AnswersDriveMost hose manufacturers recommend replacing hoses every four years. V-belts should be replaced every three years or 36,000 miles. The incidence of failure rises sharply after the fourth year of service for hoses and third year for belts. The lifespan of a typical serpentine belt is about five years or 50,000 miles.
1
What does an idler pulley do on a car?
Idler pulleys are engine pulleys that are responsible for guiding and tensioning the engine drive belts. The engine drive belts are routed in a specific manner around the various engine accessories, such as the alternator, water pump, power steering pump, and AC compressor.
2
How often should you check your brake fluid?
Checking Your Coolant and Brake Fluid. As a rule of thumb, you should check your coolant level twice a year, once before summer and once before winter. Check your brake fluid every oil change or at least once a year.
3
What is the drive belt in a car?
Your engine has a number of mechanical accessories attached to it, such as an alternator, water pump, power steering pump and an air conditioner compressor. A drive belt is the part that drives all these accessories. When a car has only one drive belt, it might be called a serpentine belt.
4
What is a drive belt tensioner?
A Drive Belt Tensioner is a pulley mounted to either a spring mechanism or to an adjustable pivot point that is used to keep constant tension on your serpentine belt. That is the big long belt in the front of your engine.
5
What is a transmission belt?
Round belts are a circular cross section belt designed to run in a pulley with a 60 degree V-groove. Round grooves are only suitable for idler pulleys that guide the belt, or when (soft) O-ring type belts are used. The V-groove transmits torque through a wedging action, thus increasing friction.
6
How do I know if I need a new serpentine belt?
Symptoms of a Bad or Failing Serpentine/Drive Belt
- Squealing noise from the front of the vehicle. If you notice a squealing noise coming from the front of your vehicle, it could be from the serpentine belt.
- Power steering and AC not working. If the serpentine belt completely fails and breaks, then your car will break down.
- Engine overheating.
- Cracks and wear on the belt.
7
What does the accessory drive belt do?
Many cars have accessory belts that drive the alternator, the power-steering pump, the air conditioning compressor, the water pump in many cases, and other parts of a modern vehicle. Newer cars have a Serpentine multi-accessory drive belt, as shown here.
8
How long is a serpentine belt supposed to last?
V-Belts usually should be inspected for wear after 3 years or 30-40,000 miles of use. According to belt manufacturers, failure rates rise sharply after 3 years of service. Replacing V-belts every 3-4 years can minimize the risk of sudden belt failure. Most cars on the road today have only one belt, a serpentine belt.
9
How many miles can you get out of a timing belt?
Essentially, it coordinates the rotations of the camshaft and crankshaft so the engine's valves and pistons move in sync. The expected lifespan of your timing belt is specific to your car and engine configuration, usually between 60,000 and 100,000 miles.
10
What is the belt of a car?
Belts & Hoses
- Timing Belt. The timing belt is a notched rubber belt that allows the crankshaft to turn the camshaft.
- Serpentine Belt. Serpentine belts, also known as drive belts, provide power to the air conditioning compressor, power steering pump, cooling fan, air injection pump, and more.
- Hoses.
11
How much is it to replace a serpentine belt?
Hiring a mechanic to replace a serpentine belt typically costs about $60-$200 or more. This includes $25-$75 for the belt plus half an hour to an hour of labor, at $75-$120 per hour. The job could even take longer on some vehicles, if the belt is difficult to access or install quickly.
12
What is a glazed serpentine belt?
Sometimes a serpentine belt will start to squeal, glaze or crack at lower mileages. The high-pitched squealing noise is caused by a glaze that develops on the outer surface of the belt, which may be due to pulley misalignment and/or slippage (loss of belt tension or a weak automatic tensioner).
13
Is a drive belt the same thing as a timing belt?
A drive belt (also can be called accessory drive belt, serpentine belt, alternator belt, or fan belt) is a rubber belt that powers the engines accessories. This always includes the alternator and AC compressor. The timing belt drives the cam shafts of the engine and thus, the valves and timing of the engine.
14
What would cause a new serpentine belt to break?
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). Excessive cracking: Other than severe old age, defective tensioner.
15
How much does it cost to replace a drive belt?
The average cost for a serpentine belt replacement is between $76 and $164. Labor costs are estimated between $35 and $100 while parts are priced between $41 and $64. Estimate does not include taxes and fees.
16
What are the symptoms of a bad belt tensioner?
1. Grinding or squeaking noise from the belts or tensioner. The most common symptom of a bad or failing drive belt tensioner is noise from the belts or tensioner. If the tensioner is loose the belts may squeak or squeal, especially when the engine is first started.
17
How much is it to change a timing belt?
The average timing belt replacement cost for a smaller car can range from $300 – $500 while a larger SUV or minivan will cost on average $700. On the highest end of the spectrum, you might need to pay $1,000 to have your timing belt serviced.
18
How much does it cost to replace an alternator?
Waits says the average price to replace an alternator with a remanufactured one is $400, while Gunning adds that a remanufactured alternator on a typical, domestic car, costs about $300 to $500, including parts and labor. The price of a new alternator can run from $500 to $1,000.
19
What is the serpentine belt used for?
A serpentine belt, also known as a multi-vee, poly-v, or multi-rib belt, is a single, continuous belt used to drive multiple peripheral devices in an automotive engine, such as an alternator, power steering pump, water pump, air conditioning compressor, air pump, etc.