every time it rains heavy you have to watch out for heavy puddles of rain water on the road if you hit them water splashes up on the belt and forced the serpentine belt off its track. This had happened to us several times in the past and we had to have the van towed home due to no power steering plus the motor could overheat due to no movement of the water pump and you could blow your engine.Do you know what its like on a dark cold rainy night and its pouring rain out and your serpentine belt comes off and your sitting off side the road broke down because some engineer overlooked a big enough splash guard for the belt below. Thanks Dodge
Would definitely be nice that if Dodge is aware of this and its so common that they recall the car or at least offer something toward getting it fixed.
Pulleys are all lined up, had been replaced in the past. Belt tentioner has been replaced. Idler pulley as well. Serpentine belt is new, replaced twice under warranty, No problem in dry weather, except for chirping sound which is constant. Splash guard has been replaced. Even hitting a small puddle at slow speed will cause the belt to come off. Everything done by professional mechanics with 30 years experience. Can't figure it out.
For the past 11 months whenever it rains I come home in a bedtruck. I have changed the belt and all possible components 2 times. Both times with original parts. I am lost on possible solutions. PLEASE HELP
I understand it's a fairly common problem when it rains but the first time it happened it was raining cats and dogs and I was soaked by the time I got home, even though it happened only 4-5 blocks away. It was late evening, and I left the car parked where it wasn't allowed so I had to get it towed out asap. In my mind if it's so common someone from dodge should have come up with a fix long ago... the best help I could get from the dealers people was maybe I should stay home when it rains.
This 2000 Dodge Caravan is a good vehicle but when I am driving in the rain and run through a puddle of water the damn belt flies off ! Of course it's a unibelt, so everything including the power steering goes out and keeping from running in to obstacles is really scary. I called the Chrysler corp. and explained the problem. They told me they had similar problems on other Chrysler/dodge autos but did not have a solution so therefore were not admitting to any defects. I have consulted mechanics, bought belts and pulleys but no relief.
A D V E R T I S E M E N T S
every time it rains heavy you have to watch out for heavy puddles of rain water on the road if you hit them water splashes up on the belt and forced the serpentine belt off its track. This had happened to us several times in the past and we had to have the van towed home due to no power steering plus the motor could overheat due to no movement of the water pump and you could blow your engine.Do you know what its like on a dark cold rainy night and its pouring rain out and your serpentine belt comes off and your sitting off side the road broke down because some engineer overlooked a big enough splash guard for the belt below. Thanks Dodge
- tdaryl, Taunton, MA, US