Accessory Belt Torn

[Harness]

Does anyone have an idea what would cause a tear like this in the accessory belt? It doesn't run the entire length of the belt, probably more than a foot though. I'm going to change it out tonight or tomorrow, but I'm curious if this looks like just a defect/old belt or perhaps a foreign object got in there? Anything else I should check while replacing it?

[JFP in PA]

1 hour ago, Harness said:

Does anyone have an idea what would cause a tear like this in the accessory belt? It doesn't run the entire length of the belt, probably more than a foot though. I'm going to change it out tonight or tomorrow, but I'm curious if this looks like just a defect/old belt or perhaps a foreign object got in there? Anything else I should check while replacing it?

 

One of two possibilities:  Normal wear, or the car was fitted with an incorrectly sized belt at some point.  Change it out with the correct part and you should be fine.

[RFM]

Check whether the alternator is equipped with a freewheel pulley, when it is jammed such a symptom can also occur. 

[Harness]

To close this out, I replaced the belt today. This was a really easy job. Just needed a breaker bar with a 24mm socket (for the tensioner), a screwdriver to remove the air box from the throttle body, and a pair of needle nose pliers (which made removing the Mass Air Flow sensor easier).

 

While I had the belt off, I spun everything (that was supposed to) to ensure they behaved properly (found a YouTube video), basically, they shouldn’t spin freely but almost immediately stop due to resistance (makes sense when you think about it as they power different things).