How do you put the serpentine belt back on?

Serpentine belt replacement is easy because today’s automatic drive belt tensioners eliminate the need to loosen bolts or pry components into position for retensioning. Just rotate the tensioner, remove the old belt and install a new one.

Is serpentine belt connected to water pump?

The serpentine belt is a long rubber belt that transports power to the engine accessories—the alternator, power steering pump, air conditioning compressor and (sometimes) the water pump. This is because vehicles used to have multiple drive belts that connected the engine to the accessories (such as the radiator fan).

Can a bad water pump cause serpentine belt to come off?

The water pump is designed with a weep hole to allow coolant to leak from its housing before it can reach the shaft bearing which will cause the shaft to lock up and stop turning. If this shaft locks up it will cause the serpentine belt to get thrown off which will render the car useless.

What does it sound like when a serpentine belt goes bad?

Although there are a few causes of a squealing engine, one of the most common is a bad or failing serpentine belt. Belt squeaking is also especially pronounced when accelerating, on startup, and when making a U-turn. The noise is loud and sounds like a squeal, loud chirp, or squeak.

How long can a car run without a serpentine belt?

How long will my car run with a broken serpentine belt? There are a few variables involved in the answer, but it should be able to run between 20 to 90 minutes. If it is a hot summer day, your engine can overheat very quickly without the coolant being pumped through the radiator.

What are the symptoms of a bad belt tensioner?

Rust bleed and cracks. Appearance: Rust is bleeding between arm and base or dripping from the tensioner.

What does a bad belt tensioner sound like?

When the tensioner or tensioner pulley fails, the loss of tension can cause the belt and pulleys to make high-pitched rattling or chirping noises. If the pulley bearing completely fails, it can also cause a squealing or even a grinding noise. Symptom 2: Knocking or slapping. This can cause a slapping or knocking noise.

How do I know if I need to replace my serpentine 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.

Can you drive with serpentine belt off?

Under no circumstances can you drive a vehicle without a serpentine belt because the serpentine belt serves the important function of delivering antifreeze to important parts of the engine. The serpentine belt drives the water pump, and without it, there is insufficient coolant flow to maintain the engine temperature.

How to make serpentine belt stop squeaking and when?

While keeping the engine in running state, spay the belt dressing onto serpentine belt and back of the fan belt. You don’t need to move the spray around the belt; the running engine will spin it, and allow to spread the belt dressing to the entire belt. The squeaking sound should stop by now.

How do you change a serpentine car belt?

If you can find some instructions on how to change the belt they should tell you how tight it should be, but if you can depress it more than half an inch with your fingers (when the engine is off, of course!!!) it’s probably too loose. Loosen both bolts, then push the alternator as hard as you can to tension the belt while you tighten the top bolt.

Can a serpentine belt drive a water pump?

With a properly operating battery, you’ll have about 30 minutes to either get your vehicle to a safe place away from traffic, get home, or to a service station or shop. However, you only have that luxury if your serpentine belt doesn’t drive your water pump.

Why is my serpentine belt cracking under the hood?

That awful squealing beneath the hood may be coming from a frayed or cracked serpentine belt. It’s a crucial part of the engine assembly—here are step-by-step instructions for replacing your serpentine belt without bringing your car to the shop.

How can I tell when to replace my serpentine belt?

Your mechanic can let you know when to replace the serpentine belt or how many miles it has left. Look on the inside of the belt (the ribbed side that touches the pulleys on the alternator, water pumps, and other engine accessories).

What did the serpentine belt break on my son’s Chevy Lumina?

The serpentine belt in my son’s 1999 Chevy Lumina broke. The repair shop replaced the belt and the tensioner. $180 repair bill. The night he got the care from the shop, the belt broke again. This time, they said the water pump froze up, broke the serpentine belt and bent the pully on the tensioner. $275 to fix it this time.

How is the tension set on a serpentine belt?

Depending on the application, your serpentine belt will either have tension placed on it using a movable bracket or an auto tensioner pulley. This pulley uses an internal spring to apply consistent pressure to the belt at all times. If your vehicle does not have a tensioner pulley, the alternator bracket is likely how tension is set on the belt.

What makes a serpentine belt make a squealing noise?

The tensioner is a self-adjusting pulley that maintains pressure on the belt to reduce slipping. At times, the bearings in the tensioner pulley become worn. This causes the squealing noise. Check these bearings when performing a belt change. Serpentine belts have that name for a reason.