Need your help: 2001 Venture overheat problem

This afternoon on the way home, driving normally. Since the weather is little bit hot, so I turned on the air conditionor. After about 5 or 10 minutes later, computer centre displayed Battery Charing Error(Red signal with battery icon), then the coolant tempreture rised very quickly,the steer became very hard.

After driving about 1 km, it almost hit the red line. I had to pull over, switched off the van and wait to cool the engine.

Half I switched on again, drived 500 m, then battery error info again, overheat again(steer is hard to rotate). Had to stop to cool again.

It repeated 5 time for me to drive back home.

Can anyone help me?

Looks I have to tow it to the dealer to repair it.

Thanks in advanced.

Your serpentine belt snapped. The belt goes around your AC compressor, your water pump, your power steering pump, alternator, and crankshaft pully. My guess is that it was only holding on by a thread and the sudden lurch by the AC compressor was just enough to snap it.

Without the belt, your alternator doesn't spin, so you don't get a charge voltage. Hence the charging error.

Without the belt, your power steering pump doesn't spin, so you lose the power assist.

Without the belt, the coolant doesn't circulate through the system so it never gets to the radiator. So it just sits there and eventually overheats.

The good news is that it's probably a $15 fix. It's easy enough to do if you have a 3/8" socket wrench to lift up on the tensioner. Hopefully that's all that it is and you don't have something seized up (doubtful).

Thanks cdru.

I am supprised the problem is exactly the same as what you said.

Unfortunately I asked for towling my van to Chevy dealer before I read it. And the mechanic spent about 15 minutes to check it and could not find the problem, then re-assembly the belt. Everything is fine now.

They charged me CAD$59 which is expensive than your estimation.

But anyway, I can drive my van agian. I feel lucky and happy now.

Thanks again.

That's weird that he didn't find anything. Unless the belt just popped off. Either way, $59CAD sounds a little salty if he just spent 15 minutes looking at it. The belt runs $40USD through the dealership so are you sure they didn't replace the belt?

That's weird that he didn't find anything. Unless the belt just popped off. Either way, $59CAD sounds a little salty if he just spent 15 minutes looking at it. The belt runs $40USD through the dealership so are you sure they didn't replace the belt?

I am sure they just put the my old one in and re-assembled, I was standing besides them and watching them to do it.

Looks it is the labor expense. little bit expensive.

Anyway thank you.