden and unanticipated loss of power steering certainly could be catastrophic.
Actually a benz without the belt on the power steering is not that bad to steer.....much much better than most cars. At least 1/3 as bad I would say.

Now my dodge truck....with the motor off I can barely move the steering wheel at all with both arms, and I am a pretty stout fellow in the arms and shoulders. The truck has rack and pinion.

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  #12  
Old 12-09-2007, 10:24 AM
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Originally Posted by t walgamuth View Post
Actually a benz without the belt on the power steering is not that bad to steer.....much much better than most cars. At least 1/3 as bad I would say.
It's one thing to drive the car when you know the power steering doesn't work. Imagine what might happen on a winding, mountain road when the power assist fails suddenly and unexpectedly.

Same with a brake booster failure. When you know in advance you are not going to have it, driving without the brake assist is not that difficult. Totally different than an "unannounced" failure.
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  #13  
Old 12-09-2007, 10:51 AM
Craig
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After a belt failure, I did drive my W123 around chicago for a couple of days with no power steering. It is drive-able, but it is not easy. Making sharp turns on secondary streets takes both hands and it would be very difficult to avoid n accident. It is nearly impossible to turn into a parking spot in a single turn.
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  #14  
Old 12-09-2007, 01:03 PM
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Originally Posted by Brian Carlton View Post
Gee, I didn't think you drove that SD for 60K miles............being that you owned it for less than two years.

And, AFAIK, the SDL doesn't use V-belts, but, I haven't looked under the hood very carefully.

Maybe you've been driving that Jetta more than you admit..........but, 60K in less than one year would be quite a feat. The customers must be really annoyed with the back seat.
WTF?
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  #15  
Old 12-09-2007, 03:30 PM
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They're so inexpensive for a set, I carry a spare set with me

Just change them when they look bad.

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