Preliminary Inspection

WARNING: This page is about a different car, the 2013 Ford Explorer. However, it is still accessible from the selected car via links, so may be relevant.

NOTE: Under no circumstances should the accessory drive belt, tensioner or pulleys have any fluids or belt dressing applied to them as damage to the belt material and tensioner damping mechanism may occur.

Inspect for obvious signs of mechanical damage.
Inspect for signs of drive belt cracking/chunking/wear.
Inspect for signs of belt/pulley contamination.
Inspect for signs of an incorrect accessory drive belt.
Inspect for signs of pulley misalignment or excessive pulley runout.
Inspect for signs of loose or missing hardware.
Inspect for signs of loose accessory drive belt.
Inspect for signs of damaged pulleys.
Inspect for signs of tensioner arm misalignment.

SYMPTOM DESCRIPTION - FEAD

Condition	Possible Sources	Actions
V-Ribbed serpentine drive belt with cracks across ribs	Accessory drive belt	INSPECT the belt for cracks. Up to 15 cracks in a rib over a distance of 100 mm (3.937 in) can be considered acceptable. If cracks exceed this standard, install a new accessory drive belt. REFER to ACCESSORY DRIVE BELT - 2.0L GTDI , or REFER to ACCESSORY DRIVE BELT - 3.5L TI-VCT, 3.7L TI-VCT , or REFER to ACCESSORY DRIVE BELT - 3.5L GTDI .
V-Ribbed Serpentine Belt With excessive buildup (piling) in the V-grooves of the belt.	Accessory drive belt	The condition of the V-ribbed drive belt should be compared against the illustration and appropriate action taken. Small scattered deposits of rubber material. This is not a concern, therefore, installation of a new belt is not required. Longer deposit areas building up to 50% of the rib height. This is not considered a durability concern, but it can result in excessive noise. If noise is apparent, install a new accessory drive belt. REFER to ACCESSORY DRIVE BELT - 2.0L GTDI , or REFER to ACCESSORY DRIVE BELT - 3.5L TI-VCT, 3.7L TI-VCT , or REFER to ACCESSORY DRIVE BELT - 3.5L GTDI . Heavy deposits building up along the grooves resulting in a possible noise and belt stability concern. If heavy deposits are apparent, install a new accessory drive belt. REFER to ACCESSORY DRIVE BELT - 2.0L GTDI , or REFER to ACCESSORY DRIVE BELT - 3.5L TI-VCT, 3.7L TI-VCT , or REFER to ACCESSORY DRIVE BELT - 3.5L GTDI .
V-Ribbed Serpentine Belt With Chunks of Rib Missing	Accessory drive belt	INSPECT the accessory drive belt. There should be no chunks missing from the belt ribs. If the belt shows any evidence of this, install a new accessory drive belt. REFER to ACCESSORY DRIVE BELT - 2.0L GTDI , or REFER to ACCESSORY DRIVE BELT - 3.5L TI-VCT, 3.7L TI-VCT , or REFER to ACCESSORY DRIVE BELT - 3.5L GTDI .
V-Ribbed Serpentine Belt With Chunks of Rib Missing	Damaged pulley grooves	INSPECT the accessory drive belt pulley grooves for damage. INSTALL a new pulley or component as necessary.
Accessory drive belt noise, squeal, chirping or flutter	Defective/worn or incorrect accessory drive belt	REPAIR or INSTALL new parts as necessary.
	Misaligned pulley (s)
	Pulley runout
	Damaged or worn accessory drive component or idler
	Fluid contamination of accessory drive belt or pulleys
	Damaged or worn accessory drive belt tensioner	REFER to ACCESSORY DRIVE .
	Damaged pulley grooves	INSPECT the accessory drive belt pulley grooves for damage. INSTALL a new pulley or component as necessary.
	Accessory drive component failure	CHECK the accessory drive components. INSTALL new components as necessary.
Premature accessory drive belt wear	Defective or incorrect accessory drive belt	GO to PINPOINT TEST A .
	Misaligned pulley (s)
	Pulley runout
	Damaged accessories
	Incorrectly installed drive belt
	Fluid contamination
	Damaged pulley grooves	INSPECT the accessory drive belt pulley grooves for damage. INSTALL a new pulley or component as necessary.