NHTSA Complaint #10285693 — 1992 DODGE DYNASTY

SERPENTINE BELT COMES OFF WHEN SPLASHED BY WATER ON ROAD, CAUSING FAILURE OF POWER STEERING, ALTERNATOR AND WATER PUMP. THIS FAILURE WAS ROUTINE WHENEVER THE VEHICLE WAS DRIVEN THROUGH POOLED WATER EXCEEDING 1/2 INCH. THE UPPER ALTERNATOR BRACKET WAS FOUND TO HAVE SUFFERED FATIGUE CRACKS AND THE ALTERNATOR MOUNTING BOLT WAS NOT HELD RIGID. SPLASHED WATER CAUSES THE BELT TO SLIP-CATCH THUS DISPLACING THE POSITION OF THE ALTERNATOR PULLEY, AND THE BELT IS THROWN OFF THE PULLEYS. THIS WAS THE LAST OF MANY INCIDENTS (APPROXIMATELY 10 OTHER TIMES) WHERE THE BELT WAS THROWN DRIVING ON WET ROADS. (THE ORIGINAL EQUIPMENT SPLASH SHIELD IS IN PLACE.) THE LOSS OF POWER STEERING IN A TURN IS CONSIDERED TO BE AN EXTREME HAZARD (OCCURRED SIX TIMES.) THE ENGINE IS THE 3.3 LITER V6 WHICH WAS USED EXTENSIVELY IN MANY CHRYSLER VEHICLES IN THIS ERA, AND AGING MAY AFFECT MANY OTHERS. (IF AN OWNER COMPLAINS OF REPETITIVE INSTANCES OF THROWING THE SERPENTINE BELT DURING WET WEATHER, CHECK THE UPPER ALTERNATOR BRACKET MOUNTING BOLT LOCATION FOR BREAKS OR CRACKS.) THE BRACKET WAS REMOVED, A PIECE OF STEEL WAS WORKED TO REPLACE THE BROKEN AREA OF THE BRACKET AND MIG WELDED INTO THE BRACKET. *TR