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Infiniti G35 belt

Noob on Tue June 10, 2014 3:52 PM User is offline

Year: 2003
Make: Infiniti
Model: G35
Engine Size: 3.5L

This vehicle has one belt for the a/c compressor with an idler pulley and bolt tensioner on it. Last winter, the idler pulley started to squeak, and it started to chew up the belt. I replaced the idler pulley and bracket, assuming that it was worn. It kept chewing up the belt - the front side of the belt wears off - until I tightened the belt a little more than should have been necessary. The belt finally lasted for around 5 months, but it is being chewed up again. One section has worn off in the past few weeks, presumably because the a/c is now in use.

Another issue - the a/c blows hot in prolonged slow, heavy traffic. It cools when the traffic starts moving again. I checked the condenser, and it is clean and unobstructed.

Does this sound like a new compressor? I would prefer not to spend the time and money on a compressor if something else could be causing the problem, but I don't know what else it could be.

The other belt, that drives the alternator and power steering is fine. Everything looks straight on the a/c compressor and pulley.

mk378 on Tue June 10, 2014 5:09 PM User is offline

Do the condenser fans work? While it is blowing hot, does the compressor stay engaged?

Wearing the edge off of a belt is usually because the pulleys aren't all in the same plane. It could be any of them.

Noob on Wed June 11, 2014 2:18 PM User is offline

Quote
Originally posted by: mk378
Do the condenser fans work? While it is blowing hot, does the compressor stay engaged?



Wearing the edge off of a belt is usually because the pulleys aren't all in the same plane. It could be any of them.


Regarding the fan and compressor, I will check that out.

It's the belt that concerns me the most. Considering that I have:

1. the crankshaft pulley, that is solidly in place behind the pulley for the other belt, and looks to be in great shape, it seems like it is unlikely that this would be out of alignment, right?
2. the idler pulley and bracket, which are all new, and replacing these did not fix the problem.
3. the compressor.

Does it sound logical that I should replace the compressor (or at least its pulley)? Or, is there another issue I should be examining? I just can't see what it would be other than the compressor pulley. Then, if I replace the compressor, I will have replaced the refrigerant, and this may just solve all of the problems.

Thanks for your comments.

Noob on Tue June 17, 2014 9:38 AM User is offline

Update:


Corrosion on the electrical connection to the a/c cooling fan was the cause of the problem at slow speeds. Cleaning off the connections, and some dielectric grease, has solved that problem for now.

The belt has found a comfortable equilibrium for now. It sheared off the front section, so that what used to be a four rib belt is now three. It rides on the front three grooves of the crankshaft pulley and the back three of the compressor pulley. My buddy tells me to leave it as long as it is working (in the past, it has chewed up the whole belt pretty quickly, but this time it seems to have been more surgical). So, I am going to see how long it lasts, and decide later whether to replace the one of the pulleys.

Cussboy on Tue June 17, 2014 11:11 AM User is offline

I suspect the new idler pulley for the belt issue, like maybe a spacer missing so not perfectly lined up.

Good find on the fan issue, most of us here figured that it was an air flow issue.

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