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For 1990-2009 cars only
Makes 🢒 Chevrolet 🢒 2009 🢒 Cobalt 🢒 HVAC 🢒 HVAC - Manual 🢒 Drive Belt Falls Off and Excessive Wear Diagnosis

Diagnostic Aids

If the drive belt repeatedly falls off the drive belt pulleys, this is because of pulley misalignment.

An extra load that is quickly applied on released by an accessory drive component may cause the drive belt to fall off the pulleys. Verify the accessory drive components operate properly.

If the drive belt is the incorrect length, the drive belt tensioner may not keep the proper tension on the drive belt.

Excessive wear on a drive belt is usually caused by an incorrect installation or the wrong drive belt for the application.

Minor misalignment of the drive belt pulleys will not cause excessive wear, but will probably cause the drive belt to make a noise or to fall off.

Excessive misalignment of the drive belt pulleys will cause excessive wear but may also make the drive belt fall off.

Test Description

The numbers below refer to the step numbers on the diagnostic table.

  1. This inspection is to verify the condition of the drive belt. Damage may of occurred to the drive belt when the drive belt fell off. The drive belt may of been damaged, which caused the drive belt to fall off. Inspect the belt for cuts, tears, sections of ribs missing, or damaged belt plys.

    2.

  2. Misalignment of the pulleys may be caused from improper mounting of the accessory drive component, incorrect installation of the accessory drive component pulley, or the pulley bent inward or outward from a previous repair. Test for a misaligned pulley using a straight edge in the pulley grooves across two or three pulleys. If a misaligned pulley is found refer to that accessory drive component for the proper installation procedure of that pulley.

    3.

  3. Inspecting the pulleys for being bent should include inspecting for a dent or other damage to the pulleys that would prevent the drive belt from not seating properly in all of the pulley grooves or on the smooth surface of a pulley when the back side of the belt is used to drive the pulley.

    4.

  4. Accessory drive component brackets that are bent or cracked will let the drive belt fall off.

    5.

  5. Inspecting of the fasteners can eliminate the possibility that a wrong bolt, nut , spacer, or washer was installed. Missing. loose, or the wrong fasteners may cause pulley misalignment from the bracket moving under load. Over tightening of the fasteners may cause misalignment of the accessory component bracket.

    6.

  6. The inspection is to verify the drive belt is correctly installed on all of the drive belt pulleys. Wear on the drive belt may be caused by mis-positioning the drive belt by one groove on a pulley.

    7.

  7. The installation of a drive belt that is two wide or two narrow will cause wear on the drive belt. The drive belt ribs should match all of the grooves on all of the pulleys.

    8.

  8. This inspection is to verify the drive belt is not contacting any parts of the engine or body while the engine is operating. There should be sufficient clearance when the drive belt accessory drive components load varies. The drive belt should not come in contact with an engine or a body component when snapping the throttle.

Step

Action

Yes

No

Caution: Refer to Belt Dressing Caution in the Preface section.

DEFINITION: The drive belt falls off the pulleys or may not ride correctly on the pulleys.

DEFINITION: Wear at the outside ribs of the drive belt due to an incorrectly installed drive belt.

1

Did you review the Drive Belt Symptom operation and perform the necessary inspections?

Go to Step 2

Go to Symptoms - Engine Mechanical

2

If diagnosing excessive wear, proceed to step 13.

If diagnosing a drive belt that falls off, inspect for a damaged drive belt.

Did you find the condition?

Go to Step 3

Go to Step 4

3

Install a new drive belt. Refer to Drive Belt Replacement.

Does the drive belt continue to fall off?

Go to Step 4

System OK

4

Inspect for misalignment of the pulleys.

Did you find and repair the condition?

Go to Step 12

Go to Step 5

5

Inspect for a bent or dented pulley.

Did you find and repair the condition?

Go to Step 12

Go to Step 6

6

Inspect for a bent or a cracked bracket.

Did you find and repair the condition?

Go to Step 12

Go to Step 7

7

Inspect for improper, loose or missing fasteners.

Did you find loose or missing fasteners?

Go to Step 8

Go to Step 9

8

    Caution: Refer to Fastener Caution in the Preface section.

  1. Tighten any loose fasteners. Refer to Fastener Tightening Specifications.
  2. Replace improper or missing fasteners.

Does the drive belt continue to fall off?

Go to Step 9

System OK

9

Test the drive belt tensioner for operating correctly. Refer to Drive Belt Tensioner Diagnosis.

Does the drive belt tensioner operate correctly?

Go to Step 11

Go to Step 10

10

Replace the drive belt tensioner. Refer to Drive Belt Replacement.

Does the drive belt continue to fall off?

Go to Step 11

System OK

11

Inspect for failed drive belt idler and drive belt tensioner pulley bearings.

Did you find and repair the condition?

Go to Step 12

Go to Diagnostic Aids

12

Operate the system in order to verify the repair.

Did you correct the condition?

System OK

Go to Step 2

13

Inspect the drive belt for the proper installation. Refer to Drive Belt Replacement.

Did you find this condition?

Go to Step 16

Go to Step 14

14

Inspect for the proper drive belt.

Did you find this condition?

Go to Step 16

Go to Step 15

15

Inspect for the drive belt rubbing against a bracket, hose, or wiring harness.

Did you find and repair the condition?

Go to Step 17

Go to Diagnostic Aids

16

Replace the drive belt. Refer to Drive Belt Replacement.

Did you complete the replacement?

Go to Step 17

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17

Operate the system in order to verify the repair.

Did you correct the condition?

System OK

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