[8cam]

Well tonight I had my very first roadside breakdown, my own damn fault. I had noticed the last couple days that the belt was squealing for a few seconds when I turned on the a/c, but it quieted down quickly. I figured I'd take a look over the weekend. Nope.

On the way to meet some friends this afternoon and it started screaming, even with the a/c off. Luckily I was near a gas station, so I pulled in and popped the hood. Shredded belt fragments everywhere and barely 1 rib's worth still on the pulleys. After a few choice works at my own stupidity, I grabbed an Uber to the nearest Napa. They had the belt in stock, and a couple el-cheapo screwdrivers and a pair of pliers. My Uber driver hung around and drove me back to the car, super nice guy. He's an actor, already been in a few things around here and doing Uber to pay the rent.

I got the belt all routed, but getting it back over the alternator was proving to be a real bitch. I could pull the tensioner back, but then needed two more hands on the belt. Luckily the guys in the gas station walked out and they had a breaker bar. Nice to have the proper tool. With the tensioner held with the breaker, it was much easier to get the belt on and done. I bought them a six pack for their help.

Started it right up, checked everything, turned on the a/c and the clutch kicked in like it should, everything looks absolutely perfect. The drive home was easy enough, just sorry I missed the meetup with my friends.

Moral of the story, your car will tell you when something isn't right. Listen to it!