Serpentine Belt reconditioning and Grip Belt products

[brucemc777]

My daughter has a 2009 2.7l V6 KIA Sportage.



Now, i would never buy a car that was named after the recognized acronym for "Killed in Action", but she really wanted the thing. Aside from the other issues, at this time we have an occasional squeal coming from under the hood, and she advises after going through a puddle sometimes the steering becomes very stiff momentarily and electrical fluctuations (i think) were mentioned.


I bought a new belt for the car and after much swearing was able to get a good leverage on the tension release, but upon inspection while the belt was still in place i noticed that it looked great - no obvious signs of wear at all.


Because changing the belt seems to me that much more of a PITA, i chose to belay the replacement and ask you folks who actually know what you are doing (as opposed to me, as i kind of make it up as i go along) whether or not any of the afore in-title cited products actually work, or are they all snake oil? I don't mind being a test guinea pig if mixed results, but if we know one way or another for certain from experience, i'd rather not waste my time (or money)


Great Thanks to you folks for your expertise and consideration!



(As to my other complaints and as a warning to all those who are considering buying an older KIA, possibly even a newer one, the plastic composition they use is so cheap many of the plastic parts are simply shattering with normal use at this point. This includes: Overhead console, interior door handles, exterior door handles, sun visor, glove box handle).

[shorod]

My position on the different belt dressing options is they are purely a temporary means of masking a larger issue. The real issue could be a bad or glazed belt, some contamination on one of the pulleys, an alignment issue of the belt and pulleys, or a self tensioner that is not providing the proper tension.

If I were in your position and this were my daughter's vehicle I'd replace, or have replaced, the self tensioner assembly (with spring) and the belt. I'd be probably 90-95% confident that will take care of the squealing belt and momentary loss of power steering assist.

While the belt is off most techs and DIY'ers would also spin the other pulleys to make sure there isn't one that feels rough. Less common would be to also study the pulley grooves to see if any have some foreign material or rubber build-up and if so, clean it out with a screwdriver and/or wire brush.

-Rod

[brucemc777]

Thank you!



That's what i needed to know-


I will start with the belt (with all related inspections as you advise) and if the issue persists, then the tensioner.


Once again, my thanks. I can't afford to take these cars in every time something goes wrong. Wish i could as my back is real unhappy with me today (replaced an outside door handle on that car yesterday also, which wasn't fun), i guess i am not getting younger...

[ameliamont]

I agree with shorod. Using a different belt may be effective temporarily but it won't last. That happened also to my Subaru 2009 Outback. My husband had a hard time figuring out what has happened. We also changed it to a different belt, at first it worked but after a few days the problem came back and it was worst than before. I did a lot of searching online and found this site . I found the belt that fits my Subaru and after we changed it, it worked like magic! You might want to check them also. Also, I would like to thank you for sharing your experience of owning a KIA.

-Amelia

[brucemc777]

Thank you!

I loved our Subaru (except the plastic radiator)! Right up to circa Sept 2018, living in FL at the time, a little past midnight, driving home from Orlando airport at something over 70mph i learned a really really really strong lesson about hydroplaning! My daughter and i were shaken but no severe injuries, but that car was kind of like Humpty Dumpty after falling… I think God had a hand in it, we impacted several barriers before coming to a stop and they had to shut all the eastbound highway down for a while. Testimony to how well Subaru makes their cars safe! btw, took several days to get the air bag propellant stench out of my nose. Was conscious for the entire crash, slow motion, knew the air bags would detonate, but never saw them go off- one moment we were about to hit a wall nose first, the next moment they were deflating.