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Signs Your Serpentine Belt is Failing
A serpentine belt's job is to drive the auxiliary functions of your vehicle. It charges your battery and operates functions such as the power steering, coolant system, and air conditioner.
Serpentine belts have a long lifespan and generally last for up to 100 thousand miles. So if you've been driving a lot recently and are having problems with your serpentine belt, it may be suffering from wear and tear and need to be replaced. Let's look at the signs your serpentine belt is failing.
Squeaking Noise
One of the main signs that your serpentine belt isn't working as effectively as it should be is that you'll hear a squeaking or squealing noise while you drive. A squeaky serpentine belt can be caused by several reasons; it may have been improperly maintained or could have been affected by environmental factors.
Wear and Tear
Serpentine belts start to stretch with age and can eventually slip from their pulley, making them ineffective. This can also cause a squeaking noise. If you inspect your serpentine belt, you'll likely notice that the ribs on the belt are damaged.
Misaligned Belt
A misaligned serpentine belt will affect the auxiliary functions, and you may notice other problems with your car. These may include low battery charge, or issues with the engine overheating, or faulty power steering.
Contamination
Sometimes a serpentine belt will become contaminated with oil or grease. This will make your belt look shiny. You can also look out for coolant, oil, or grease leaks. Other contaminants from the environment can get into the serpentine belt and affect it; moisture, dust, and debris can cause a serpentine belt to stop working or to slip from the pulley.
Conclusion
If you've noticed any of the above problems, you'll likely need a new serpentine belt. If you need serpentine belt repair, we invite you to bring your vehicle into our auto repair shop today!
A mechanic will be able to look at the pulleys and bearings to check that they are working correctly. The leading cause of a squeaking serpentine belt is due to wear and tear. In most cases, the serpentine belt will need to be replaced.