Hello Scotty and Carkiller Nation.

I recently purchased a 2010 Honda CR-V AWD I4 Auto Tranny with ~150k miles from private seller. Regretfully, the vehicle’s serpentine belt gets frayed 50-100 miles after replacement on the edge nearest the motor. (Yes, I had an independent mechanic inspect before purchasing ☹️).

Other than the belt, the CR-V runs fine. No OBD 2 codes, AC blows cold, power steering works fine, no problems with battery or starting vehicle, no water/oil leaks.

The belt tensioner and water pump ride on the backside of the belt. The harmonic balancer, A/C, alternator and power steering pump have ribbed pulleys.

I suspect a problem with pulley alignment. The “band” closest to the engine gets frayed off (there are 6 bands across the belt). How best does one go about pinpointing which pulley is the culprit? Do shops have laser optic alignment tools for this purpose or do they rely on experience/visual inspection?

I’m not expecting/asking for resolve to this issue based solely on this write-up, but rather professional opinion on a) what next logical steps to take b) things to look for and c) questions to ask my next mechanic.

Here is more info: 1) The serpentine belt tensioner was worn (rattling/grinding). I replaced it and the serp belt, but without resolve as the belt again frayed after ~70 miles, 2) I noticed the belt ride up on the edge of the power steering pulley closest to the engine. The PS pump looks original, 3) the A/C unit was replaced ~8k miles ago (before I purchased vehicle) with a non-OEM AC unit. There was no record of frequent belt replacement prior to AC change.

When I “eye up” the belt alignment it seems the A/C is not aligned (but I’m untrained and dang it’s difficult to visually assess at that distance). From the looks of them, the power steering pump, water pump, other idler pulley and harmonic balancer appear original.

Any suggestions welcomed.