PSA: A zip tie saved my alternator belt on a Sunday in Phoenix

I was stranded at a gas station off the I-10 last summer when my belt started squealing then slipped off. No parts store open, no help coming until Monday. An old guy in a Ford Ranger pulled up, grabbed a zip tie from his glove box, and cinched the belt back on just tight enough to get me home. Anyone else ever used a random non-car part to limp a vehicle to safety?

3 comments

3 Comments

mila_brown1019d ago

A zip tie won't melt instantly because it's usually on the cooler side of the belt or a non-moving part. The old trick is to use it for tension, not as a permanent fix, so it holds long enough to get you to a shop. Plus, most zip ties are nylon, which can handle engine bay heat for a short trip without failing.

rubys808d ago

I once used a shoelace to hold a belt together and made it about three miles before it snapped and took out my AC line. So yeah, zip ties are a solid upgrade from my level of desperation.

david56219d ago

Wait, won't a zip tie melt from the heat of the engine? I used a leather belt once to get my truck home, but that thing smoked like crazy.