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What Does a Serpentine Belt Do? The serpentine belt plays an essential role in running your car’s systems, explains TheDrive.com. It powers the alternator, the power steering pump, the air conditioning compressor and, in some vehicles, the water pump. The serpentine belt rotates constantly when the car is running.
What happens to a car when the serpentine belt breaks?
If a serpentine belt breaks, a car won’t be drivable and will have to be towed. If the engine runs without a serpentine belt, it might overheat as the water pump will no longer work. A broken belt can also damage other parts. If a car has a hydraulic power steering pump, the steering will become stiff.
How much does it cost to replace serpentine belt?
A typical serpentine belt start at around $25 and goes up to $75 at most. If you know some car repair basics, you could change the belt yourself, and it may save you paying labor charges somewhere between $75 and $120. All together, you’re looking at around $100 to $195 to replace your serpentine belt.
Can you drive with a serpentine belt?
There are a couple of factors influencing the answer to this question, but on average, your car should be able to run between 20-90 minutes with a broken serpentine belt. The engine will overheat faster without a functioning cooling system on a hot day, so your driving window is less.
How can I tell if my serpentine belt is bad?
Bad Serpentine Belts Give Off Signs Look for fraying, notches, missing chunks, too much slack on the belt, and misalignment on the pulleys. Other visual signs of serpentine belt issues include: Cracking. Abrasions.
Can I drive without a serpentine belt?
Most vehicles do not use a serpentine belt to drive the engine’s coolant pump, driving such a vehicle without the serpentine belt is possible, but not advised. If however, your vehicle’s coolant pump is driven by the serpentine belt, driving without the belt will overheat and damage the engine.
How much does it cost to replace a drive belt?
Once the belt starts to wear thin or breaks, it will need replacing, if those parts are going to work as they should. You will pay between $120 and $160 for this replacement job. The labor should cost about $80, while parts will run you about $60.
How long does a serpentine belt last?
Typically, serpentine belts last anywhere from 50,000 to 100,000 miles. Over time, friction and heat break them down.
Is a serpentine belt the same as a timing belt?
Timing Belt. Don’t get confused—a serpentine belt is not the same thing as a timing belt. The timing belt is located inside the engine and keeps the crankshaft and camshaft in sync. This ensures that the engine intake and exhaust valves open and close in time with the pistons so the engine runs smoothly.
How long does it take to replace a serpentine belt?
It can take anything from 15 minutes to an hour (two at the most) to repair or replace a bad serpentine belt with a new belt.
What does a worn serpentine belt sound like?
Although there are a few causes of a squealing engine, one of the most common is a bad or failing serpentine belt. Belt squeaking is also especially pronounced when accelerating, on startup, and when making a U-turn. The noise is loud and sounds like a squeal, loud chirp, or squeak.
Does the serpentine belt affect the transmission?
A Broken Serpentine Belt Could Ruin the Transmission Almost as soon as your car’s serpentine belt breaks, the engine will begin to overheat. Without the belt running, the water pump won’t be able to adequately cool your engine. When the engine overheats, your transmission may be damaged.
Can I replace a serpentine belt myself?
Serpentine belt replacement is easy because today’s automatic drive belt tensioners eliminate the need to loosen bolts or pry components into position for retensioning. Just rotate the tensioner, remove the old belt and install a new one.
What causes serpentine belt to wear out?
Serpentine belt problems usually result from one of three causes: a defective belt tensioner; misalignment of a pulley; or, defective bearings in the tensioner, idler, or one of accessories driven by the belt (including the water pump).
How often do I need to replace serpentine belt?
How often does a serpentine belt need to be replaced? Serpentine belts are built to last—much longer than before because of advancements in rubber technology. Under ideal conditions, a belt should stick with you for an average of 60,000 to 100,000 miles.
How do I know if my drive belt needs to be replaced?
Common Signs of Drive Belt Replacement Strange Noises. One of the biggest signs that you probably need to take your vehicle to the dealership for a check is when you start hearing strange noises coming from your engine. Visual Signs of Wear. Mileage Indicators. Breakage is Bad.
Can an oil leak cause a serpentine belt to break?
Generally, an oil leak should not cause a serpentine belt to come loose, however depending on the source of the oil leak and the severity of it, it could be possible.
What happens if your drive belt breaks while driving?
A broken serpentine belt can lead to a sudden loss of power steering in your car, making your steering very difficult to turn. A broken serpentine belt causes the water pump to stop circulating coolant through the engine’s cooling system, causing it to overheat.
