# Broken Pulley

**URL:** <https://community.cartalk.com/t/broken-pulley/42457>\
**Category:** Maintenance/Repairs\
**Tags:** pump, belts, parkingbrakes, buick\
**Created:** [January 13, 2010, 2:43pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/broken-pulley/42457 "2010-01-13T14:43:43Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Grendel34](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/46a35a/32.png) [@Grendel34](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Grendel34)\
**Post date:** [January 13, 2010, 2:43pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/broken-pulley/42457/1 "2010-01-13T14:43:43Z")

</div>

Last night while driving, I noticied an odd high pitched whining sound coming from the car and suddenly the temperature guage light came on. I stopped at a gas station and also noticied a strange smell. When I lifted the hood, there were sparks coming from a pulley on the sepertine belt, and when I turned the car off that pulley fell off and the belt went slack. I looked up a diagram of the engine, and I think this might be the water pump.  
  
  
  
 Am I correct? And if so, what can I do to repair this? Would I have to replace the entire water pump? Would this be a repair that a NOVICE mechanic can do?  
  
  
  
 Thanks in advance,  
  
  
  
 Grendel34

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Grendel34](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/46a35a/32.png) [@Grendel34](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Grendel34)\
**Post date:** [January 13, 2010, 2:48pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/broken-pulley/42457/2 "2010-01-13T14:48:33Z")

</div>

Oh I forgot to add that this is a 1992 Buick Park Avenue. Thanks again, and sorry for the double post.