Top causes of serpentine belt failure:

• Age and Wear: Over time, serpentine belts can wear out naturally. Even when it’s not in use, it is still exposed to the atmosphere and is degrading. Also, environmental factors such as extreme heat and the exposure to friction and tension can cause the rubber to become brittle and crack.
• Misalignment pulleys or tensioner: If the belt is not properly aligned on the pulleys, it can wear unevenly or slip off entirely, leading to its premature failure. This situation usually happens if some of the components have been previously removed, replaced, and not returned in to place properly.
• Incorrect Tension: There’s a lot to be said about the damage that can be caused from the incorrect tension. If the belt is too tight or too loose, it can wear out prematurely. This is critical to its proper functioning: If it’s too loose, it will slip, leading to the underperformance of engine accessories and causing all sorts of problems. If it is too tight can put unnecessary stress causing them to wear out faster.
• Fluid Leaks: Coolant, power steering fluid, or oil leaks can also affect the belt causing slipping and damage to the belt surface. This may result into power steering or water pump not working.
• Worn or damaged Components: If the air-conditioning compressor, the power steering pump, the water pump, or the alternator, driven by the serpentine belt, become faulty, this will affect directly to the belt leading to premature failure.

How to prevent serpentine belt failure?

There are many ways to prevent a serpentine belt failure. One is to keep the engine bay clean and well lubricated. But take into account not to be tempted to apply any lubricant to the belt which will cause it to slip. Besides, it is important to check the tension of the belt to make sure that it’s in perfect condition.

Check your vehicle’s owner’s manual and find out when your recommended car maintenance services should be scheduled. We always recommend service replacement schedules to protect the engine and safe operation of the vehicle.

Also, pay attention for key warning signs of a failing serpentine belt, including:

• Squeaking or chirping noise from under the hood of the car.
• Engine light or battery light signal on your car dashboard.
• Air Condicioning isn’t working.
• Power steering isn’t working.
• Engine overheating.

Maybe you are interested: What does a car’s auxiliary drive belt do and why should you care?

Final Thoughts

It is essential to understand that all components of the auxiliary drive system must work optimally together.

To summarise, the most common cause is age-related cracking. Practically, every part in a vehicle would fail after a long time. That is why you need to keep up with maintenance and servicing to keep every component in good shape.

If you keep having problems with your serpentine belt, it’s best to take your car to a mechanic so they can diagnose the issue and fix it.

All in all, do regular maintenance, early detection and use quality spare parts are critical to extending the life of your auxiliary drive system and contributes significantly to the overall health and performance of your car.

About DOLZ

DOLZ is an Automotive Aftermarket parts manufacturer that has been providing top-notch, OE-equivalent parts for passenger cars, trucks and commercial vehicles since 1934. With nearly 90 years of knowledge and experience, our presence has now expanded to more than 70 countries around the world.

Get in touch with us if you’ve run into any of the issues mentioned above and obtain personalized advice to choose the best option for replacements.

La entrada Top 5 causes of serpentine belt failure se publicó primero en Industrias Dolz.

Nowadays, new environmental regulations and higher electrical demand push manufacturers to reduce the power losses of their engines, generating a challenge to the FEAD system functioning.

Specifically, the car’s auxiliary drive belt is a component that is often overlooked as a source of mechanical issues in aging vehicles. But even if an old serpentine belt looks good, the truth is that it has a limited lifespan, so replacing it with a new belt can save you money in the long run.  Thankfully, there are ways to improve the lifespan of the FEAD system.

Read about these methods of improvement below.

Understanding the front-end accessory drive components

In automotive accessory belt drive systems, the crankshaft delivers mechanical power to critical engine accessories. That is the alternator, the power steering pump, the A/C compressor, and (sometimes) the water pump.  As the belt needs to be really quite long you’re also likely to find an idler pulley, and/or a tensioner pulley in the mix.

• The poly-V belt is a composite made of elastomeric material layers, generally EPDM rubber, and a cord layer (fiber) and is used to drive the alternator and water pump by transmitting power from crankshaft pulley.
• Idler-pulleys are often used in this type of transmission to increase the wrap angle around the pulleys and are available in various shapes and sizes depending on the application.
• The pulley systems on modern engines typically use an automatic tensioner. The tensioner is a self-tensioning device that applies tension to the aux belt, helping keep it taught in the various operating conditions. Also preventing it from slipping or jumping off other components.

Auxiliary System Maintenance Tips

Proper front-end accessory drive maintenance is important to keep equipment running as efficiently as possible and to keep the various drive components from wearing prematurely. Here are some maintenance tips to ensure your system is in tip top condition:

1. As for when you need to replace these belts, there’s no hard-and-fast rule. It varies depending on the vehicle and the conditions under which you drive. But formost cars, it’s recommended that you get the serpentine belt inspected once your car reaches 60K miles. So, perform maintenance as scheduled with the vehicle manufacturer and replace components before they wear out and cause further damage to the vehicle.
2. Inspect the system to make sure all components are aligned. Use a laser alignment to ensure proper alignment.
3. Inspect belt and pulleys for signs of wear. Checking for cracks, fraying, splits or worn spots. Also, listen for unusual noises such as a chirping or squealing sound.
4. The tension of your serpentine belt is a critical factor in its performance and longevity. So, check the belt tension: it should be tight, with little or no give.
5. Replace all FEAD components at the same time. This helps prevent comebacks, reduces noise issues, and enhances overall system performance. In fact, replacing the belt alone rarely solves the customer complaint.

With these easy tips, you can maximize the lifespan and performance of your auxiliary drive system. Don’t forget to consult your vehicle’s manual or seek professional advice for specific maintenance procedures.

As we have pointed out on previous occasions the most obvious symptoms of failure of the auxiliary belt system are steering hardening, vehicle battery or A/C failure or humming in the engine. For this reason, it is important that you must be able to identify the signs of a defective FEAD system due to its importance to the functioning and comfort of your car.

Related content: Auxiliary Drive Belt Tensioner for hybrid applications: DOLZ SKD250A

DOLZ Auxiliary Drive Kits

In order to make your life easier and to secure effortless replacements, each OE-quality auxiliary drive belt kit includes all application-specific components needed to complete a front-end accessory drive (FEAD) system repair. All in one single package:

• V-ribbed belt or auxiliary drive belt
• Pulleys and idlers
• Drive tensioners
• All the necessary accessories when needed.

If you require any further information on any of our product lines, receive commercial information or technical product specifications (including assembly notes) don’t hesitate to contact us as we’ll be glad to be of help.

La entrada Quick Guide to Front-End Accessory Drive System performance se publicó primero en Industrias Dolz.