06/03/2026
A snapped drive belt can get to cost you more than đ¨đŚ$đ đŹđŹđŹ...đ ROAD TRIP LESSONS...
Our team from Skyactiv Reliability Development recently embarked on a mission to retrieve the United Offensive Mazda Atenza from Chirundu and drive it to Harare for its đđľđśđżđą đšđŽđ˝.
This particular Atenza had đŽđšđżđ˛đŽđąđ đđđżđđśđđ˛đą đđđź đąđ˛đşđŽđťđąđśđťđ´ đšđ˛đ´đ: the first from Dar Es Salaamđšđż to Tundumađżđ˛, and the second from Tunduma Border Postđżđ˛ to Chirundu Border Postđżđź.
When we took over at Chirundu, we felt confident. We'd already done significant work on the vehicle back in Dar Es Salaam.
But as we soon discovered, confidence doesn't always equal preparedness.
About 50 kilometers outside Haraređżđź, disaster struck without warning.
đ§đľđ˛ đąđżđśđđ˛ đŻđ˛đšđ đđťđŽđ˝đ˝đ˛đą.
Here's the thingâwe had inspected that belt thoroughly in Chirundu:
-No visible cracks.
-No signs of wear.
-It looked perfectly fine.
-Looks can be deceiving.
đ§đľđ˛ đłđśđżđđ đŽđšđ˛đżđ đ°đŽđşđ˛ đłđżđźđş đźđđż đŽđłđđ˛đżđşđŽđżđ¸đ˛đ đąđśđ´đśđđŽđš đ°đźđźđšđŽđťđ đđ˛đşđ˝đ˛đżđŽđđđżđ˛ đ´đŽđđ´đ˛.
The reading suddenly spiked past 100°C.
đŞđ˛ đ˝đđšđšđ˛đą đźđđ˛đż đśđşđşđ˛đąđśđŽđđ˛đšđ đŽđťđą đ˝đźđ˝đ˝đ˛đą đđľđ˛ đľđźđźđąâđźđťđšđ đđź đłđśđťđą đđľđ˛ đąđżđśđđ˛ đŻđ˛đšđ đšđđśđťđ´ đśđť đ˝đśđ˛đ°đ˛đ.
đŞđľđŽđ đľđŽđ˝đ˝đ˛đťđ đđľđ˛đť đŽ đąđżđśđđ˛ đŻđ˛đšđ đłđŽđśđšđ? Let's break it down:
1ď¸âŁ)đŹđźđđż đŽđšđđ˛đżđťđŽđđźđż đđđźđ˝đ đłđđťđ°đđśđźđťđśđťđ´:
-The battery warning light đđľđźđđšđą đśđšđšđđşđśđťđŽđđ˛, đŻđđ đźđłđđ˛đť đąđźđ˛đđť'đ đśđť đđśđşđ˛.
-Every kilometer you drive đąđżđŽđśđťđ đđźđđż đŻđŽđđđ˛đżđ đłđđżđđľđ˛đż.
-Running headlights or đźđđľđ˛đż đ˛đšđ˛đ°đđżđśđ°đŽđš đ°đźđşđ˝đźđťđ˛đťđđ đŽđ°đ°đ˛đšđ˛đżđŽđđ˛đ đđľđ˛ đąđżđŽđśđť.
đłPicture this: đđźđđż đŻđ˛đšđ đđťđŽđ˝đ đŽđ đ đđđĄđđđđ§ đśđť đđľđ˛ đşđśđąđąđšđ˛ đźđł đĄđđđşđŻđ đĄđŽđđśđźđťđŽđš đŁđŽđżđ¸...
Eventually, your battery dies, your engine cuts out, đŽđťđą đđźđ'đżđ˛ đđđżđŽđťđąđ˛đą đśđť đđľđ˛ đąđŽđżđ¸đťđ˛đđ.
That's not just inconvenientâđđľđŽđ'đ đ´đ˛đťđđśđťđ˛đšđ đđ˛đżđżđśđłđđśđťđ´.
2ď¸âŁđŹđźđđż đđŽđđ˛đż đ˝đđşđ˝ đđđźđ˝đ đđźđżđ¸đśđťđ´:
-Coolant stops circulating đ°đźđşđ˝đšđ˛đđ˛đšđ.
-Warm coolant becomes trapped in the radiator while đđľđ˛ đ˛đťđ´đśđťđ˛ đ°đźđťđđśđťđđ˛đ đľđ˛đŽđđśđťđ´ đđ˝.
-The engine đźđđ˛đżđľđ˛đŽđđ đżđŽđ˝đśđąđšđ.
-đđśđżđđ đ°đŽđđđŽđšđđ: your head gasket
-Keep driving and you're looking at a cracked cylinder headâđśđťđđźđšđđśđťđ´ đżđ˛đ˝đŽđśđżđ đ°đźđđđśđťđ´ đđľđźđđđŽđťđąđ đźđł đąđźđšđšđŽđżđ!
-đŞđźđżđđ-đ°đŽđđ˛ đđ°đ˛đťđŽđżđśđź: sudden engine failure on a steep uphill grade, deep in the game park, đđđżđżđźđđťđąđ˛đą đŻđ đđśđšđąđšđśđłđ˛, đśđť đ˝đśđđ°đľ đąđŽđżđ¸đťđ˛đđ.
We were lucky.
Our belt snapped đťđ˛đŽđż đđťđ¸đźđşđź đ§đźđšđšđ´đŽđđ˛âđŽđŻđźđđ đđŹ đ¸đśđšđźđşđ˛đđ˛đżđ đŻđ˛đłđźđżđ˛ đśđ, đđź đŻđ˛ đ˝đżđ˛đ°đśđđ˛:
â
Daylight.
â
Safe surroundings.
âNo dangerous animals in sight.
â
And we're incredibly grateful to Mr. Makuku, who generously allowed us to use his farmland for the replacement. Thank you, sir! đ
đđđ˛đżđ đŻđżđ˛đŽđ¸đąđźđđť đśđ đŽ đšđ˛đđđźđť đśđł đđźđ'đżđ˛ đđśđšđšđśđťđ´ đđź đšđ˛đŽđżđť.
This experience taught us that our preparation in Dar Es Salaamđšđż was đśđťđ°đźđşđ˝đšđ˛đđ˛.
đŞđ˛'đđ˛ đťđźđ đđ˝đąđŽđđ˛đą đźđđż đşđŽđťđąđŽđđźđżđ đ˝đżđ˛-đąđ˛đ˝đŽđżđđđżđ˛ đ°đľđ˛đ°đ¸đšđśđđ đłđźđż đđ˛đľđśđ°đšđ˛đ đľđ˛đŽđąđśđťđ´ đđź đđŽđżđŽđżđ˛đżđź:
1ď¸âŁ)DPF delete.
2ď¸âŁ)Installation of genuine Mazda metal coolant bypass pipe.
3ď¸âŁ)Aftermarket digital coolant temperature gauge (proved its worth!).
4ď¸âŁ)Full engine service.
5ď¸âŁ)Drive belt replacement (non-negotiable now).
6ď¸âŁ)Thermostat replacement.
7ď¸âŁ)Prayers đ.
To every driver planning a long journey through challenging terrain from Dar Es Salaamđšđż to Haraređżđź : don't learn the hard way like we did. That belt might look fine, but on the open road, fine isn't good enough.
đŚđđŽđ đ˝đżđ˛đ˝đŽđżđ˛đą, đđđŽđ đđŽđłđ˛.
đŠđśđąđ˛đźđ đźđł đđľđ˛ đŚđĄđđŁđŁđđ đŻđ˛đšđ đśđť đđľđ˛ đ°đźđşđşđ˛đťđ đđ˛đ°đđśđźđť:
