So the past week or two I’ve been hearing a whining like noise coming from the front of my car when I hit the gas. Nothing too major I didn’t think much of it. Then yesterday I’m driving home on the highway and I hear this like whistling noise like a belt or something. Then my battery light came on, then a minute letter my hot coolant temp light comes on and I can’t steer really, I pulled off to the side and opened the hood. It looks like the belt had burned onto the pulleys and eventually snapped, the tensioner is locked and wont move without some hard pushes. I had it towed back home and my father is going to replace the belt and the tensioner.

Should this be all I have to worry about changing?
Anyone else have this problem happen to them?

Just trying to get some insight into dealing with this problem.

How hard of a task is it to change those two parts?
Any specifics I need to know?
Could something else have gone wrong I don’t know about it?

To Note: I have a 2001 SS V6 3.8, 102,000 miles, no modifications, new tranny put in early 2008.

 

Not sure off the top of my head, but the tensioner shouldn't be TOO hard to replace. Just one bolt, I believe (maybe 2?). The belt didn't just let loose. The tensioner ate the belt.
As long as you didn't drive it long after the CEL's lit up, I would think everything is OK. Check the coolant level in the jug.

 

Mine did the same thing. When I istalled the new pulley it locked up again right after installation. Was there spacers I was missing when I removed the old, chewed up one?

 

You may have more pulleys that need to be replaced. Maybe they're loose?

 

Then tensioner pulley comes off with one bolt (it's reverse thread if I recall). Quick and easy. NOW, if there is additional damage to where the pulley bolts up to, that bracket is about a 30 minute swap for a first timer.

With the belt off, spin the alternator, water pump and power steering pump pulleys. Odds are if only one pulley shows signs of melted belt, that's your problem.

If the car did get into the red zone temp wise, change the oil. Over heating the engine can change the lubrication properties and it's just cheap insurance that it's well maintained after suck and event.

Moral of the story: Car begins making a strange noise (like the mentioned "whining"), don't ignore it since the car appears to run fine. Investigate, learn what it is so you are aware of it and can figure out what needs done