Quote:
Originally posted by B52
Heavymetals-
Every other auto manufacturer on earth utilizes a rubber mounted harmonic balancer that lasts the lifetime of the engine and then some. The reason for the failures is that this design uses the outside ring of the harmonic balancer to drive engine accessories, causing added stress to the rubber. This problem is not an issue that should "have a lifetime" and be a maintenance item. It should be designed so that this is never an issue. Get the serpentine belt off of the balancer and it will never fail. Other manufactures have designs that never or very rarely ever fail.
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I second that opinion! You can't have a solid metal pulley 'as harmonic balancer' has to isolate things vibrating at a diff frequencies.... Obviously, for simplicity sake, lets call it, we will double the width of the rubber ring thus putting only 1/2 the torsional and or shear stress on it.. It should last longer..
All said, its not a 'bad batch' as bad batches don't span across multiple production years. I would say, it depends more on your driving style and/or ambient temperature than anything else, as for life of these. IF all rubber components have to be replaced, the first thing I can think of are the engine mounts etc., which are under severe load conditions. Also, for god's sake this is a premium vehicle. Its not a Hyundai.
Its almost unfathomable why a manufacturer would not do a voluntary recall, and or at least a service bulletin about it. ...
Anyway, no mercy from me as for why it should be considered, 'acceptable' life. I have a nissan with 160 miles and I havent paid for timing belt replacement.