I had my cooling fan belt go out last week and it appears that the Belt Sensor Wheel had seized up and was not spinning and it eventually wore through the belt! I carefully unseized the wheel with some WD-40, then started the engine and sprayed a little more WD-40 on the wheel's axle while it was spinning against the belt. Now the wheel spins freely.

I stand to be educated as to a better lubricant for the wheel so fire away boys!

By the way, a new belt sensor is $120 from Pelican. For now I'm going to keep an eye on my sensor wheel and check it every time I check my oil level to see if it starts seizing up again.

Had I known my sensor wheel had seized, I wouldn't have had my belt break (it was only a few months old) and I wouldn't have had to do the whole tow truck/spend the night/repair in the morning ordeal.

Check your Belt Sensor Wheel!!!

 

....and carry a spare belt! There should be one in the tool kit, or you should put one there.

When I bought the car, my wheel was seized and had a flat spot on it, with the connector jumped out to keep the light off. I took it apart, cleaned it up and sprayed lube on it. I then filled in the flat spot with epoxy, then used sand paper to reshape it until round. It worked like this for over 10 years! Was still working, but the bearing was getting wobbly, so I just recently replaced it with a used one that only had a few thousand miles on it. Kept the old one for a backup, yes, they are expensive!

 

If mine fails it will be a good excuse to do the RS single belt conversion. Also about $120

 

Even with the single belt pulley system you're going to need that belt sensor to be working...you'll be glad that light comes on when the belt fails.

 

The other problem with the assembly is the internal cam inside the body of the switch. If the belt fails, the wheel is allowed to fall 'inward', thus completing a switch... but that switch rides on a plastic cam, and on my original one it had worn a notch, so the wheel didn't move in and out any... so if the belt failed, it wasn't going to tell me anything.

New one at Sunset wasn't that much. Just think how fast that bearing has to spin all the time without a lubricating system. Worth a few bucks no?

 

My mechanic just told me to replace whole sensor unit. The wheel has a sealed bearing. I'll try Sunset for price check...and will order two extra belts and the special 12-point spline tool that's needed for belt replacement.

 

Ordered up new belt sensor unit from Sonnen...$79.

Not sure why Pelican is 50% more expensive...

 

Had the same thing happen on mine 5 years ago, when after the car had been sitting all winter. Replaced the belt and the sensor. Just checked it after reading this post. Thanks for the reminder!

 

No you won,t The alternator will stop turning with a single belt failure It will then turn on the charge light. That,s why there is only one belt sensor not two