What causes a serpentine belt to break off?
It’s unusual for a serpentine belt to break without some help from a failing component, such as an A/C pulley that’s locking up. It CAN happen, but most belt failures that I’ve seen were caused by one of the accessories it turned locking up. So be ready for that call from the mechanic.
What to do when your serpentine belt snaps?
The only thing thast a belt may do damge to is other “soft” items. Such as hoses, other belts, wiring, etc… Majority of the time when a belt broke and the car was hauled to my shop I inspect the basic stuff and spin all the pulleys by hand to make sure the belt was not killed instead of died by old age.
Is the water pump driven by the serpentine belt?
Another important device driven by the serpentine belt is the water pump. This is not always the case as on a lot of cars the water pump is driven by the timing belt. You should have this in mind so you don’t falsely “accuse” the serpentine belt for overheating.
Can a serpentine belt drive a balance shaft?
Also, the serpentine belt does not drive the balance shafts, those are usually either gear or chain driven on cars with a timing chain. Occasionally they are driven by a toothed belt, but if that were the case there would be a replacement interval listed for the balancer belts in your car’s manual.
What are the symptoms of a broken serpentine belt?
There are various symptoms that may indicate your car’s serpentine belt is wearing down, including: Squealing or chirping noises: When the serpentine belt starts slipping, it may begin to chirp or squeal . This sound indicates that there is belt stretch, low belt tension, or the pulley and belt are not working together correctly.
What will happen if my serpentine belt broke?
- where the steering wheel…
- and the…
- A broken serpentine belt stops the alternator from generating power to…
Is it safe to drive with a broken serpentine belt?
Do not drive your car with a broken serpentine belt. Your car will overheat because the serpentine belt drives the water pump (and without a serpentine belt, the water pump doesn’t circulate coolant through the engine and radiator) and it also drives the alternator which keeps the battery charged.
What causes my serpentine belt to break?
- C clutch pulleys.
- One of the idler pulleys get stiff under load due to lube being dried out or bad bearing.
- The alternator pulley’s bearings become stiff under electrical load or otherwise under belt tension load.
- C pulley gets stuff under load.
When do I need to replace the serpentine belt tensioner?
Check your car owner’s manual or repair manual for your particular vehicle make and model for the belt service interval. If you need to replace the belt, it’s a good idea to replace the belt tensioner as well. When you turn on the A/C system and the belt begins to squeal as soon as the A/C clutch engages, the belt is showing signs of wear.
How do you know if your serpentine belt snaps?
No A/C Compressor…belt has bypassed the compressor for months. Yea there should not be to much to damage on that setup. Just check all the pullys by hand and look for anything really out there and make sure you get all the old belt off.
What is the serpentine belt on a car called?
Most modern vehicles nowadays use what is called a serpentine belt, which came to replace the drive V-belts used on older vehicles. If you pop up the hood and stand if front of your car’s engine, you’ll see the serpentine belt winding around some pulleys.
It’s unusual for a serpentine belt to break without some help from a failing component, such as an A/C pulley that’s locking up. It CAN happen, but most belt failures that I’ve seen were caused by one of the accessories it turned locking up. So be ready for that call from the mechanic.
How often should a serpentine belt be replaced?
Have the belt replaced whenever a related component is replaced (a broken belt is often associated with a damaged or seized pulley on one of the engine accessories). And consider regular inspection and replacement of the serpentine belt as a part of routine vehicle maintenance every 30k miles.
No A/C Compressor…belt has bypassed the compressor for months. Yea there should not be to much to damage on that setup. Just check all the pullys by hand and look for anything really out there and make sure you get all the old belt off.
Also, the serpentine belt does not drive the balance shafts, those are usually either gear or chain driven on cars with a timing chain. Occasionally they are driven by a toothed belt, but if that were the case there would be a replacement interval listed for the balancer belts in your car’s manual.
What’s the best way to replace a serpentine belt?
Replacing the serpentine belt is as simple as threading it into position, cranking the tensioner and slipping the belt over the tensioner pulley, or nearest pulley up top. Belt tensioners are mostly spring tension. Once installed, the spring retains pressure to the belt.
How did the serpentine belt get its name?
The serpentine belt is aptly named for the way it snakes around the pulleys inside the engine bay. This long, winding rubber belt powers many of the important systems of your vehicle by transferring power from the engine’s crankshaft to the accessory pulleys.
What’s the best way to remove a pulley belt?
Use a ratchet or breaker bar that fits into the bolt and release the tensioner. Then unroute the belt carefully, taking care not to disturb or damage the network of pulleys and peripherals. After removing the belt, inspect it for signs of damage. Many belts wear out over time, but some wear down due to misalignment or other issues.
What causes a serpentine belt to come off?
Grinding sound tell that there is a damaged bearing in a driven accessory. Belt coming off can either be as a result of pulley misalignment, belt misalignment on a pulley, defective tensioner, or bearing wear in the tensioner, idler or driven accessories.
How is the tension set on a serpentine belt?
Depending on the application, your serpentine belt will either have tension placed on it using a movable bracket or an auto tensioner pulley. This pulley uses an internal spring to apply consistent pressure to the belt at all times. If your vehicle does not have a tensioner pulley, the alternator bracket is likely how tension is set on the belt.
When is it time to replace your serpentine drive belt?
Check for cracks, chunks missing, abrasions, rib separation, uneven rib wear, and damaged ribs. If you notice any of these, it is time to replace your serpentine/drive belt. As soon as you notice a squealing noise, loss of power steering, the engine overheating, or the belt looks bad,…
Where do I find the serpentine belt routing diagram?
Find the serpentine belt routing diagram. Many cars come with a sticker in the engine bay that shows exactly how the serpentine belt is supposed to be routed through the various pulleys on the engine. If your vehicle does not have a sticker, you will need to find another way to remember how the belt should be run.