So my 7 snapped the old belt, I replaced it, started the car. However, I smelled burnt under the hood, so i popped the hood and see the new belt was smoking and melting. what's the matter? Also I got the belt from ebay for like 13 bucks. Any better suggestion?
I also tighten it to have some movement side to side, but not so loose to the point it'll slip.

 

i had one do that. the fix was a factory belt. for some reason it would shred the aftermarket stuff, but the factory one is still on it, 5 years later....

i suggest trying some different brands of belts. ideally you'd want the factory supplied mitsubishi belt.

 

where can I get one?

 

You may want to check to see where your spacer is on the alternator.
there is a washer like spacer that goes on the Back side of the alternator.Big bolt goes through the alternator,through the Top waterpump bracket(for the alt) then the spacer is put in between the back part of the water pump bracket and the back of the alternator "ear"..
Not having that spacer there will cause the alternator to Eat belts as the belt is not aligned with the rest of the Pullies.
..Belt Recommendation: I ran Goodyear Gator back belts..cheap and fit good.

 

BUY OEM MAZDA NOT EBAY!!!! You can get them at umm... hmmm... maybe the Mazda dealership.... But seriously go do the dealership, they have them. If you continue to have this problem get the dual belt pulley. I went through a lot of belts with the stock setup but now I have the dual and it seems to be pretty good.

 

people telling you to go OEM, just like people saying get OEM thermostat, OEM underwear etc lmao


Its not the belts, *well could be if your using cheapos but they should last a little bit longer then that* , its something with your alignment, pulley etc.

 

I normally agree with Hypertek, but not on this one. haha

I had the EXACT same problem on my s4... I went through 4 alternator belts within 6 months of owning the car. I went out and bought OEM, it lasted me 30,000 miles until I swapped in a new engine... now I have another OEM, and it's ran 7k miles with that.

OEM belts do last longer if your car keeps shredding other brands, from my personal experience.

 

I've had good luck with both Dayco and Goodyear Gatorbacks.

With consumables like belts, "OEM" is a very slippery proposition.
For instance, the last "OEM" thermostat I got from the dealer ($38!!??) didn't have a jigglepin but one from NAPA did. Go figure.
I think Hypertek is correct.
Even a handwoven belt would last longer than a few minutes on a properly aligned setup, so I don't think this one is.

 

The oem belts are very good, but the only aftermarket belt I trust is Gates. Not to **** in anyone's wheaties, but I personally think any belt that uses gimmicks like ribs or cogs (on a non-cogged pulley) is trying to hide the fact that they're trying to save money (less material).

I've used Gates belts and hoses for years, and they're absolutely bulletproof. Some of my customers wouldn't pay the extra money for them, and ended up paying me twice. (once for the shitty belt, once for the gates )



Aside from the spacing, once the belt's off, check the alternator and water pump and see how freely they spin.

 

that's because mazda USA has been buying some parts, like your thermostat, from stant. you can USUALLY (not always!) tell by the 9U part number

in the case of the thermostat if you want an OEM NTC part, you need to buy aftermarket.

we've told mazda that this is really weird, but this is the way its been since like 2004.

the S5 alternator belt is still OEM.

 

i have had a cheapest belts from autozone for my car and I haven't had any problems since i replaced them all.

Just check to make sure its not rubbing against the belt. Also if u havent already, just start the car and look under the hood to make sure its not loose or hitting anything.

 

Ive seen them get rust on the pullys and cause all sorts of problems like your discribing.
The rust ends up as dust on the belt and things start slipping.

For some reason rx-7's get to sit for years at a time, or the used alternator does, then you go hop in it and eat a belt.

may or may not help.

 

It sounds like you're having the same issue I had on my 88 TII. If you look down the belt with the engine off, if the belt does not line up exactly, you have a spacing issue. I had the OE spacer on the alternator in place, but the belt was still off center. All I did was go to a good hardware supply store and bought about 5-7 washers, I think 5/8's or something that will fit the main alternator bolt. Then I put the washers in and spaced the alternator until the belt was inline. Weird, I know, because I was using OE EVERYTHING, but still chewing belts. I've now got 4 spacers on the back side of the water pump alternator mount and one on the front, a difference of like 1/16'' or 2mm. Runs great. Oh, and I've run Gates belts for years with no issue, it's not the belt, it's alignment I bet.

-J

 

This happened to me, but it was because the bearings in the alt froze up. Something to check.

 

Thanks for the advises guys, im pretty sure the belt lined up right but i will still double check, thanks

 

umm, you guys failed to mention to check and make sure none of those accessory pullies are siezing up.

proper tension for me, is when you tighten it down to the point that you can only twist the longest length of exposed belt 90 degrees. proper tension can be critical in some cases.

 

beat you to it

 

i forget what belts i have on my duel alt setup but they are noisey sounds like a supercharger.. had them for a while and never cared for it but now i think i want ot change em.

 

Where can I get a dual alt set up?

 

^only if you have removed the air pump. They sell the duel belt pulley at alot of places, just have to search. Mazdatrix is one.

I just bought Gates alt belts today.. well picked one up, then they should have the other tomarrow since I need 2 of them and alot of places dont keep 2 in stock lol

 

I found that if my pulleys had rust on them, belts will be eaten!!

 

^that prolly is the reason why too

 

As stated before did you check there was no play in the pulleys and that they spun like they should yet?

 

here is one more thing to check that i have seen before. start the car and observe the main pulley to see if it is "jumping". what i mean by jumping is spinning off center. if it is, then replace the pulley and bolt. usually it is because somebody takes off the pulley and doesnt line up the copper spacer properly. and it pinches.

 

What he said!