Does it matter OE versus, say, gates? I know gates is a good brand for some stuff. The OE one is over $100 at the dealer, and about $75 online. I can get a gates for $25. (serpentine belt, btw)
Thoughts? I would guess the job is a 2 out of 5 bananas job (up to 2.5) so its not a “splurge cause you’ll only want to do it once if you love yourself” kinda repair. That being said, the water pump and fan are belt driven so it very much matters if it breaks. I freaking love the old Toyota system of 2 drive belts for the critical stuff like water fan and alternator, and a seperate single for accessories like AC...I kinda still wish they used it.
Pretty sure the belt is slipping right now.