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Electrical HELP!!!!!!

Posted: January 16th, 2010, 2:29 pm
by MazdaRider
ok so not to long ago alt belt poped replaced it
then it poped the belt again
now replaced the alternator :welder: new belt :welder: new batterie :welder:
squeeks like hell :x
then poped another belt
an now has not poped a belt squeeks like crazy
but just now just dies out of know where when it get jumped it turns
on fine with nothing on
turn on the head lights the flicker
turn on the radio it turns on an off

any one might know what the problem is let me know i miss my car an this has been going on for 2 weeks now this torcher

Re: Electrical HELP!!!!!!

Posted: January 16th, 2010, 2:34 pm
by mitmaks
have alternator checked, you might be surprised as some "new" parts don't work as they should. Check your pulleys to see if they spin freely, you might have a frozen bearing.

Re: Electrical HELP!!!!!!

Posted: January 16th, 2010, 3:06 pm
by MazdaRider
yea i know sadly its a pain in the a-- 2 take it off :x
but :shrug: it must b done an
i checked the pullys an their good cleaned them with s brush an no nicks
or bends
thanks 4 the advice

Re: Electrical HELP!!!!!!

Posted: January 16th, 2010, 4:17 pm
by mitmaks
Maybe check belt and see if you actually getting the right one. One of the napa guys tried to sell me 5 rib belt whereas I needed 4. He was trying to tell me that i had wrong one originally. Little he knew that it was ORIGINAL belt on there.

Re: Electrical HELP!!!!!!

Posted: January 16th, 2010, 4:54 pm
by Newfie_dan
check your pulley alignment, that is usually a source of new belt squeal and popping belts off. If the alt had shims on it or a pulley's bearings are bad it will cause that issue.

Re: Electrical HELP!!!!!!

Posted: January 18th, 2010, 10:42 am
by MazdaRider
ok guys so riped of the alt
an it is black as hell
but guess whats the weirdest thing the belt still brand spanking new like its never been put on.
an mitmaks it is a 4 rib also :D thanks
so im going 2 get it tested
Newfie_dan ill check hte alignment also

Re: Electrical HELP!!!!!!

Posted: January 18th, 2010, 11:41 am
by wytbishop
As i've said before this is, or was, a common problem for 4cyl MX-3's. I inexplicably went through 3 alt belts in a week and was only able to solve the problem by buying a factory belt from a dealership.

I know it doesn't make a lot of sense. I can't explain it...but the only belt that did not squeal like a pig and then snap was the Mazda belt.

Re: Electrical HELP!!!!!!

Posted: January 18th, 2010, 8:26 pm
by Newfie_dan
could be that the belts you bought were sitting by a window, the uv light tends to dry the belts out so I never buy 1 thats sitting on a rack thats right next to a window.

Re: Electrical HELP!!!!!!

Posted: January 19th, 2010, 12:40 am
by wytbishop
Or....maybe...the owner of the store where I bought my aftermarket belts stored them on a shelf next to a washing machine with an electric motor generating ozone for like 10 years and that ozone rich atmoshpere degenerated all three of the belts I bought. That has to be it...what other explaination could there be??? besides the UV light thing I mean...which is clearly totally plausible.

LOOK NEWFIE_DAN....A STRAW....GRAB IT!!!!

Re: Electrical HELP!!!!!!

Posted: January 19th, 2010, 1:44 pm
by MazdaRider
ok guys
put up another new alt new belt an the car died again
so then it has to be something else
anyone have anyother ideas

Re: Electrical HELP!!!!!!

Posted: January 19th, 2010, 2:48 pm
by wytbishop
The belt snapped again, or something else died?

If the belt snapped again...go to the nearest Mazda dealership and buy a stock belt. Install it according to the online manual and you should be fine.

FYI, I was able to get my money back for 2 of the 3 belts that broke on me when this happened to me...so if you have the remnants of the belts you should try.

Re: Electrical HELP!!!!!!

Posted: January 19th, 2010, 8:35 pm
by Newfie_dan
Well that was rather rude wytbishop check ur facts brother rubber is highly susceptible to UV light drying it out, give a belt a few months in the sun and see what happens to it. Automotive belts like alternator belts and the like are not treated for UV light exposure they are treated for chemical resistance, and abrasion due to use. UV light shrinks the polymers and makes the belt weak stiff and brittle. It only takes about 6 months of direct exposure to sunlight to start the weakening process. I am a certified journeyman heavy equipment tech and have some 15 years of automotive experience and have seen brand new belts break because of it, so before you start shooting off at the mouth best check your facts. Look online 99% of all belt manufacturers tell you to store them in a cool dry place away from direct sunlight. I am not saying that all 3 belts could have been breaking from the same source just that it could be an attributing factor. From my experience belts breaking are most likely due to incorrect tension or pulley alignment. As for your belt giving out again lets look at other things as the source, any chance your belt tension is off? you should be able to deflect the belt about and inch when its tensioned at the widest gap between the pulleys for the correct tension. Also did you check the alignment of the pulleys see if there is any side loading of the belt. Its not hard to mess up the correct tension of the belt with the old style threaded rod adjustment.

Re: Electrical HELP!!!!!!

Posted: January 20th, 2010, 11:03 pm
by MazdaRider
the whole car died guys

Re: Electrical HELP!!!!!!

Posted: January 20th, 2010, 11:04 pm
by MazdaRider
belt did not snap still looks brand new
an alignment is good

Re: Electrical HELP!!!!!!

Posted: January 20th, 2010, 11:56 pm
by Newfie_dan
hmm ok so belt did not snap and looks good, is there any noise prior to the belt letting go at all? Maybe bad bearings in either the alternator or drive pulley. And be more clear when you say the car died, do you mean lack of battery power or something went pow on you.