In France and belts breaking...help!

[Boffer]

HI there, was wondering if anyone might be able to offer up an explanation....

couple of days ago my alternator belt broke... I spotted the red battery light on the dash plus my coolant temperature rising & light flashing so pulled over.

Picked the van up from a garage last night where they had replaced with a new alternator plus new belt and also a new belt that goes to the power steering.

So... drove it 2 hrs up the road... power steering feels heavy.. realise that the power steering belt has come off and also is part cracked... just watched my bus go off on the back of yet another assist lorry.

Latest mechanic and I concerned why the power steering belt broke after only 2 hrs driving?.... thats 2 belts basically in 2 hrs driving...

Is this just bad luck or could something be making them break?

many thanks.

Gary..

1990 Caravelle GL (2.1 DJ petrol)

[gti mad man]

really can be only a few factors here
1)is the belt the right size
2)is it the right tension(roughly be able to tuen the belt 90degrees through itself
3) is it a good quality one
4)are the belts dry i.e no oil or grease gettign on them?
5)are the pulleys straight and not damaged

maybe worth stopping after a few miles and checking they havnt slackened off where they have stretched also always carry belts

[Ian Hulley]

Has the steering pump seized or seizing ? If the pulley stops the belt will burn off.

Ian

[Plasticman]

Alternator changed?
otherwise as above, whats the alignment of the pulleys like.
mike