Questions - Help
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Questions - Help
1999 Explorer V-6. Wife was driving and power steering went out. Pulled over shortly after that, noticed fluid leaking, strong burning smell and the serpentine belt hanging under the engine. Had it towed but haven't heard from the mechanic yet. What should I expect based on the description. Does the power steering failure somehow cause the burning smell?
Thanks to all who reply.
Thanks to all who reply.
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From: Fort Smith
Burning smell was probably fluid getting on the heads. Gives off a nice scent... 
If the engine was still running and you were able to drive a little bit with no problems, you might be alright. I've had two friends break a serpentine belt and have had to replace a lot (both went with a smallblock). Hopefully the belt held on until the engine quit, then it fell. If that is the case, you might be in for a p.s. pump replacement and belt replacement. Above that, it could get a lot more costly.
You will know when the mechanic puts the belt back on and turns it over. Hopefully it will start and hold compression without any other damage!
If the engine was still running and you were able to drive a little bit with no problems, you might be alright. I've had two friends break a serpentine belt and have had to replace a lot (both went with a smallblock). Hopefully the belt held on until the engine quit, then it fell. If that is the case, you might be in for a p.s. pump replacement and belt replacement. Above that, it could get a lot more costly.
You will know when the mechanic puts the belt back on and turns it over. Hopefully it will start and hold compression without any other damage!
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Thanks David. My wife said the tow truck driver started the truck and backed it off the tow truck (which made me nervous). So hopefully the engine is ok. Other than the power steering and altenator, what does this belt power?
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From: Fort Smith
The belt runs everything - crank, water pump, alternator, p.s. pump, etc. Normally, if it blows, you could have some large problems, but it does not sound like you do since the driver backed it off his truck. If he was able to start it, then the belt might not have been hurt too bad.
My guess is the p.s. pump went bad and maybe broke the pulley. New pump and fluid and you might be alright...
My guess is the p.s. pump went bad and maybe broke the pulley. New pump and fluid and you might be alright...
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From: Baltimore
While the belt is off, they should check all the other(alt, tensioner, idler .etc) pulleys to make sure they spin freely. Assuming the fluid that leaked was PS fluid, then it probably is a bad pump. Hopefully, the fluid is not antifreeze which could mean that it got awfully hot.
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Originally Posted by CobraXP
Hopefully it will start and hold compression without any other damage!
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From: Near Hemet, CA
Originally Posted by iceman7329
Not to insult anyone but what do you mean hopefully it will hold compression? Running it with the belt off for a minute or two isnt going to damage the engine unless it was run for an extended amount of time to over heat.
From what OP said it sounds to me like the power steering pump siezed and the belt broke because it wasn't turning.
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Originally Posted by therealulysses
My thoughts too. I thought the main danger of running the engine without the belt was overheating. I have in the past purposely removed the belt and ran the engine briefly to try to determine if a noise was caused by something the belt was turning (or not).
From what OP said it sounds to me like the power steering pump siezed and the belt broke because it wasn't turning.
From what OP said it sounds to me like the power steering pump siezed and the belt broke because it wasn't turning.
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From: Fort Smith
Only reason I said that was because he did not specify how long it was run - he just said 'shortly after that'. Shortly after that is probably different from person to person. If it ran too hot, a head gasket, etc, could have blown in the course of events. He also didn't say what fluid was leaking (antifreeze maybe?). Just because it was running and the guy got it off the tow truck doesn't mean he won't have other damage. He said it is at a mechanic so I wasn't going to do a lot of guessing until we had a little more info. A compression test could be an easy way to help go from there.
I started with the p.s. pump just because that was the first thing noticed. Could be something as simple as that. But the p.s. could have gone out because the belt broke and the problem goes further.
And no insult taken. I could have been a little more clear on my thought process from the beginning... 
I started with the p.s. pump just because that was the first thing noticed. Could be something as simple as that. But the p.s. could have gone out because the belt broke and the problem goes further.
And no insult taken.
I could have been a little more clear on my thought process from the beginning...
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My mechanic was gone for a long weekend and hasn't looked at the problem yet. However, I stopped by over the weekend to get something out of the truck and took a look. It was antifreeze that leaked. The top of the overflow tank was open and the hood liner was soaked so it looks like some pressure was released that way. Power steering fluid was full. Based on this, I'm hoping for the best but bracing myself for bad news.
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From: Near Hemet, CA
Originally Posted by CobraXP
I started with the p.s. pump just because that was the first thing noticed. Could be something as simple as that. But the p.s. could have gone out because the belt broke and the problem goes further.
And no insult taken. I could have been a little more clear on my thought process from the beginning...
And no insult taken.
I could have been a little more clear on my thought process from the beginning...
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Update - The belt tensioner pully was the culprit. Part of it actually broke off and is probably laying along the road. Fortunately, looks like there was no damage to the p.s. pump, water pump or engine itself. New pully, belt and refill of antifreeze was the extent of the repair. Feeling lucky at this point.
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From: CO
Wow - I had the EXACT same problem with my wife's '97 Explorer Sport SOHC last spring. The tensioner pulley grenaded right in front of my house - found parts of it on the sidewalk. No other damages for us either - just replaced the pulley and belt.