Well, it was bound to happen sometime. We were cruising along and the boys in the back said, “I smell something burning.” About that time, the warning lights came on as well…including the “STOP ENGINE NOW” light…which is never a good thing. After taking the engine cover off, it was discovered that the belt was thrown off. Not the average belt…this one was over five feet long.
We came to find out that the alternator had seized up and caused the belt to break. With our warranty and road hazard insurance (both together cost a total of $1200 for the first year and $70 for additional years) we covered two nights lodging at the hotel, two dinners, a new alternator, a new belt, labor, and a 15 mile semi-truck tow (which included an hour of roadside labor as they “dropped the axle”) all for $250.
On the third day, we were back on the road with less than two hours drive to NYC. What a blessing!
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