NHTSA Complaint #10257827 — 2001 HYUNDAI ACCENT

APPROXIMATELY 3000 MILES AFTER HAVING A 60,000 MILE SERVICE INVOLVING REPLACEMENT OF ALL BELTS, INCLUDING TIMING BELT USING HIGH QUALITY BELTS OF KNOWN QUALITY, A HIGH VOLTAGE ARCHING CONDITION IS OBSERVED ON THE FACE OF THE HARMONIC BALANCER (HB). ARCH IS APPROX. .250-.500 INCH IN LENGTH AND PROJECTS FROM THE OUTERMOST EDGE OF THE HB TOWARD THE CENTER OF SAME. USING A JUMPER CABLE CONNECTED TO THE NEGATIVE BATTERY TERMINAL, ARCH CAN BE PULLED FROM THE OUTER EDGE OF HARMONIC BALANCER, BUT NO OTHER PULLEY SURFACE NOR BELT SURFACE. CONDITION IS INTERMITTENT AND FORCED REPRODUCTION HAS NOT BEEN POSSIBLE, BUT OCCURS WITH SUFFICIENT FREQUENCY TO PERMIT TROUBLESHOOTING. CONDITION HAS NOT BEEN PREVIOUSLY OBSERVED. AFTER EXTENSIVE DIAGNOSIS, IT APPEARS THE INSULATOR RUBBER BETWEEN MATING PARTS OF THE HB HAS DEGRADED RESULTING IN EXCESSIVE INTERNAL RESISTANCE WHICH RESULTS IN STATIC CHARGE GENERATED BY BELTS TO ESCAPE PULLEY INTERIOR, DISCHARGING OVER THE EXTERIOR SURFACE. UNDER THE RIGHT CONDITIONS, THIS COULD RESULT IN AN EXPLOSIVE EVENT SHOULD A COMBUSTION FUEL BE PRESENT; THEREFORE THIS SHOULD BE INVESTIGATED AS A SAFETY ISSUE. DEALER STATES NO KNOWLEDGE OF THIS BEING AN ISSUE. REPLACEMENT HB ON ORDER AND IS EXPECTED IN ABOUT ONE WEEK. *TR