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Brackets, Belts, and Pump Cracks
Aug. 1st, 2022 12:10 pmPep Boys got to looking at the Astro and the mechanic said I should come down and have a look, so I walked the approximately 3.6 km to Pep Boys. It was cloudy and cool, which was nice until it started drizzling, which was less nice. The rain cleared by the time I got to the shop, and the mechanic showed me the multiple issues.
( There's Your Problem )
The alternator turns freely, so it does not need to be replaced. The serpentine belt tensioning pulley appears to be sound. But a new power steering pump and some way to fix the issue with the oil filler pipe, plus the incidental replacement of the bolt that holds the alternator and oil filler pipe in place, needs to be done, along with some other things. I also said to go ahead and replace the serpentine belt just in case, as whatever trauma was done to it while the alternator came loose and the belt fell off isn't worth worrying about. (I'll keep the old belt as a spare. Also, we're going to have to come up with a way to handle a field replacement of a serpentine belt, because this is not the first time we've had this happen.)
Labor is not really an issue. It's annoyingly complicated due to the cramped nature of the engine compartment of an Astro minivan, but otherwise straightforward. What may be challenging is getting the parts. Pep Boys says that if they can get the parts by EOD today, they can have the van ready to go by EOD Tuesday. They'll see what they can find. I've already booked another additional night here at the hotel, and they aren't that busy, so more nights are possible. I'll let my management know what's going on and fortunately I really do have quite a few days of PTO in the bank, so the Worldcon trip is not imperiled.
The cost is likely to be above $1000. My credit cards can cover it; that's one reason I carry an Amex Blue card with no balance and no annual fee. Let's just hope I didn't too any other harm driving the vehicle without the water pump between the time the alternator belt fell off and the battery failed entirely.
( There's Your Problem )
The alternator turns freely, so it does not need to be replaced. The serpentine belt tensioning pulley appears to be sound. But a new power steering pump and some way to fix the issue with the oil filler pipe, plus the incidental replacement of the bolt that holds the alternator and oil filler pipe in place, needs to be done, along with some other things. I also said to go ahead and replace the serpentine belt just in case, as whatever trauma was done to it while the alternator came loose and the belt fell off isn't worth worrying about. (I'll keep the old belt as a spare. Also, we're going to have to come up with a way to handle a field replacement of a serpentine belt, because this is not the first time we've had this happen.)
Labor is not really an issue. It's annoyingly complicated due to the cramped nature of the engine compartment of an Astro minivan, but otherwise straightforward. What may be challenging is getting the parts. Pep Boys says that if they can get the parts by EOD today, they can have the van ready to go by EOD Tuesday. They'll see what they can find. I've already booked another additional night here at the hotel, and they aren't that busy, so more nights are possible. I'll let my management know what's going on and fortunately I really do have quite a few days of PTO in the bank, so the Worldcon trip is not imperiled.
The cost is likely to be above $1000. My credit cards can cover it; that's one reason I carry an Amex Blue card with no balance and no annual fee. Let's just hope I didn't too any other harm driving the vehicle without the water pump between the time the alternator belt fell off and the battery failed entirely.
