windsor21

Hey everyone having a major issue when starting my 2011 gl450. Car was having issues starting and then the upper idler pulley completely fell apart and shredded the belt. Relaced the upper idler pulley and belt and car started fine for about a day and now having the same issue again! Any suggestions? Thanks again!

Max Blast

Check for misaligned or incorrect belt routing, or excessive drag on the ancillaries. Check that the old belt didn’t frag any grounds or power leads to the starter.

grenading your pulley could also be a fluke and you may have a weak battery, starter or a combination of both.

DennisG01

What's your resting battery voltage? Let the car sit for at least an hour - then turn the lights on for about 30 seconds, then off, then measure after a few minutes. Check your running voltage while you're at it. Do this with a meter right at the battery and also at the jump post under the hood.

Try starting the engine without the belt. How much better is it that way? Check pulleys for drag.

Miguk_Saram

+1

Not turning over is most likely a Battery or Starter issue. A vehicle does NOT require the belt to turn over.

If the battery and starter are in good condition, you should be able to start the vehicle without the belt in place and drive a short distance before the battery drains (since you are not generating power as the belt is not on). So...

Have you tried jump starting the vehicle? If it starts, then your battery is the likely culprit. If not, then it's likely the starter.

windsor21

Thank you! I am going to replace the battery as that is the easiest first and hopefully that fixes the issues for now. I am sure the starter needs to be replaced as well since the car had 175K on it. Thank you again

DennisG01

Always test before replacing. Otherwise you're guessing and could be wasting money. On the other hand, if the battery is old, it's a good idea to do it anyway. What brand and how old?

windsor21

The battery is super old so going to replace it anyway and just hoping it fixes it until I have time to replace the starter as well. Thanks!

windsor21

Just a quick update. Installed a new battery and this fixed a lot of issues with the car. Thank you!

Max Blast

Dying battery brings out a lot of weird symptoms in this car.

eric_in_sd

Expect wet cell batteries to last three years, AGM six.

Given the work and trauma involved in changing a battery, only a complete tard (cough!) would install a wet cell.