Just my luck!
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Senior Member
Joined: 09-29-07
Posts: 1,185
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From: Saint John, New Brunswick
Just my luck!
It's a long one!!
This morning I take my car in to Centennial Pontiac to get an idler pulley installed. So I wait 2 hours for the work to get done. Once the car is done I get my keys and I pull away thinking everything is great... till... I hear a squeaking. So I drive it back to the dealership and the shop foreman looks at it. He claimed that it's squeaking because they stirred up the dirt that was embedded within the grooves when the pulley was changed. He told me that I just need to drive the car and the squeaking would stop. So I did just that, I got on the highway and drove home. By the time I got home (about 15 minutes) the squeaking had become a full tilt pig getting porked squeal. So I call the dealership and they tell me to bring it back... which I did.
Now I'm back at the dealership, that the service adviser tells me "oh it's just dirt in the grooves" and proceeds spray brake cleaner on the belt and uses a wire brush to clean it. I told him that I felt something wasn't right. His response was "your serpentine belt isn't covered under warranty and even though it was fine before you brought it in the fact that it's making a noise now is something we can't fix under warranty." Then he goes on to say "Oh it's fine, it won't hurt anything"
Well thats fine and dandy, I leave the dealership and the noise is gone. Yay I thought to myself. Not even 5 minutes on the road the squealing returns... this time even worse! So I turn around and head back. Again, I speak with my service adviser... a little more pissed off. He explains to me, "maybe we should put your old idler pulley on and get you a new belt (all of a sudden under warranty) to see if that fixes the problem. Again, he reassures me "this won't damage anything, you'll be fine for the weekend. Bring it in on Monday" Again, he takes the brake cleaner to the belt and cleans it with the wire brush. Once he was done with it I proceeded to drive back home. Again, I got back on the highway and brought the car up to highway speeds. As I'm driving to my exit I all of a sudden heard a thump thump thump. Thinking it was a tire I pull over to the shoulder of the highway... even thought it wasn't acting like flat. I stop the car, turn it off and inspect my tires... nothing! So I pop my hood and guess what I found? A serpentine belt shredded to pieces!!
Now I am extremely pissed! I call the dealership and ask to speak to Ken... ended up getting his voice mail... I left a very colorful message informing him that I knew something wasn't right and that I was stranded on the side of the highway. He called me back and informed me to contact GM roadside assistance. So I did just that, gave them my information and was told that a tow truck was on the way. 45 minutes passed and no tow truck. I called the tow company to figure out where the truck was. She was confused and said that GM never got ahold of her. SO I called roadside assistance AGAIN, and they explain to me "Oh we're terribly sorry, we neglected to call the tow company." Another 20 minutes pass and the truck finally shows up. Buddy loads the car and we head to Centennial Pontiac.
When I get there, the service adviser comes up to me and says "I think we messed up, we MAY have put the wrong part on your car which would cause too much tension on the belt" Just as he said that another mechanic who was present for all my visits says "I thought that belt looked way to tight." I'm informed my car will be out of commission until at least next week until the pulley issue is resolved a new belt is delivered to the dealership.
RECAP for those with no time to read my novel:
-Car goes in for new idler pulley
-Get car back and now has belt noise
-Car is brought back to dealership 3 times and was told it's nothing serious all 3 times even tough the noise is getting worse.
-Told to bring it in on Monday, reassured nothing will happen to the belt in the meantime.
-Going home serpentine belt breaks
-Back at dealership service adviser may have had wrong pulley installed
-Now I'm in a rental ford focus until next week.
Would the belt off the car for about 10 seconds have caused any severe damage to my engine?
This morning I take my car in to Centennial Pontiac to get an idler pulley installed. So I wait 2 hours for the work to get done. Once the car is done I get my keys and I pull away thinking everything is great... till... I hear a squeaking. So I drive it back to the dealership and the shop foreman looks at it. He claimed that it's squeaking because they stirred up the dirt that was embedded within the grooves when the pulley was changed. He told me that I just need to drive the car and the squeaking would stop. So I did just that, I got on the highway and drove home. By the time I got home (about 15 minutes) the squeaking had become a full tilt pig getting porked squeal. So I call the dealership and they tell me to bring it back... which I did.
Now I'm back at the dealership, that the service adviser tells me "oh it's just dirt in the grooves" and proceeds spray brake cleaner on the belt and uses a wire brush to clean it. I told him that I felt something wasn't right. His response was "your serpentine belt isn't covered under warranty and even though it was fine before you brought it in the fact that it's making a noise now is something we can't fix under warranty." Then he goes on to say "Oh it's fine, it won't hurt anything"
Well thats fine and dandy, I leave the dealership and the noise is gone. Yay I thought to myself. Not even 5 minutes on the road the squealing returns... this time even worse! So I turn around and head back. Again, I speak with my service adviser... a little more pissed off. He explains to me, "maybe we should put your old idler pulley on and get you a new belt (all of a sudden under warranty) to see if that fixes the problem. Again, he reassures me "this won't damage anything, you'll be fine for the weekend. Bring it in on Monday" Again, he takes the brake cleaner to the belt and cleans it with the wire brush. Once he was done with it I proceeded to drive back home. Again, I got back on the highway and brought the car up to highway speeds. As I'm driving to my exit I all of a sudden heard a thump thump thump. Thinking it was a tire I pull over to the shoulder of the highway... even thought it wasn't acting like flat. I stop the car, turn it off and inspect my tires... nothing! So I pop my hood and guess what I found? A serpentine belt shredded to pieces!!
Now I am extremely pissed! I call the dealership and ask to speak to Ken... ended up getting his voice mail... I left a very colorful message informing him that I knew something wasn't right and that I was stranded on the side of the highway. He called me back and informed me to contact GM roadside assistance. So I did just that, gave them my information and was told that a tow truck was on the way. 45 minutes passed and no tow truck. I called the tow company to figure out where the truck was. She was confused and said that GM never got ahold of her. SO I called roadside assistance AGAIN, and they explain to me "Oh we're terribly sorry, we neglected to call the tow company." Another 20 minutes pass and the truck finally shows up. Buddy loads the car and we head to Centennial Pontiac.
When I get there, the service adviser comes up to me and says "I think we messed up, we MAY have put the wrong part on your car which would cause too much tension on the belt" Just as he said that another mechanic who was present for all my visits says "I thought that belt looked way to tight." I'm informed my car will be out of commission until at least next week until the pulley issue is resolved a new belt is delivered to the dealership.
RECAP for those with no time to read my novel:
-Car goes in for new idler pulley
-Get car back and now has belt noise
-Car is brought back to dealership 3 times and was told it's nothing serious all 3 times even tough the noise is getting worse.
-Told to bring it in on Monday, reassured nothing will happen to the belt in the meantime.
-Going home serpentine belt breaks
-Back at dealership service adviser may have had wrong pulley installed
-Now I'm in a rental ford focus until next week.
Would the belt off the car for about 10 seconds have caused any severe damage to my engine?
Senior Member
Joined: 02-21-07
Posts: 16,180
Likes: 1
From: Calgary, Alberta
that is a disgrace to all of us that work in a dealership and would never let something like that happen, thinking that something wasn't right. you should have spoken to the service manager or the shop foreman when you went back the first time. the service advisor's really don't know anything mechanical and shouldn't be doing things to your car without a technician present. are they paying for a rental?
Thread Starter
Senior Member
Joined: 09-29-07
Posts: 1,185
Likes: 0
From: Saint John, New Brunswick
Yes, they are paying for my rental. As for the service adviser, he claims that he was a technician for 18 years before taking the job as an adviser. I did speak to the shop foreman and he claimed that the noise is normal. I'm really really bummed now as this weekend there is a HUGE car show I wanted to attend.
Do you think any damage was done? I'm guessing you are a technician?
Yes, they are paying for my rental. As for the service adviser, he claims that he was a technician for 18 years before taking the job as an adviser. I did speak to the shop foreman and he claimed that the noise is normal. I'm really really bummed now as this weekend there is a HUGE car show I wanted to attend.
Do you think any damage was done? I'm guessing you are a technician?
Do you think any damage was done? I'm guessing you are a technician?
Yes, they are paying for my rental. As for the service adviser, he claims that he was a technician for 18 years before taking the job as an adviser. I did speak to the shop foreman and he claimed that the noise is normal. I'm really really bummed now as this weekend there is a HUGE car show I wanted to attend.
Do you think any damage was done? I'm guessing you are a technician?
Last edited by Mr McCabe; Jul 10, 2009 at 06:42 PM. Reason: Automerged Doublepost
Senior Member
Joined: 06-28-06
Posts: 2,212
Likes: 2
From: Ontario,Canada
They would have never gotten a tighter belt on there belive me and if he did he must be a gorrila.
I had the same problem with a tensioner install.
The belt is some how to one side and misaligned causing the squeal ,Ihad to remove the belt from the tensioner and double check I had it on the pullies properly and then put it back on the tensioner and by yourself is not that easy.
I had the same problem with a tensioner install.
The belt is some how to one side and misaligned causing the squeal ,Ihad to remove the belt from the tensioner and double check I had it on the pullies properly and then put it back on the tensioner and by yourself is not that easy.
Thread Starter
Senior Member
Joined: 09-29-07
Posts: 1,185
Likes: 0
From: Saint John, New Brunswick
Just a quick update on this:
Called the dealership today and spoke to my service advisor.
He spoke to the mechanic who did the work on my car. The mechanic admitted that he may have rushed the job putting the belt back in place. He didn't make sure the belt was properly seated in the grooves. As a result, they ordered me a new stage 2 belt, installing it, and will be making sure nothing else was damaged all under warranty.
I will be personally speaking with the managers about this terrible situation I went through on Friday.
Called the dealership today and spoke to my service advisor.
He spoke to the mechanic who did the work on my car. The mechanic admitted that he may have rushed the job putting the belt back in place. He didn't make sure the belt was properly seated in the grooves. As a result, they ordered me a new stage 2 belt, installing it, and will be making sure nothing else was damaged all under warranty.
I will be personally speaking with the managers about this terrible situation I went through on Friday.
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