Is it safe to drive without a serpentine belt?
You CAN drive without a serpentine belt but, you won’t get far and will risk damaging the engine. Cars are designed to start and keep running for some time even after the serpentine belt has snapped, but that doesn’t mean that it’s a good idea to drive without it.
What happens if you break the serpentine belt?
That means, with the breaking of the serpentine belt, your car’s engine gets overheated anywhere. For efficient and smooth running and working of these parts, your car’s serpentine belt should be intact. You can yourself identify the problem if you will keep a regular check on the quality of your belt.
Can a car that has a serpentine belt overheat?
However, if the serpentine belt drives the water pump, it doesn’t matter if it’s a diesel or a gasoline car – they both will overheat in a matter of minutes. Overheating will cause major damage to the engine, leading to a costly repair bill.
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.
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 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.
How long does it take to replace the serpentine belt?
For professional automotive technicians with the right tools and training the replacement of a serpentine belt usually takes about 30 min to an hour. This time varies by the make, model, and year of vehicle that you’re driving as some take longer than others.
When serpentine belt breaks?
When a serpentine belt breaks, all drive power to whatever it turns is lost. This means the water pump stops circulating coolant through the engine, the alternator quits producing power, the power steering pump ceases to assist steering, and the air conditioner quits cooling.
What does the serpentine belt on a car do?
Cracks and wear on the belt Average rating from 130,153 customers who received a Vehicle Engine Mechanical Inspection. The serpentine belt, also known as the drive belt, is a belt on a car engine that works with the idler, tensioner, and pulleys inside the accessory drive belt system.
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,…
What are the signs of a serpentine belt going bad?
Cracks and wear on the belt. It is a good idea to physically inspect your serpentine belt from time to time. 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…
What is the average life span of a serpentine belt?
The lifespan of the serpentine belt will depend mostly on the type of material it’s made of. Older style belts generally last about 50,000 miles, while those made from EPDM can last up to 100,000 miles.
How to tell if your serpentine belt needs to be replaced?
Look for signs of damage or wear on the belt. Once you have located the serpentine belt, inspect it visually for signs of damage. If the belt is frayed, coming apart, or has marks that indicate that it has been rubbing on something, it will need to be replaced.
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.
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.
When is the best time to replace a serpentine belt?
This is a good time to look for oil leaks, too. Oil can increase wear on serpentine belts. Most importantly, take the tensioner pulley and any idler pulleys (these are pulleys that do not drive anything, like Power Steering) and give them a spin.
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.
Do you need a serpentine belt for Mopar?
For this reason I recommend getting a special serpentine belt tool to give you the extra leverage needed to fully disengage the tension spring. This assures you’ll get just enough slack to squeeze the ribbed side of the belt over the ridge guide. Overall I’ve had little experience with Mopar products.
What causes a serpentine belt to get stuck?
The main reason, in most cases, will be a stuck pulley from one of the devices (alternator, AC compressor, power steering pump etc) or a tensioner. A stuck pulley is mostly caused by a worn out bearing. The belt slides over a motionless pulley causing extensive friction, heat and the recognizable sound.
How long does a serpentine / drive belt last?
With that being said most serpentine/drive belts can last for a very long time before they need to be replaced. The lifespan of the belt will depend mostly on the type of material it’s made of. Older style belts generally last about 50,000 miles, while those made from EPDM can last up to 100,000 miles.
Why is my serpentine belt not working properly?
You can drive the car for some time without noticing any problems. Eventually, because of battery discharge, the lights will get dimmer and the car will start to crank poorly. Only then will you notice that you have a problem. Main cause of this problem is material fatigue of the belt so changing it on time will probably prevent this.
Where does the power come from in a serpentine belt?
The power for all of those things comes from the engine via the serpentine/drive belt. Most cars today have a single belt, called a serpentine belt. In the past, two or even three belts were used. The serpentine belt connects all the accessories on the engine to the main drive pulley, which is turned by the engine.
Can a power steering pump work without a serpentine belt?
Some of the main accessories include a power steering pump, alternator, air conditioning compressor, and water pump. However, these devices cannot function properly without the help of a serpentine belt. This one long continuous belt is the force that drives many of the engine’s peripheral devices.