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The serpentine belt is one long, snaking, winding belt that keeps your alternator, power steering pump, air conditioning and—in some cases—your water pump running smoothly and effectively.
Under no circumstances can you drive a vehicle without a serpentine belt because the serpentine belt serves the important function of delivering antifreeze to important parts of the engine. The serpentine belt drives the water pump, and without it, there is insufficient coolant flow to maintain the engine temperature.
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.
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.
How long will my car run with a broken serpentine belt? There are a few variables involved in the answer, but it should be able to run between 20 to 90 minutes. If it is a hot summer day, your engine can overheat very quickly without the coolant being pumped through the radiator.
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).
A loose or worn belt will cause ticking or rattling noises, poor engine performance and overheating, usually triggering the check engine light.
Typically a damaged belt tensioner will not impact vehicle performance. It would cause the serpentine or drive belt to wear prematurely or to squeak – but not cause the acceleration issue.
You can replace a serpentine belt with ordinary hand tools. But we don’t recommend it. The spaces are often tight and the belt-driven devices difficult to reach. … The belt placement tool allowed us to remove and properly place the new belt without reaching down into the pulley area.
maintenance 03-03-17 Share: Your timing belt helps run many fundamental parts of your car, including the vehicle’s engine, alternator, air conditioner and power steering pump.
The easiest way to know that a new serpentine belt is needed is if you hear it squealing while the engine is running. A heavy rainstorm might cause a bit of squealing, but if there are any fluid leaks, it’s time to replace it right away.
Your engine belts make a screech or squeal noise usually because the rubber belt is slipping on the metal pulley and just like your tires spinning on the road, this causes noise. The belt may be slipping due to improper tension or because it simply has gotten old and the surface has become glazed, cracked or brittle.
The new belt does not slip therefore everything is turning and generating at full capacity, hence the improvement you see. Not really. All of your accessories(power steering, air-conditioning, etc.)
There is no recommended timeframe in which to replace your tensioner, especially as the belt itself usually needs replacing before the tensioner does. However, you should inspect your tensioner each time you service your car to monitor its condition and replace it if necessary.
At AAA Owned and Operated Auto Repair, we perform the following belt services: Serpentine Belt Service Serpentine belts transfer power from the crankshaft to engine accessories, such as A/C, power steering, alternator, fan, and various other pumps and accessories. … Remove and replace old or worn serpentine belt.
While the recommended timing for a belt change in most vehicles is between 60,000 miles and 100,000 miles your best bet is to check with your owner’s manual to know for sure exactly when yours has to be changed.
Unless the timing belt breaks, most car owners forget about the existence of the belt, let alone the need to replace it. The best time to replace the belt is on your manufacturer’s recommended change interval (usually between 50,000 and 100,000 miles), even if it looks in good condition.
A failing bad timing belt sounds like a ticking noise in front of your car when it starts wearing out. If the belt eventually breaks, it will give a whining noise when trying to start the engine. A whining noise sounds like no compression in the engine.
How much does it cost to replace a serpentine belt at Jiffy Lube? The replacement cost is only going to be between $90 and $200 in most cases. The belt itself will cost between $25 and $75 while the labor costs will probably be between $75 and $120.
The average cost for a drive belt tensioner replacement is between $211 and $239. Labor costs are between $73 and $93, while parts are priced between $138 and $146.
What Makes Your Vehicle Squeal when Starting. Most of the time, the squealing is do to something called a serpentine belt. When you open your hood, it’s the incredibly long belt that winds around multiple pulleys. It connects the crankshaft to other systems like the alternator, power steering, AC, and water pump.
The timing belt can fail without any prior symptoms, so if you’re within the mileage window, you should go ahead and have it replaced regardless. That being said, sometimes your car will give you a bit of warning that the belt is wearing out.
Poor Driving Experience
Vehicle performance issues can also indicate a problem with your vehicle’s serpentine belt because bad serpentine belt causes loss of power. … So if you have searched for answers to the question, can a bad serpentine belt cause rough idle? The answer is yes.
The serpentine belt in your car drives several accessories such as the power steering pump, alternator, air conditioning compressor, and the water pump. When you start to hear that squealing sound, that could mean that your pulley is misaligned, belt is cracked or your belt is slipping due to the loss of tension.
If you notice a squealing noise after replacing your alternator belt, chances are the new belt is either too tight, too loose or one of the outlined causes is in place.
Continental. Continental is one of the best serpentine belts manufacturers in the industry. It’s a German automotive manufacturing company that also makes interior electronics, brake systems, and tires among other products.
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