1998 Protege Keeps Throwing Belts!! Please Help!!

[ttrudgeon]

Hello, I have done a search and came up with negative results. I really need help with this issue. I have taken it to a mechanic repeatedly and he can't even find a problem. The car is a 1998 Mazda Protege LX 1.5L automatic with about 94,000 miles. The car is not salvaged and has a straight frame.

The alternator has recently been replaced but the belts were slipping/squeeling before the alternator went out. They have been squeeling for a couple of years now. They mainly used to squeel when I was in 1st/2nd gear and would sometimes quit... but sometimes they didn't. They would usually stop squeeling after about 45-50mph, but when I came to a stop they would either be dead quiet or squeel until about 3rd gear again.

However, the squeeling is not the problem, I just figured I would give as much a background as possible. Like I said the car has recently had a new alternator put on (the previous one had only been on a year or less) and the car keeps throwing belts (the belt was also slipping off before the new alternator, but not as often). Our mechanic can't even figure it out and he has done work for our family for over 20 years and is a very good mechanic. The only thing that we can think of is to replace the water pump. My brother has already tried tightening the belt with no success. This thing just keeps throwing belts.

PLEASE HELP

If you need any more info about the car please ask and I will tell as much as possible. I tried to be as thorough as possible on here so maybe someone has had or knows how to solve this issue I'm having. I can't afford to waste $150 on a water pump for no reason as I'm a broke college student.

Thanks a lot!

[strutman]

mine kept doing that even after i replaced the alternator... it was a bent alternator bolt... check the bolts that secure the alternator in place, make sure they are all straight, or replace them if possible. cheap 40 cent fix that might help. at least it fixed it in my case.

[jnorion]

You might check to see if there's some electrical component that's grounding out and causing a sudden hard load on the alternator which would strain the belt. Also, my girlfriend's car was leaking coolant out the top of the radiator onto the alternator pulley and so the belt was constantly slipping even when we didn't know it. Check that out just in case.

[Sunset]

Also make sure that the:
alt is bolted on tightly
the tensors are good
the bearingings are good
and use good year gator back belts. My pro snaps any other belts like theres no tommorrow.

Those things fixed my belt problem, which was the same as yours.

[ttrudgeon]

Thanks for your help guys, I will be sure to let my brother check these issues out as I don't have the car with me up here at school. I really appreciate it and will let you all know if any of these solutions work or not. Thanks again. Tyler

[mannydingo]

A Goodyear Gatorback broke on mine too. There's a recent thread on this. Do a search. I commented on there too. I got the problem after I changed the water pump.

[kansei]

Also check the alt bottom bolt , there is a steel bushing that should slide in the alum. if it is not sliding free the bolt will "pinch" the alt causing binding in the alt and will burn up belts > I have seen this many times with rebuild altenators , the shops don't check to see if it is free they just rebuild it to charge again .

[fslaugts]

I have been having belt problems with my 98 Protege ES also. I replaced both belts because they were worn. The new ones seemed OK for a while then they began to squeek. I thought maybe I had bought a cheap brand of belt but I told the clerk to give me the best. But I don't remember the Brand but I know it was not Gator. I keep tightening the adjustment but I think I am about Max"d out now. I also tried to spray them with STP Belt Dressing. It worked for a little while. I think the Belts I bought keep stretching as they wear. I remember they were about $15 each at Discount Auto.
Fred

[mannydingo]

On that other thread I was talking about above, I mentioned how I had to tightened the belt more than average to get the squeak to stop. Remember that to tighten the belt there are 3 bolts you have to deal with. First you MUST loosen two bolts. One is, preferably, loosened from under the car while it's on ramps or jack. It's the one the alternator pivots on. Then you loosen the one that goes through the adjuster sideways from above the car. Then, and only then, do you start turning the 3rd one which is the adjuster bolt. If you don't loosen the first two, you're not doing anything and then maybe making matters worse for the future. You may have to retract the screw you tightened up to start over if you tightened w/o taking off one of the other two bolts. You don't have to fully remove any of these bolts. Just make sure they're loose. Check that sheet bushing that Kansei mentioned on the above post too. I know the one he's talking about but didn't check that at the time. Remember, the Goodyear Gatorback broke on mine too. I then bought the cheaper one but did the above and it hasn't broken. I was afraid I would lose another expensive belt. It has not broken yet. I occasionally hear a faint squeak for a second but that's almost never. In other words, the problem is fixed. By the way, the Gatorback is obviously the superior belt. I would use that but while you're having problems, stick with the cheap one. Just replace it when it wears out with a better belt if you think it wore too quickly.

[DanPedraza]

Well, my 95 pro is throwing belts like no other right now.. I Just had a new water pump put in and my car was good for a lil while then it started squealing like a hog again... I just threw my goodyear gator back i just put on.. i really don't like this car all that much.

[mannydingo]

Well, my 95 pro is throwing belts like no other right now.. I Just had a new water pump put in and my car was good for a lil while then it started squealing like a hog again... I just threw my goodyear gator back i just put on.. i really don't like this car all that much.

Dan, try the above and let us know how it worked out. That's for all of you who have the problem.

[DanPedraza]

Dan, try the above and let us know how it worked out. That's for all of you who have the problem.

I'll have to try it when i get out of school... Stupid college is always holding me back lol

[xzjn9p]

if you remove the cruise control, can you get the bottom pivot bolt from above? I don't have any ramps or stands at my place.

I have 95 LX that squeels a lot. The previous owner put a new alternator on it last summer.

[mannydingo]

if you remove the cruise control, can you get the bottom pivot bolt from above? I don't have any ramps or stands at my place.

Ramps are mega cheap. You don't need to buy the ones at Sears. Go to your local chain auto parts store. Those cheapo ones won't drop the car on you--don't worry. Also, you can reach that pivot bolt from the top. It's just way more annoying and time consuming. That's especially true if you have to try it a couple of times.

[ttrudgeon]

Well I had a new alternator and waterpump installed, had both belts replaced (accesory belt and timing belt) and it is running pretty good. Pretty much no squeeking except like a high pitched whine when I rev it up? It almost sounds like the belt is on too tight or rubbing or something.

Also, I'm having problems with a really rought idle. When I'm at a stoplight and leave the car in drive the rpm will fluctuate badly. Almost like it's mis-firing on a cylinder. But when I leave the car in neutral it will idle just fine. When I popped the hood and was looking around I noticed that the distributer would make a ticking noise everytime that the engine seemed like it was mis-firing (rpm fluctuating). Anyone else have any similar problems with this?