2000 LX throwing Alt/Waterpump Belt

[Huck369]

Our 2000 LX 1.6 has thrown (2) Alt / Water Pump belts in the last month.
What should I look for as the problem? Any Common problems with this?

My Daughter is driving it, and is an hour and a half away, so I'd like to have a "plan of attach" when I go to address it....

Thanks for any insight you can give me.

[FE3-323]

who's been doing the belt replacement? perhaps they are over tensioning the belt??

[Huck369]

who's been doing the belt replacement? perhaps they are over tensioning the belt??

That would be me....I'm not a mechanic, but have done my own service for about 35 years, pretty sure it wasn't too tight...but who knows...I installed in a Sam's Club Parking lot, snowing and 25 degrees....so I could've not gotten the tension right.....as I couldn't feel my fingers at that point.....

[FE3-323]

I understand your pain. I live in wisconsin lol.
I would say run the engine without the alternator or PS belt on & watch the crank pulley. if it has some crazy wobble going on you might think to replace that( not a likely scenario )
else wise i would suggest just being 100% you've placed the belt on the crank pulley properly. since I own one myself I understand how easy it is to miss set it by a single belt rib.
after you're certain the belts are on all the pulleys right just check your tension.

PS what belts are you putting on it?? hopefully a good brandname?? that can also make the difference

[Huck369]

My Daughter picked it up last time, told her not to get the cheap one, but don't recall what brand it was....but I'll be picking up the belt this time...

[Huck369]

Someone on the Facebook page said theirs did the same thing a few weeks before the water pump went out.....how long does it take to do the timing belt and water pump on the 1.6? I've done timing belts before, (mostly on Subarus) but not on this motor....

[FE3-323]

not too long. its a fairly straight forward process. and MUCH easier then resetting the timing belt on a subaru

[Huck369]

not too long. its a fairly straight forward process. and MUCH easier then resetting the timing belt on a subaru

Not having heat in my garage, a guy down the road who has does mechanic work in a Garage, at his house said he'd do the water pump and timing belt for me, he's working on it today, and just called and said it was going to be $300 for the labor......sounded high to me...I do Subaru Timing belts and Water pumps for $150 labor myself.....so is $300 about right for it? (just labor)

[Kitty]

Scoob belts aren't on transverse engines.

400-500 out the door isn't horrible but I'd probably not throw that at a base model northern protege unless it has no rust at all.

Try throwing Goodyear gatorback belts on it. The pulleys on mazdas aren't the most precision engineered and ham-fisted alternator installations can worsen the matter by bending the adjustment bracket and throwing things out of line.

[Huck369]

Called the local Mazda dealer, and they quoted me $309 for the labor to do the timing belt and water pump on a 2000 Protege 1.6 .....so $300 from a shade tree mechanic, is high in my opinion.

And yes, I know Scoobs don't have sideways motors in them...which is one reason why I've owned 56 of them

[Kitty]

They'll also charge you $100+ for the water-pump alone and pay their techs a flat rate that barely covers their tool balance.

Ask them for an out the door cost. That's where their markup is.

[Huck369]

I told them I had the parts, the quote was just for the labor...said $309.00 + possible charge for expendables (antifreeze and such) but not to exceed +$22.00 I'm sure rates are higher in HI than here in Kentucky
A guy doing it in his home garage should be doing it for half the price of the dealer....IMHO

[Kitty]

What dealer is letting you bring your own parts? I guess they're just happy to have business.

Hell I'd have the front main oil seal replaced too with that deal.