What happens if a 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.
Can you drive with broken serpentine belt?
The short answer is yes, your car will start even if the serpentine belt is broken or missing. To get the car going, the battery sends power to your starter motor. The starter motor provides enough power to get your engine moving and the combustion process started.
What happens if a serpentine belt is broken?
A broken serpentine belt leads to a sudden loss of power assist for the steering system, where the steering wheel all-of-a-sudden becomes very hard to turn. Imagine that happening in the middle of a busy intersection!
What causes a squealing noise from the serpentine belt?
If you notice a squealing noise coming from the front of your vehicle, it could be from the serpentine belt. This could be due to a slippage or misalignment. The only way to make the noise go away is to contact a professional mechanic and have them replace the serpentine/drive belt or diagnose the issue. 2. Power steering and AC not working
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.
Why is my belt shredding on my car?
It was fine, but then the serpentine belt began to shred. I replaced it, and the new one began to shred, too. I noticed that the belt was shifting off of the pulley that is located on the crankshaft. It wasn’t moving much, but it had moved exactly one groove closer to the engine. I tried another new belt and tightened it more.