Hi everyone.
Im new to this forum. My name is Daro, Im 25 from Rome, italy, but I have been living in Miami for 5 years. I study automotive technology at BCC.
Just recently my g/f toyota cressida blew the head gasket, and while I was working on replacing it, I found a 1999 Saab 9-3 for sale locally with 104k miles, 4 doors, automatic, turbo, with power everything, and in great shape.
The only problem was that the power steering pump broke, and the serpentine belt was off, so the battery was dead and the car had no pwer steering. I put in a charged battery, started the car, and saw that everything was fine. No overheating etc.
I convinced my g/f that it was a great buy, and i could fix the PS pump easily and she would have a 4500 car for much less, so we negotiated and got the car for $800.
Then i decided to drive it home, and this might have been the first mistake. on the higway the car overheated all the way to the top of the red area while I was driving, but then when i stopped it went back to the middle.
The engine coolant was low, i noticed...very low.
The car was also leaking from underneath (maybe from the water pump since the belt was off??) and some steam came out from the front, although the temp was in the middle.
Ok i get home and I order a used PS pump from ebay and when I get it i install it.
Then i notice that the lower pulley is not there, and after reading this forum I thought that maybe the old owner did the short belt modification.
anyways I buy the belt everyone talks about 6pk2465 but its too long .
So i take a look at the older belt that was in the car when I bought it and i notice its shorter. I go to autozone and i get a replacement . 6pk2345. I go home and I install it. I find out the tensioner pulley housing was broken, so I have to use vise grips to pull the tensioner backwards and install the belt.
I try to start the car and I hear a loud "CRACK"./ The small top back pulley is gone. The metal broke right off the housing. i look around, and I cant even find i the pulley!!
After that the car started once, and now it doesnt start anymore.
it cranks, but it doesnt start.
What have I done?
Now i have to replace the tensioner pulley, the housing (i dont know if it is a whole part) and start again, hoping that when i do try to start the car it won't break again. I am even thinking to get the lower pulley and get the stock belt, for fear that this will happen again.
Was the belt too tight? iI did take me a bit of effort to put it on and it was on pretty tight, but not super tight.
My G/f is mad, she has no car to go around cause she already passed insurance and regist. to the saab, and now the car doesnt even start.
I tried searching, believe me, but my situation is quite complex, so I thought id try posting.
Sorry if the posting is too long, i just wanted to get it all out.
I hope somebody can help with why the 6pk2465 belt that seems to be perfect for everybody was too long for me, why did the tensioner pulley break off and why the car doesnt start anymore.
Thanks in advance!!
Dario
Im new to this forum. My name is Daro, Im 25 from Rome, italy, but I have been living in Miami for 5 years. I study automotive technology at BCC.
Just recently my g/f toyota cressida blew the head gasket, and while I was working on replacing it, I found a 1999 Saab 9-3 for sale locally with 104k miles, 4 doors, automatic, turbo, with power everything, and in great shape.
The only problem was that the power steering pump broke, and the serpentine belt was off, so the battery was dead and the car had no pwer steering. I put in a charged battery, started the car, and saw that everything was fine. No overheating etc.
I convinced my g/f that it was a great buy, and i could fix the PS pump easily and she would have a 4500 car for much less, so we negotiated and got the car for $800.
Then i decided to drive it home, and this might have been the first mistake. on the higway the car overheated all the way to the top of the red area while I was driving, but then when i stopped it went back to the middle.
The engine coolant was low, i noticed...very low.
The car was also leaking from underneath (maybe from the water pump since the belt was off??) and some steam came out from the front, although the temp was in the middle.
Ok i get home and I order a used PS pump from ebay and when I get it i install it.
Then i notice that the lower pulley is not there, and after reading this forum I thought that maybe the old owner did the short belt modification.
anyways I buy the belt everyone talks about 6pk2465 but its too long .
So i take a look at the older belt that was in the car when I bought it and i notice its shorter. I go to autozone and i get a replacement . 6pk2345. I go home and I install it. I find out the tensioner pulley housing was broken, so I have to use vise grips to pull the tensioner backwards and install the belt.
I try to start the car and I hear a loud "CRACK"./ The small top back pulley is gone. The metal broke right off the housing. i look around, and I cant even find i the pulley!!
After that the car started once, and now it doesnt start anymore.
it cranks, but it doesnt start.
What have I done?
Now i have to replace the tensioner pulley, the housing (i dont know if it is a whole part) and start again, hoping that when i do try to start the car it won't break again. I am even thinking to get the lower pulley and get the stock belt, for fear that this will happen again.
Was the belt too tight? iI did take me a bit of effort to put it on and it was on pretty tight, but not super tight.
My G/f is mad, she has no car to go around cause she already passed insurance and regist. to the saab, and now the car doesnt even start.
I tried searching, believe me, but my situation is quite complex, so I thought id try posting.
Sorry if the posting is too long, i just wanted to get it all out.
I hope somebody can help with why the 6pk2465 belt that seems to be perfect for everybody was too long for me, why did the tensioner pulley break off and why the car doesnt start anymore.
Thanks in advance!!
Dario
