Wet Belt

So your auto engine has a wet belt? Engineers don't do that sort of thing because it's a bad idea ... unless there's a bigger, more complex strategy at work. You don't really want to know about the time bomb. Time bombs are fickle friends who aren't a friend at all. The copywriters were too busy wordsmithing the brochures and press releases to give the actual details. The truth got a little strained because everybody wants to advertise a breakthrough that offers some kind of gain. Industry likes to spice up the product now and then, just to see how far we'll go, just to see if we even care or bother to take note. They do something, there in the dark heart. Unspeakable. You might say they design gremlin spanners that can easily be thrown into the works. Belts, bearings, chains, gaskets, seals and other, often quite small components that have a "design" life. They will, once past the allotted time fail, some with serious consequences, some with minor ones. By then anyone who mattered will have moved on. It's quite exciting really. Third party suppliers who create surprise outcomes. Unplanned events. You may get cumulative failures, one upon one, upon another. That sounds like fun. It's not clear how it will turn out and of course if you've not kept up with your end of the bargain; maintenance, checks, services, consumables and your own good conduct and product loyalty ... then you're liable, not them. What did the previous owner do? Tick tick tick.

This article on wet belts in auto internal combustion engines has been semi-redacted by the ghostly powers of complete and benign authority.