Should you drive with a broken serpentine belt?

It is best to not drive a car with a broken belt, even for a short distance. Get the car towed or get a mechanic to come to the car to replace the belt. Everything it turns will stop working. Power steering, AC, alternator, and most importantly, the water pump.

What happens if you drive without a serpentine belt?

That means you’ll be running only on the electrical charge that is left in the battery. Once the battery is dead, your car will stall immediately at any time, even in the middle of an intersection. To sum up: don’t drive without a serpentine belt.

How do you remove a serpentine belt from a battery?

Use the appropriate sized wrench or socket to loosen the nut holding the black ground cable on the negative terminal of the battery. Slide the cable off of the terminal and tuck it to the side of the battery. You will not need to disconnect the positive terminal. Locate the serpentine belt.

When do you Know Your serpentine belt needs to be replaced?

If you notice visible cracks or damage to anywhere on the belt, this means the belt is bad and needs to be replaced right away. If you’re driving along one day and suddenly lose power, check under the hood to see if your serpentine belt is still attached.

Is it OK to disconnect battery when parked?

Disconnect the negative lead and you’ll be good to go. Ideally you should make sure the battery is fully charged but unless you have a charger and the time to do this …. Just disconnect the negative lead. Realize when you get back and reconnect the battery some things will need to be reprogrammed.

Use the appropriate sized wrench or socket to loosen the nut holding the black ground cable on the negative terminal of the battery. Slide the cable off of the terminal and tuck it to the side of the battery. You will not need to disconnect the positive terminal. Locate the serpentine belt.

What happens if the serpentine belt is not working?

It provides power for the air conditioning, alternator, power steering, and sometimes the cooling system water pump. The serpentine belt is a critical part of this system, and once the engine is running, it continues to operate until the vehicle is shut off. Without a properly functioning serpentine belt, the engine may not run at all.

Where does the power come from in a serpentine belt?

The power for all of those things comes from the engine via the serpentine/drive belt. Most cars today have a single belt, called a serpentine belt. In the past, two or even three belts were used. The serpentine belt connects all the accessories on the engine to the main drive pulley, which is turned by the engine.

How much does it cost to replace a serpentine belt?

The replacement cost is only going to be between $100 and $200 in most cases. The belt itself will cost between $25 and $80 while the labor costs will probably be between $75 and $120. Taxes and fees will be added onto these prices too. The ease of accessing the serpentine belt will determine how much the labor costs are.