How much play should a drive belt have?
On most vehiclesThe strap should not depress more than ½ inch. If it can be pushed deeper, the strap is too loose.
There are a few variables involved in the response, but it should be executablebetween 20 to 90 minutes. On a hot summer day, your engine can overheat very quickly without the coolant being pumped through the radiator. In many modern cars, the check engine light comes on as soon as it exceeds a safe temperature.
There are many signs that your car's V-belt needs replacing and these include:Squeaky noises from the front of your car. Power steering no longer works. Air conditioning no longer works.
A loose drive belt will often beloud, squeaks a little, or emits a high-pitched squeak. However, the most obvious sign of a loose drive belt is its appearance and tension. A loose belt, simply put, looks and feels loose.
Hit the belt with a karate punch and if it feels tight, the drive is properly tensioned.” “Press on the belt with your thumb until it sagsabout 1/2 inch.” “Tighten the drive until there is a slight arc when running on the slack side.
You can drive a short distance with a broken serpentine belt, but you should definitely keep an eye on your temp light as your engine will get hot and overheat in minutes. If your engine gets hot, do not drive your vehicle.
If the belt breaks while driving,The car breaks down immediately - and your engine can suffer serious damage. You need to be aware of signs and symptoms of a failing timing belt so you can take action before it's too late.
If your V-belt wears out, becomes damaged, dirty or breaks,Engine accessories cannot rotate at the correct speed, resulting in reduced electrical system performance.
An over-tightened belt can burn out every bearing the belt spins on, including the alternator, power steering pump, air conditioning compressor, idler pulleys, etc. An over-tightened timing belt can destroy every pulley bearing it is connected to.
- Look for tears, frays, or splits on the top cover.
- Look for signs of glazing on the sides of the strap. Glazed or smooth belts can slip, overheat, or snap.
- Spin a serpentine belt to check for release liners, tears, or missing pieces of the grooves on the underside.
What are the following signs that the drive belt needs to be replaced?
- Squeaking noises from the front of your vehicle.
- Failure of your air conditioning or power steering.
- Engine overheating.
- Visible tears/wear on your straps.
belt noise
When these straps wear out, they can start doing itsqueak or squeak. They make noise because the belt isn't tensioned enough, or because the pulleys are misaligned or weak. Changing the belt is often enough to stop the squeaking. The noise is not usually a hazard, although it sounds alarming.
Usually, a damaged belt tensioner does not affect vehicle performance. It would cause the serpentine or drive belt to wear out or squeak prematurely - butnot cause the acceleration problem.
If the strap is too loose or slipping, this could be the caseforce the engine to stall or shut down. This can be very dangerous if the car is on a busy road or highway. i The car battery is empty. If the problem is severe, the battery cannot hold its charge and could be dead shortly after the vehicle is started.
The most common sign of a loose drive belt is noise, which can range from a barely audible squeak to a deafening squeak. It could happen when you are driving or when your engine is idling.
Unexpected noise:A squeaking noise often indicates slippage between the belts and pulleys. A chirping noise can be due to a pulley or drive belt misalignment, as well as a variety of other problems. Tensile Break: A common indicator of misalignment, tensile breaks can be due to uneven cord loading.
You'll lose power steering, your air conditioning will go off, your battery will eventually die and the engine could overheat. Besides, it could also damage the engine accessories it controls. This is why it is so important that you have your V-belt replaced regularly.
Since the serpentine belt helps cool the motor with electricity,A broken belt can cause the car engine to overheat because the water pump is not turning. Once the engine starts to overheat, have it checked by a mechanic as it can cause a breakdown and engine damage if left overheated.
How long can I ride with a squeaky belt? You can continue to drive safelyup to 2 weekswith a squeaky belt. However, it is best not to procrastinate and replace it as early as possible.
A typical serpentine belt generally starts at around $15 and goes up to a maximum of $80. Add to that the labor cost, which can range from $75 to $120. Overall, look around$90 bis $200(plus taxes and fees) to replace your V-belt.
Should the pulley have play?
There should be no side to side movement or play. Misalignment - Misaligned pulleys cause problems with belt chirping and are caused by worn bearings.
If a belt is too tight in a system, it can put extra stress on your bearings. The extra stress on the bearings can cause your motor to over-voltage and possible motor failure.
mileage indicators. Most serpentine straps today are expected to hold somewhere60,000 or 100,000 km. Some belts can last significantly longer, while others give up before 60,000 miles. Be sure to consult your owner's manual to find out the recommended time frame for belt replacement.
- Look for tears, frays, or splits on the top cover.
- Look for signs of glazing on the sides of the strap. Glazed or smooth belts can slip, overheat, or snap.
- Spin a serpentine belt to check for release liners, tears, or missing pieces of the grooves on the underside.
Signs of a worn tensioner pulley
A squeaky soundoften means that the bearings or the surface of the idler pulley are worn. The check engine light may illuminate on your dashboard. Your power steering may not be working. Your engine can often overheat.
An overtightened timing belt idler pulley will not move freely. This can lead to premature wear of the toothed belt. The timing belt shows some symptoms like squeaking.
Visual indications of a worn idler pulley
If the pulley or bearing is noticeably damaged, cracks, breaks, seizes, or otherwise falls apart, this is an indication that immediate replacement is required.
“Men who wear tight belts can have problems with thatNumbness and tingling in the lower extremities, in the legs and can also cause a painful condition called meralgia parestheticawhere they can actually have compression of one of the nerves in their lower legs," explains Dr. Vyas.
The tightness of a sling can vary slightly depending on the exercise, but in general you should have about a finger's width of space between the sling and your torso for it to be that waytight enough where you can feel it around your waist but still breathe comfortably.
By the time the belt breaks, the damage is already done, andyou won't be able to drive at all. You must have the vehicle towed to an auto repair shop.
How can you tell if your V-belt needs replacing?
The easiest way to know when a new serpentine belt is needed isif you hear it squeaking while the engine is running. A heavy rainstorm can cause a bit of squeaking, but if any liquid leaks, it's time to replace it immediately.
A serpentine belt (or drive belt) is a single, continuous belt used to drive multiple peripheral devices in an automobile engineB. alternator, power steering pump, water pump, air conditioning compressor, air pump, etc.