damn idler Pulley!
Thread Starter
Senior Member
Joined: Aug 2005
Posts: 433
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damn idler Pulley!
I highly recommend ANYONE doing their water pump service to also replace their IDLER pulley (as well as a new serpentine belt!)
My original pulley melted at 138k miles and caused my belt to fail and rip into shreds!
No Belt= no alternator, no power steering, no A/C and no WaterPump! the car immediately started to overheat after 5mins of Idling w/out a water pump working.
the CLK stranded me 200 miles away from home in the middle of nowhere! Nowhere near a Napa or other import parts house!
thanks to BMAparts.com ill have my parts expedited and should take an hour of wrenching, but cost me an extra night hotel stay (and emergency tool purchase)
just venting.....
My original pulley melted at 138k miles and caused my belt to fail and rip into shreds!
No Belt= no alternator, no power steering, no A/C and no WaterPump! the car immediately started to overheat after 5mins of Idling w/out a water pump working.
the CLK stranded me 200 miles away from home in the middle of nowhere! Nowhere near a Napa or other import parts house!
thanks to BMAparts.com ill have my parts expedited and should take an hour of wrenching, but cost me an extra night hotel stay (and emergency tool purchase)
just venting.....
Last edited by SoCalw11w123; Jan 13, 2011 at 09:04 PM.
Senior Member
Joined: May 2006
Posts: 350
Likes: 0
w208 CLK430, w212 E350, w221 S550
I highly recommend ANYONE doing their water pump service to also replace their IDLER pulley (as well as a new serpentine belt!)
My original pulley melted at 138k miles and caused my belt to fail and rip into shreds!
No Belt= no alternator, no power steering, no A/C and no WaterPump! the car immediately started to overheat after 5mins of Idling w/out a water pump working.
the CLK stranded me 200 miles away from home in the middle of nowhere! Nowhere near a Napa or other import parts house!
thanks to BMAparts.com ill have my parts expedited and should take an hour of wrenching, but cost me an extra night hotel stay (and emergency tool purchase)
just venting.....
My original pulley melted at 138k miles and caused my belt to fail and rip into shreds!
No Belt= no alternator, no power steering, no A/C and no WaterPump! the car immediately started to overheat after 5mins of Idling w/out a water pump working.
the CLK stranded me 200 miles away from home in the middle of nowhere! Nowhere near a Napa or other import parts house!
thanks to BMAparts.com ill have my parts expedited and should take an hour of wrenching, but cost me an extra night hotel stay (and emergency tool purchase)
just venting.....
Thread Starter
Senior Member
Joined: Aug 2005
Posts: 433
Likes: 0
no real warning! I did the Water pump like 5 months ago.....
the Idler pulley appeared to be in perfect shape.
I got a ride to Orange County, picked up the Escalade, took off the 26" wheels, installed the 22" then got a Uhaul Car Transport trailer.
200 more miles and Im home!
the Idler pulley appeared to be in perfect shape.
I got a ride to Orange County, picked up the Escalade, took off the 26" wheels, installed the 22" then got a Uhaul Car Transport trailer.
200 more miles and Im home!
Super Member
Joined: Feb 2008
Posts: 502
Likes: 3
From: Bay Area
02 clk 55, 13 GL 450
Hey Sonny... just a heads up, remember if you have too much coolent to water ratio, your temp will rise no mater what. Try cking the ratio bofore you go anyfuther and could be as simple as draining out fluild and adding plain water.
Super Member
Joined: Feb 2008
Posts: 502
Likes: 3
From: Bay Area
02 clk 55, 13 GL 450
no real warning! I did the Water pump like 5 months ago.....
the Idler pulley appeared to be in perfect shape.
I got a ride to Orange County, picked up the Escalade, took off the 26" wheels, installed the 22" then got a Uhaul Car Transport trailer.
200 more miles and Im home!
the Idler pulley appeared to be in perfect shape.
I got a ride to Orange County, picked up the Escalade, took off the 26" wheels, installed the 22" then got a Uhaul Car Transport trailer.
200 more miles and Im home!
Thread Starter
Senior Member
Joined: Aug 2005
Posts: 433
Likes: 0
My theory on how it all happens:
Idler Pulley bearing fails, gets SUPER HOT then that causes the ABS plastic pulley to melt and desintengrate....thus causing the belt to snap.
a FAilure of a 24.00 dollar Idler Pulley ruins a 50.00 dollar Serp. belt, and the snaping belt breaks the 80.00 dollar fan clutch blades and then a 70.00 dollar fan shroud.
on my message display i got a RED MESSAGE: BATTERY VOLTAGE warning (i guess the alternator out indicator) then i felt that the power steering was gone!
Idler Pulley bearing fails, gets SUPER HOT then that causes the ABS plastic pulley to melt and desintengrate....thus causing the belt to snap.
a FAilure of a 24.00 dollar Idler Pulley ruins a 50.00 dollar Serp. belt, and the snaping belt breaks the 80.00 dollar fan clutch blades and then a 70.00 dollar fan shroud.
on my message display i got a RED MESSAGE: BATTERY VOLTAGE warning (i guess the alternator out indicator) then i felt that the power steering was gone!
Last edited by SoCalw11w123; Jan 14, 2011 at 02:18 PM.
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Super Member
Joined: Feb 2008
Posts: 502
Likes: 3
From: Bay Area
02 clk 55, 13 GL 450
My theory on how it all happens:
Idler Pulley bearing fails, gets SUPER HOT then that causes the ABS plastic pulley to melt and desintengrate....thus causing the belt to snap.
a FAilure of a 24.00 dollar Idler Pulley ruins a 50.00 dollar Serp. belt, and the snaping belt breaks the 80.00 dollar fan clutch blades and then a 70.00 dollar fan shroud.
on my message display i got a RED MESSAGE: BATTERY VOLTAGE warning (i guess the alternator out indicator) then i felt that the power steering was gone!
Idler Pulley bearing fails, gets SUPER HOT then that causes the ABS plastic pulley to melt and desintengrate....thus causing the belt to snap.
a FAilure of a 24.00 dollar Idler Pulley ruins a 50.00 dollar Serp. belt, and the snaping belt breaks the 80.00 dollar fan clutch blades and then a 70.00 dollar fan shroud.
on my message display i got a RED MESSAGE: BATTERY VOLTAGE warning (i guess the alternator out indicator) then i felt that the power steering was gone!
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Joined: Sep 2006
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From: Atlanta
Current: AMG GT-C. Sold: 01 CLK55, 00 ML55, 01 ML55, 06 E55
Happened to my 55 at only 55k miles. That's a cheap part just asking to fail! All my lights dimmed and power steering went out....I said uh oh!
Newbie
Joined: Mar 2010
Posts: 12
Likes: 0
From: SOCAL
W208 CLK430
Sorry to bring up an old thread but this similar issue happened to me at 76k Miles in my 430 I just replaced it with another OEM Pulley..... I was wondering if there is another aftermarket idler pulley that I could use instead to guarantee that this won't happen again?
Thanks,
Alexander
Thanks,
Alexander
