I have a 2004 Honda CR-V. I just changed my serpentine belt yesterday. Drive it to work this morning (about a 25 minute drive). I pull into the parking lot and start smelling a burning smell. Smoke starts coming from under the hood. I pop the hood to look for the source. It's coming from the serpentine belt area at the bottom front of the engine. As I['m looking at it, POP, the belt snaps. It looks like when I stopped, something melted straight through it. There was no squealing or any other indicators while I was driving. What could be the issue?

 

One of five things has probably locked up- belt tensioner pulley, PS pump, alternator, A/C compressor or water pump.

with the belt now off you should be able to check each spins freely by hand.

for the sake of your finances I hope it's the tensioner pulley...

 

I will definitely check those. The only thing that is throwing me is that it looks like it was melted clean through as if it was sitting against something that was too hot and there wasn't any squealing or anything while driving. Would it happen that way from a bad pulley?

 

Fyi I bought a Banda serpentine belt on Amazon for a 2004 Pilot and it didn’t fit! Too small. Next time I will buy from Honda direct

 

I get lots of parts from Amazon and have had good luck with them BUT I always try for brand names I know. Gates, NTG, Denso. I've been burned (no pun intended) too many times using off brand parts!

Good luck with your belt issue, I agree with hondamark35, sounds like something locked up. Either that or you may not have had it all the way on all the pulleys.