06/03/2026
A snapped drive belt can get to cost you more than đšđŠ$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 đđ”đ¶đżđ± đčđźđœ.
This particular Atenza had đźđčđżđČđźđ±đ đđđżđđ¶đđČđ± đđđŒ đ±đČđșđźđ»đ±đ¶đ»đŽ đčđČđŽđ: the first from Dar Es Salaamđčđż to TundumađżđČ, and the second from Tunduma Border PostđżđČ to Chirundu Border PostđżđŒ.
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 HaraređżđŒ, disaster struck without warning.
đ§đ”đČ đ±đżđ¶đđČ đŻđČđčđ đđ»đźđœđœđČđ±.
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§đ”đČ đłđ¶đżđđ đźđčđČđżđ đ°đźđșđČ đłđżđŒđș đŒđđż đźđłđđČđżđșđźđżđžđČđ đ±đ¶đŽđ¶đđźđč đ°đŒđŒđčđźđ»đ đđČđșđœđČđżđźđđđżđČ đŽđźđđŽđČ.
The reading suddenly spiked past 100°C.
đȘđČ đœđđčđčđČđ± đŒđđČđż đ¶đșđșđČđ±đ¶đźđđČđčđ đźđ»đ± đœđŒđœđœđČđ± đđ”đČ đ”đŒđŒđ±âđŒđ»đčđ đđŒ đłđ¶đ»đ± đđ”đČ đ±đżđ¶đđČ đŻđČđčđ đčđđ¶đ»đŽ đ¶đ» đœđ¶đČđ°đČđ.
đȘđ”đźđ đ”đźđœđœđČđ»đ đđ”đČđ» đź đ±đżđ¶đđČ đŻđČđčđ đłđźđ¶đčđ? Let's break it down:
1ïžâŁ)đŹđŒđđż đźđčđđČđżđ»đźđđŒđż đđđŒđœđ đłđđ»đ°đđ¶đŒđ»đ¶đ»đŽ:
-The battery warning light đđ”đŒđđčđ± đ¶đčđčđđșđ¶đ»đźđđČ, đŻđđ đŒđłđđČđ» đ±đŒđČđđ»'đ đ¶đ» đđ¶đșđČ.
-Every kilometer you drive đ±đżđźđ¶đ»đ đđŒđđż đŻđźđđđČđżđ đłđđżđđ”đČđż.
-Running headlights or đŒđđ”đČđż đČđčđČđ°đđżđ¶đ°đźđč đ°đŒđșđœđŒđ»đČđ»đđ đźđ°đ°đČđčđČđżđźđđČđ đđ”đČ đ±đżđźđ¶đ».
đłPicture this: đđŒđđż đŻđČđčđ đđ»đźđœđ đźđ đ đđđĄđđđđ§ đ¶đ» đđ”đČ đșđ¶đ±đ±đčđČ đŒđł đĄđđđșđŻđ đĄđźđđ¶đŒđ»đźđč đŁđźđżđž...
Eventually, your battery dies, your engine cuts out, đźđ»đ± đđŒđ'đżđČ đđđżđźđ»đ±đČđ± đ¶đ» đđ”đČ đ±đźđżđžđ»đČđđ.
That's not just inconvenientâđđ”đźđ'đ đŽđČđ»đđ¶đ»đČđčđ đđČđżđżđ¶đłđđ¶đ»đŽ.
2ïžâŁđŹđŒđđż đđźđđČđż đœđđșđœ đđđŒđœđ đđŒđżđžđ¶đ»đŽ:
-Coolant stops circulating đ°đŒđșđœđčđČđđČđčđ.
-Warm coolant becomes trapped in the radiator while đđ”đČ đČđ»đŽđ¶đ»đČ đ°đŒđ»đđ¶đ»đđČđ đ”đČđźđđ¶đ»đŽ đđœ.
-The engine đŒđđČđżđ”đČđźđđ đżđźđœđ¶đ±đčđ.
-đđ¶đżđđ đ°đźđđđźđčđđ: your head gasket
-Keep driving and you're looking at a cracked cylinder headâđ¶đ»đđŒđčđđ¶đ»đŽ đżđČđœđźđ¶đżđ đ°đŒđđđ¶đ»đŽ đđ”đŒđđđźđ»đ±đ đŒđł đ±đŒđčđčđźđżđ!
-đȘđŒđżđđ-đ°đźđđČ đđ°đČđ»đźđżđ¶đŒ: sudden engine failure on a steep uphill grade, deep in the game park, đđđżđżđŒđđ»đ±đČđ± đŻđ đđ¶đčđ±đčđ¶đłđČ, đ¶đ» đœđ¶đđ°đ” đ±đźđżđžđ»đČđđ.
We were lucky.
Our belt snapped đ»đČđźđż đđ»đžđŒđșđŒ đ§đŒđčđčđŽđźđđČâđźđŻđŒđđ đđŹ đžđ¶đčđŒđșđČđđČđżđ đŻđČđłđŒđżđČ đ¶đ, đđŒ đŻđČ đœđżđČđ°đ¶đđČ:
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
đđđČđżđ đŻđżđČđźđžđ±đŒđđ» đ¶đ đź đčđČđđđŒđ» đ¶đł đđŒđ'đżđČ đđ¶đčđčđ¶đ»đŽ đđŒ đčđČđźđżđ».
This experience taught us that our preparation in Dar Es Salaamđčđż was đ¶đ»đ°đŒđșđœđčđČđđČ.
đȘđČ'đđČ đ»đŒđ đđœđ±đźđđČđ± đŒđđż đșđźđ»đ±đźđđŒđżđ đœđżđČ-đ±đČđœđźđżđđđżđČ đ°đ”đČđ°đžđčđ¶đđ đłđŒđż đđČđ”đ¶đ°đčđČđ đ”đČđźđ±đ¶đ»đŽ đđŒ đđźđżđźđżđČđżđŒ:
1ïžâŁ)DPF delete.
2ïžâŁ)Installation of genuine Mazda metal coolant bypass pipe.
3ïžâŁ)Aftermarket digital coolant temperature gauge (proved its worth!).
4ïžâŁ)Full engine service.
5ïžâŁ)Drive belt replacement (non-negotiable now).
6ïžâŁ)Thermostat replacement.
7ïžâŁ)Prayers đ.
To every driver planning a long journey through challenging terrain from Dar Es Salaamđčđż to HaraređżđŒ : don't learn the hard way like we did. That belt might look fine, but on the open road, fine isn't good enough.
đŠđđźđ đœđżđČđœđźđżđČđ±, đđđźđ đđźđłđČ.
đ©đ¶đ±đČđŒđ đŒđł đđ”đČ đŠđĄđđŁđŁđđ đŻđČđčđ đ¶đ» đđ”đČ đ°đŒđșđșđČđ»đ đđČđ°đđ¶đŒđ»: