Multiple Serpentine belt failures

I have a 98 Grand Caravan w/3 litre engine. Van has 115K. When I bought it, I put a new belt on it at 89K. That belt lasted 10K, next belt lasted <6 K. I put a new tensoner on it, checked the idler pulley and installed new belt. It lasted 1K. Belts chirp and are chewing up from the outside edge, like it is trying to jump the track. Everything is hard bolted up so can't figure out how I could have an alignment issue. Ideas?
Thanks

The bearings in one of the other pulleys has failed. When this happens, the pulley doesn't track straight. Drop the belt and physically inspect each pulley to see if it has play in the bearings. Also, check to see if one or more of the pulleys hasn't seized up. :2cents:

be sure to check all pulleys especially power sterering for damage to outer edges have seen the fiber pulley partially broken on power steering pump chew belts like crazy

I just bought a 97 3.0 and it was chewing up the serpentine belt. Try this. Take 2 fender washers. Remove the belt and remove the alternator. Place the washer between the back of the alternator and the bracket. I read that if the pulleys become misaligned it will cause the pulleys to chew up the belt. This worked on my van on getting the belt straight now I just have to elimante the sqweak!

I have a 98 Grand Caravan w/3 litre engine. Van has 115K. When I bought it, I put a new belt on it at 89K. That belt lasted 10K, next belt lasted <6 K. I put a new tensoner on it, checked the idler pulley and installed new belt. It lasted 1K. Belts chirp and are chewing up from the outside edge, like it is trying to jump the track. Everything is hard bolted up so can't figure out how I could have an alignment issue. Ideas?
Thanks

Goodyear has adressed this problem and now offers a field fix kit for 1996-2000 3.0L engine. Find your local Goodyear distributor and ask for the 49204K field fix kit.

Same thing happened to me after the tensioner pulley snapped off and was replaced. After three belts and lots of cursing, finally found that the new tensioner pulley was a piece of crap and wasn't straight. Next one from Autozone was also bad(obviously a bad batch). Third from VIP worked fine.

i seem to remember some tsb on the belt slipping off. one of the fixes was a tensioner, the other was the idler pulley. the last one was the replacement of the plate that the passenger side motor mount bolts to. ill try and get ahold of the tsb number.

i seem to remember some tsb on the belt slipping off. one of the fixes was a tensioner, the other was the idler pulley. the last one was the replacement of the plate that the passenger side motor mount bolts to. ill try and get ahold of the tsb number.


Buy the Goodyear field fix kit. The TSB for the "snow shield" doesn't work. The 49204K kit from Goodyear fixes the problem once and for all.

:)