How can I tell if my serpentine belt is bad?
So, if it’s worn out, it will start slipping over the alternator pulley and the alternator won’t be able to produce enough electric power. This symptom of a serpentine belt problem is notorious for being hard to recognize. In most cases, there will be no sounds or visible symptoms. To make things even harder, even the battery light doesn’t come up.
What happens when a pulley slips on a serpentine belt?
When the pulleys begin to slip, the serpentine belt will slip as well, producing the serpentine belt noise.
What causes a belt to squeak over pulleys?
Squeaking is caused because the belt is slipping over the pulleys. The slipping is caused because the belt loses ability to produce enough friction between itself and the pulleys (mostly due to material fatigue).
Why does my serpentine belt make a squeal noise?
A serpentine belt is meant to run on various pulleys, like the idler pulley, and if any of the devices or tensioner pulley is not correctly aligned with the serpentine belt, the serpentine belt noise will occur, often in the form of a squeal.
What kind of belt does an alternator use?
Most modern vehicles use only one belt to drive all the accessory pulleys. This is a wide belt that is flat on one side and has small “V” shaped ribs on the other side. Both the flat (smooth) side of the belt and the ribbed side can be used to drive pulleys.
What is the function of an alternator pulley?
Pulleys are simply a means of transferring power. In the automotive pulley and belt system the power generated by the engine is transferred from the engine crankshaft pulley to the belt and then from the belt to the pulleys attached to various accessories such as the Alternator, Power Steering Pump,…
How do you check the tension on an alternator belt?
Check the belt tension. Once you have released the auto-tensioner or tightened the alternator bolts, check the tension of the belt to make sure it has seated properly on all pulleys. Pinch the belt between your thumb and index finger and try to wiggle it. There should be very little give to a properly installed alternator or serpentine belt.
So, if it’s worn out, it will start slipping over the alternator pulley and the alternator won’t be able to produce enough electric power. This symptom of a serpentine belt problem is notorious for being hard to recognize. In most cases, there will be no sounds or visible symptoms. To make things even harder, even the battery light doesn’t come up.