Overheated. Broken belts/pulleys

[dvl]

Giday,

As I set off to work this morning in my 2009 Outback XT, the blue light was on, as usual. Yes, it's cold enough in PA to have the blue light on first thing in the morning.

I got two miles before the heat warning light came on. I pulled over immediately and turned the thing off.

I called AAA and while waiting, it cooled and I tried starting it. No luck. I could hear the starter engage and turn, but the engine wasn't turning over.

The dealer called at about 4:45 pm to let me know that belts / pulleys broke. I know he used both words, but I'm not sure exactly what is broken. I've got a phone call in for him to call me back. I think it's three belts which need to be replaced.

He did say the timing belt did not break.

However, putting it all back together will be costly and we won't know if the engine is OK until after that is done. Ouch.

Do y'all have theories as to what has happened?

My amateur guess: the water pump seized up. Everything else stemmed from that.

[maddog39]

As far as I know the water pump is driven by the timing belt on subarus, even turbo models. So if the timing belt did not break, then that's not it. Unfortunately I don't have any other theories as to why you had overheating and your accessory drive belts snapped.

[plain OM]

As I set off to work this morning in my 2009 Outback XT, the blue light was on, as usual. . . . . I got two miles before the heat warning light came on.

I'm puzzled. "blue light", "heat warning light". On a 2009? Doesn't it have a temperature gauge? (See attached, which is the 2007 turbo combination meter, but I believe is similar to the 2009.)

I could hear the starter engage and turn, but the engine wasn't turning over.

I presume you mean the starter motor engaged and turned, but the engine itself wouldn't start. (The engine probably was "turning over", i.e. rotating if the starter was engaged and turning.)

On the 2009 2.5 engine there's two external (accessory) belts, one for the AC compressor, and one for the power steering pump and the alternator. Neither would cause the car to overheat if they were broken.

The timing belt is the third belt on these cars. If it breaks, the engine stops, period. The timing belt does drive the water pump. If the pump, or a timing belt idler or tensioner pulley seizes, the belt usually either breaks, or comes off its track, and the engine stops.
Sometimes the belt will slip a few teeth (it's a toothed belt); that could cause improper timing of the camshafts, which could lead to very poor running engine, probably stalling, and perhaps overheating, but you don't mention anything like that happening.

How many miles on the car?

[dvl]

Originally Posted by plain OM

I'm puzzled. "blue light", "heat warning light". On a 2009? Doesn't it have a temperature gauge? (See attached, which is the 2007 turbo combination meter, but I believe is similar to the 2009.)

There is a blue light which indicates that the engine is not yet warm enough for Sport # mode. I think it's unique to the XT.

There is also a temperature gauge. It was in the red when that heat warming light went on. No, I didn't notice the temperature gauge before that.

Originally Posted by plain OM

I presume you mean the starter motor engaged and turned, but the engine itself wouldn't start. (The engine probably was "turning over", i.e. rotating if the starter was engaged and turning.)

OK. It just didn't sound right at all.

On the 2009 2.5 engine there's two external (accessory) belts, one for the AC compressor, and one for the power steering pump and the alternator. Neither would cause the car to overheat if they were broken.

Originally Posted by plain OM

How many miles on the car?

just over 70,000 miles

Pictures of the two dead pulley to follow next.

[dvl]

[dvl]

Any values in replacing the water pump and timing belt since we are there now?

[dvl]

AHHH!

I just called. Timing belt was going to be replaced anyway.

And... the water pump is dead. Going to replace.

Hypothesis: dead water pump caused this.

[grossgary]

wow - those bearings got fried. that is a very, very rare failure on such low mileage.

did they verify timing is in check? if the cams lost timing then bent valves are unlikely and they should not be moving forward with a timing belt job.

*** given that you have two failed pulleys i would be replacing them all. whatever (heat?) caused those pulleys to fail likely degraded the oil/seals in the other ones too. no way i'd want the other original pulleys in there, that's a really bad idea. they should replace all of them.

they almost have to replace the timing belt on it. it's 70% used by mileage and obviously suffered extreme wear and heat, no way that belt should be reused.

"dead water pump" - meaning it seized or something else? that's rare, EJ water pumps are very robust.

[dvl]

Originally Posted by grossgary

wow - those bearings got fried. that is a very, very rare failure on such low mileage.

did they verify timing is in check? if the cams lost timing then bent valves are unlikely and they should not be moving forward with a timing belt job.

I do not know if they verified timing. That can be done without all this work?

Originally Posted by grossgary

*** given that you have two failed pulleys i would be replacing them all. whatever (heat?) caused those pulleys to fail likely degraded the oil/seals in the other ones too. no way i'd want the other original pulleys in there, that's a really bad idea. they should replace all of them.

I checked. Yes, all five pulleys are being replaced.

Originally Posted by grossgary

they almost have to replace the timing belt on it. it's 70% used by mileage and obviously suffered extreme wear and heat, no way that belt should be reused.

Glad to hear that. Yes, they are definitely replacing the timing belt.

Originally Posted by grossgary

"dead water pump" - meaning it seized or something else? that's rare, EJ water pumps are very robust.

I don't know. Just that it needs to be replaced.

I was thinking, and it was suggested by friends, that the pump be replaced regardless, given we are already in there.

[grossgary]

Originally Posted by dvl

I do not know if they verified timing. That can be done without all this work?

yes, it's easy. it takes about 30 seconds to verify timing. hopefully they already did, doing all that work and spending all that cash without checking something that would take one minute would be ludicrous. i am very nervous that you said the engine wouldn't turn over in the original post....hoping you're not in $1,000 worth of work on an engine with bent valves that they could and should have checked in a matter of minutes.

i would call them and ask if the crank and cam sprocket timing marks were still in alignment or if the cams slipped?

Originally Posted by dvl

I checked. Yes, all five pulleys are being replaced.

Originally Posted by dvl

that the pump be replaced regardless, given we are already in there.

excellent.