Loud squeals, poor battery charging, and overheating are the signs it is time to investigate your car’s belts. It may be time to replace a drive belt if any of these warnings occur. Today, we at Top Notch Mobile Tire would like to help you understand the important belts in your vehicle’s engine.
What Happens when a Drive Belt Goes Bad?
Because of the way their teeth are tapered, drive belts-also called V belts, though they typically found on older vehicles. They go through one or two accessories at most running off the crankshaft. The more drive belts there are under the hood, the more bells and whistles your car has. There will be several individual belts for more engine essentials like the alternator, water pump, and radiator fan as well as for power steering and air conditioning. You could end up stranded depending on what it was driving if any of these snaps. it is trickier to get each one to the right tension, and they can rotate on the pulley under hard load, the real troubles with drive belts are that there are multiple ones to change. Your alternator can charge improperly and can cause your car to overheat in addition to squealing with loose drive belts. If it looks cracked or if tightening it to the proper tension does not remedy the squeal, it is time to replace a drive belt.
What are the Signs of a Bad Timing Belt?
When looking at your engine block, the timing belt is likely not a belt you’ll see. Keeping them in sync, it is hidden behind the timing cover and connects the crankshaft and camshaft. They’ll run into each other if the clearance between the moving parts in your engine is so small that if they get out of time. Keeping the timing of your engine right is how the timing belt works. You’ll have a very expensive rebuild on your hands if it breaks. Timing belts should be replaced every 60,000 to 90,000 miles. To keep a cracked timing belt from becoming a much more serious auto repair, you need a professional.
Can You Drive with a Broken Serpentine Belt?
The most commonly used belt today is the serpentine belt. The serpentine belt runs everything from to your alternator to your power steering, it is easy enough to locate and replace, but if it breaks, you and your vehicle will be on the side of the road. It’s time to replace it if the belt begins to crack heavily or the depth of the grooves become too shallow. Your serpentine belt around 60,000 miles and replace it at around 90,000 miles should be checked.
What is an Accessory Belt on a Car?
Features like the alternator and air conditioning compressor, and sometimes even the water and power steering pumps are driven with the accessory belts. They are usually serpentine belts and slither around various pulleys. It needs to be replaced when an accessory belt shows signs of wear, such as cracks, fraying, or stretching. For long term auto care, knowing your engine’s belts and when the best time to replace them is required.
Mobile Mechanic Services in Dallas, Texas (Just Minutes Away from Addison, Balch Springs, Carrollton, Cedar Hill, Coppell, DeSoto, Duncanville, Farmers Branch, Ferris, Garland, Grand Prairie, Grapevine, Irving, Lancaster, Lewisville, Mesquite, Ovilla, Richardson, Rowlett, Sachse, Seagoville, Sunnyvale & Wylie, TX)
If you suspect any of issues with the belts in your vehicle, call Top Notch Mobile Tire and we will come to your Dallas, TX home, office or other convenient location to replace the belt quickly and efficiently with our mobile mechanic services.
