Many car owners do not know what the long belt that goes around the front of your engine is called. Well, it’s called the serpentine belt. When the engine turns, it drives the belt, powering your alternator, air conditioning compressor, and power steering pump. On certain vehicles, it may even run the water pump, radiator fan, and power brakes. Those are a lot of important components of your vehicle. That means if your serpentine belt brakes your battery will likely die within a few miles.
What Does the Serpentine Belt Do?
The serpentine belt runs your fan or water pump, meaning that your engine could overheat and steering and braking become more difficult if it breaks. The best thing to do in this situation would be to replace your serpentine belt before it actually breaks. Your car owner’s manual recommends regular serpentine belt inspections. Just talk to an auto mechanic in San Diego at Automobile Repair Shop San Diego to see when you need an inspection.
Common Serpentine Belt Issues
You may have been told in the past to check for cracks in your belt in order to see if it needs replacement. Certainly, cracks are a typical problem. However, modern belt material does not crack as often as older belts. Actually, worn belts often have no noticeable signs of wear at all.
These days, mechanics look for wear in the grooves where the belt rides over the pulleys. Your mechanic San Diego has a unique tool that measures the depth of the grooves in the belt in order to see if it needs to be replaced. A worn belt may slip or become misaligned, placing undue stress on the components it runs. It is also recommended that the belt is tight, so there is a tensioner pulley on your engine that applies pressure to the belt to keep it at the correct tension. When the belt is loose, it may slip, resulting in performance problems within these systems. However, the spring tensioner will wear out over time, so our team of mechanics will check the tensioner pulley along with the belt.
Replacing your serpentine belt and belt tensioner when required will help prevent unexpected repairs and breakdowns. Do you need to have your serpentine belt inspected? Come into Automobile Repair Shop San Diego today for an inspection.
Auto Repair San Diego
Automobile Repair Shop San Diego is a family-owned and operated repair shop that has provided quality auto repair in San Diego for years. We offer you hassle-free estimates and repairs in San Diego starting with a precise assessment of your vehicle’s current issues. We will tow your vehicle for FREE to our shop, organize a rental car, and work directly with the insurance company to streamline the repair process. We will even pay up to $500 of your deductible. Contact us today at (619) 330-0862 to see how we can help.