The serpentine belt in my car came off somehow and I found it in the driveway (this was a few days after it had been replaced) and my dad told me to drive my car to the automotive place without it and if it overheated just to pull over, let it cool, and then keep going. it did overheat and I pulled over, but called AAA and had them tow me, now the guy fixing my car told me my alternator bearings have failed, and that it wasn't like that when he did the belt before. Was this from the drive there? or from something else?
The alternator bearings might be the reason the belt came off in the first place. Or it is a coincidence. Either way, you didn't cause the bearing to go bad, and neither did your mechanic. It just is.
Jennifer. You didn't hurt the alternator bearings by driving the car to the automotive store. Without the serpentine belt, the alternator and water-pump doesn't turn. Without the water-pump spinning is the reason the coolant temperature got hot. The alternator bearings were stiff or noisy before the belt spun off. In fact, that might have caused the belt to spin off. Too bad there isn't an automotive electrical shop or private mechanic nearby who couldn't split the alternator and slide on new bearings and brushes. The alternator will be as good as new! If you're pushed into a corner and it's necessary to purchase an new re-manufactured alternator call around for the best price with the *best lifetime warranty. Let me know how you make out.
Your alternator bearings would have failed before and is possibly why the belt came off in the first place. Driving the car without a belt is not the best way to prolong it's life you should have had the job done before you went driving around, but with luck no lasting damage would have been done.
renewing a belt will often put a strain especially if over tensioned on a bearing set in an alternator. it may well be the initial belt failed due to bearings on way out and having a new belt simply hastened that effect. in either case the alternator is defunct. very unlikely ( impossible maybe) to show the new belt was overtightened. I would just wright it off as bad luck. the overheating will occur if you drive without a belt as most belts also drive the water pump ,hence no cooling.
