A note on chinese auto products

[Van]

Last month I pulled the a/c compressor out of my van and put in a bypass pulley wich required a new and larger serpentine built. The new one is thicker than the one for my vehicle with a/c ( not in a big hurry to put in a new a/c unit as its winter ). Cut four weeks ahead to today and I hear a slapping sound as we're out looking around at new apartments and homes going up in the area. Pulling over I find that the serp belt is coming apart so I limp three blocks to the auto zone store and buy a new belt to put on. It took me 15 mins to get the pieces of the belt unwound from the pulleys and only 5 mins to put the new one in. Even the cheapest belt should last a year and talking with the people at the store and another passerby this has been a rising problem lately with third party products out of China.

I really wish that auto makers would go back to the old v belt systems, its more reliable and if one belt goes the others are left inplace to work.

 

[navychop]

And now probably no one else makes them, either.

 

[Hall]

Last month I pulled the a/c compressor out of my van and put in a bypass pulley wich required a new and larger serpentine built.

So, if someone buys your van and needs to replace this same belt, when they go to the parts store and tell them "year XX, model yy, engine zz", they'll get a belt that doesn't fit (??). How did *you* get the proper size belt ? Was the old one, say, 36" long and the new one is 37" ? You can only take up so much slack with an idler pulley.

As for Chinese-made parts, "we" are partially to blame. We want lower-priced stuff and you know, you get what you pay for. I said "partially" because the shareholders want more return too. Walmart is the biggest retailer in the world because most of "us" shop there.

 

[Van]

My vehicle with a/c requires a 96 in belt, without it requires a 98 inch belt, if no a/c is present then a bypass pulley is part of the system. The pulley due to design requirements for stability sits slightly more forward of the engine than the a/c compressor does.

Yes we all do share some blame but let me start a dream sequence ( que the watery picture and harp music )

Remember about 15 - 20 years ago when that big antifreeze plant in Texas caught on fire and the price of antifreeze went from $2.50 a gallon to $7 - $9 a gallon? Do you think they'r still rebuilding that plant?

 

[thecristman]

Last month I pulled the a/c compressor out of my van and put in a bypass pulley wich required a new and larger serpentine built. The new one is thicker than the one for my vehicle with a/c ( not in a big hurry to put in a new a/c unit as its winter ). Cut four weeks ahead to today and I hear a slapping sound as we're out looking around at new apartments and homes going up in the area. Pulling over I find that the serp belt is coming apart so I limp three blocks to the auto zone store and buy a new belt to put on. It took me 15 mins to get the pieces of the belt unwound from the pulleys and only 5 mins to put the new one in. Even the cheapest belt should last a year and talking with the people at the store and another passerby this has been a rising problem lately with third party products out of China.

I really wish that auto makers would go back to the old v belt systems, its more reliable and if one belt goes the others are left inplace to work.

I disagree with you on the more reliable part. A good serpentine belt will run 100,000 miles easily. It is easier to change. doesn't require loosening alternators or ac compressors, just use a ratchet and release tension on the idler pulley. The problem is not with the the belt, but with you wanting to change the stock configuration. As far as the Chinese are concerned, for every bad company in China, there are 2 good ones. I have been buying electronics form China for 12 years and you get what you pay for. When I wanted cheap, I got cheap. When I wanted high quality, I got that too, and at a better price than anything made in the United States. I am not a big China fan, but the truth is the truth.

 

[Van]

The van is in another stock configuration as it stands now and is not the reason for the failure of the belt. The a/c bypass pulley is a legitimate part as there was a small percentage of these vans that came without a/c and a pulley is needed for proper operation. Serp belts may last longer than V belts but if a serp belt breaks then your only able to go for 2 mins tops before your engine starts to overheat, atleast if one of the vbelts goes your able to limp along to get a new one wich to me is a better option than an all in one solution.

I cant say that I agrea with you on the quality of Chinese products, my employer sells chinese products by the tonage squared every day and much of its bad stuff. Generaly if you spend money on a high dollar item then it should be good no matter where it comes from.