Ac compressor belt breaking

[Yaris17]

Hi all! So this yaris 08 hb AT that I have been looking into buying has me puzzled. I am not mechanically inclined at all! When I first talked to the owners girlfriend she stated that he was driving the car down the interstate , heard a huge noise and that the transmission fell out on the highway. When I questioned it she asked her boyfriend who was actually driving the car at the time what happened he said the air compressor belt broke. So since he continued to drive the car ( he was on a business trip) could the belt breaking have caused any damage to the motor or any other components in any way?

[Betrivent]

Technically the belt should have also caused the alternator and the water pump to stop working. So yes. There is potentially serious damage.

[Yaris17]

Thanks! So if the water pump stopped working would that cause the car to overheat?

[Yaris17]

Oh my gosh! So The yaris just has a serpentine belt and not a separate belt for the ac compressor ?? How did he continue to drive the car without a belt?
Is this a car you all would stay away from then?
I'm freaking out because I really wanted to buy the car!!

[CTScott]

Thanks! So if the water pump stopped working would that cause the car to overheat?

Someone on here posted a while back that they seriously damaged their engine by driving until severe overheating occurred with a snapped belt, that he didn't realize snapped. It probably depends quite a bit on how high the outside temps are and how hard and long it was driven for.

If you are looking at buying a car that was admittedly driven without a belt, I would thoroughly test for a warped head or bad head gasket.

[OTA'sTOY]

Oh my gosh! So The yaris just has a serpentine belt and not a separate belt for the ac compressor ?? How did he continue to drive the car without a belt? cause he's stupid:eyebulge:
Is this a car you all would stay away from then? not if that guy owned it:eek:
I'm freaking out because I really wanted to buy the car!!as long as its for dirt cheap:headbang:

[Yaris17]

:( I didn't get to ask him how long he drove the car. All he told me was that the ac compressor belt broke and was replaced under warranty. So to confirm ... There is not a separate ac compressor belt on 2008 yaris ? The serpentine belt is all there is?

[CTScott]

:( I didn't get to ask him how long he drove the car. All he told me was that the ac compressor belt broke and was replaced under warranty. So to confirm ... There is not a separate ac compressor belt on 2008 yaris ? The serpentine belt is all there is?

Correct - One belt which drives the AC, alternator and water pump.

[Betrivent]

Sounds liek he's just spouting nonsense. Replacing it under warranty implies he coudl drive it long enough for the battery to not drain without an alt and that the engine didn't overheat. Something doesn't quite add up.

[Yaris17]

Hi all, so I finally got to talk with the lady that is selling the yaris' boyfriend, who was actually driving the car when the incident occurred. He stated that the air compressor belt didn't break, but the air compressor clutch wouldn't engage??
So question...if the air compressor clutch would not engage, could that cause a loud sound while driving and then only hot air would come out of the vents, or is he probably making things up?
The car seemed to run really well, but that is not to say that it wasn't damaged if indeed it was actually the belt that broke.

My uncle is a certified mechanic, but unfortunately he is out of town on business right now.
All of you mechanics out there help me out please.

I obviously didn't tear down the motor and inspect it or anything on the test drive, I am just going by what they are saying.

The g/f initially told me that he heard a loud sound and the air conditioner fell out !! Then she asked him and he apparently said that nothing fell out but rather the belt broke?
When I actually spoke directly to him, he said that the compressor clutch wouldn't engage?

Think they are trying to sell me a car that is going to break any minute?

[TOLMACH]

I think it is still nice they told you they had problems..

[CTScott]

If the compressor clutch did not engage, there would be no loud sound. You just wouldn't get cold air.

[Yaris17]

Thanks for the info all! The email me a copy of the service record from Toyota .
I would paste a jig of the report , but I don't want to infringe on their privacy. Anyway, the statement reads
Diagnostic: customer states that the ac not working .
553 CTEC
1 compressor assy, w/p
1 dryer, cooler
All totaling 1,640 in parts and 170 for labor

He told me that the belt was replaced while they had it there just " because wit was getting older and might as well get a new one while they are already in that area".
But I don't see where it states te belt was replaced?
What does w/p mean? What is dryer, cooler?

[DebbyM46227]

Wow, the girlfriend sounds like a real nutcase to me!

Anyway, not on my Yaris, but I had a Cavalier before this car. My A/C compressor clutch SEIZED UP and it shredded my serpentine belt but I was on my way to CarX anyhow so it didn't hurt my engine.

Maybe that's the reason they replaced the Yaris belt.

I'm thinking w/p stands for water pump.

[CTScott]

Thanks for the info all! The email me a copy of the service record from Toyota .
I would paste a jig of the report , but I don't want to infringe on their privacy. Anyway, the statement reads
Diagnostic: customer states that the ac not working .
553 CTEC
1 compressor assy, w/p
1 dryer, cooler
All totaling 1,640 in parts and 170 for labor

He told me that the belt was replaced while they had it there just " because wit was getting older and might as well get a new one while they are already in that area".
But I don't see where it states te belt was replaced?
What does w/p mean? What is dryer, cooler?


The pop may have been a catastrophic failure of the compressor. The w/p may be with "pipe", which is what the aluminum tubing is called that attaches to the compressor. The cooler dryer is a device that goes inline with the piping that contains a chemical desiccant (moisture absorber).

[Yaris17]

Thanks! So is it likely that the belt actually didn't break after all? Does it sound like it could have caused engine damage?
I just do not know what to think anymore.
What are some causes of this happening. It seems that it's a huge (expensive) job to replace the compressor assembly! Is this normal for a car with only 80,000 miles on it. Also, if he said that he had them go ahead and change the serpentine belt, would that show up on that invoice for service ?

[CTScott]

Thanks! So is it likely that the belt actually didn't break after all? Does it sound like it could have caused engine damage?
I just do not know what to think anymore.
What are some causes of this happening. It seems that it's a huge (expensive) job to replace the compressor assembly! Is this normal for a car with only 80,000 miles on it. Also, if he said that he had them go ahead and change the serpentine belt, would that show up on that invoice for service ?

w/p on the compressor line is definitely not water pump. I just looked in the EPC and it is "with pulley".

Replacing the compressor is very expensive, but actually a pretty easy job, but it also requires evacuating the system, leak testing it, and recharging it.