How long do belts last on a car?

Most cars today actually operate using a single belt, called a serpentine belt. Generally speaking, you should replace it every 3 years – more often if you notice wear or missing teeth – unless it's made from EPDM (ethylene propylene diene monomer).

How often should belts be replaced on cars?

A good rule of thumb is to replace your V-Belt every 30,000 miles, while your serpentine belt and timing belt should be replaced every 50,000, although these numbers vary depending on the make and model of your car. Hoses should typically be replaced every four years.

How much does it cost to replace all belts on a car?

A typical serpentine belt start at around $25 and goes up to $75 at most. If you know some car repair basics, you could change the belt yourself, and it may save you paying labor charges somewhere between $75 and $120. All together, you're looking at around $100 to $195 to replace your serpentine belt.

How do I know if my serpentine belt is going bad?

A squealing or noisy belt is one of the most common symptoms of a slipping or worn serpentine belt. Squealing can be more pronounced when you're climbing a hill and running your heater or air conditioning at the same time. Squealing can also occur after you drive over deep puddles or have an undercarriage car wash.

How long do belts and hoses last?

The easy answer to these questions is serpentine belts should be replaced every 5 years or 50,000 miles, V belts every 3 years or 36,000 miles, while hoses should be replaced every 4 years or 40,000 miles.

How Long Do Serpentine Belts Last? | Dependable Car Care | Ventura, CA

How often should serpentine belt be replaced?

How often does a serpentine belt need to be replaced? Serpentine belts are built to last—much longer than before because of advancements in rubber technology. Under ideal conditions, a belt should stick with you for an average of 60,000 to 100,000 miles. Pretty impressive.

What are the 3 belts in a car?

How many belts are in a car?

There are two belts you need to be familiar with when talking about car maintenance — the serpentine belt and the timing belt. The serpentine belt winds through your engine and carries power to several key components, including the alternator, air conditioning, and power steering pump.

Are drive belts expensive to replace?

It's very inexpensive to replace a serpentine belt, especially when compared to other vehicle parts. A typical serpentine belt generally starts at around $15 and goes up to $80 at most. Add to that the labor costs that can range from $75 and $120.

What is the lifespan of a serpentine belt?

On average, serpentine belts should last between 60,000 and 100,000 miles. However, if you're only putting a few thousand miles annually on your vehicle, don't use that mileage interval as the sole guide for when to replace the serpentine belt.

Can you drive a car with no belt?

If you're wondering whether or not you can drive your car without a serpentine belt, the answer is no. There are many dangers to driving without a serpentine belt. A car can only take out so much slack from other components before they fail and stop working altogether.

What happens if drive belt breaks?

What belt squeals when I start my car?

What Makes Your Vehicle Squeal when Starting. Most of the time, the squealing is do to something called a serpentine belt. When you open your hood, it's the incredibly long belt that winds around multiple pulleys. It connects the crankshaft to other systems like the alternator, power steering, AC, and water pump.

What noise does a timing belt make?

Generally, a timing belt that goes bad makes a noticeable ticking or clicking timing belt sound that is unusual. When the timing belt starts falling the ticking or clicking sound becomes pretty audible.

Is the timing belt and serpentine belt the same thing?

The serpentine belt is located on the outside of the engine

For instance, the timing belt spins the alternator, which converts engine power to electricity. Likewise, it's connected to the power steering pump and, in some cases, the water pump, to keep those parts operating smoothly.

Does serpentine belt affect transmission?

A Broken Serpentine Belt Could Ruin the Transmission

If your car's serpentine belt breaks, the transmission could be damaged. Almost as soon as your car's serpentine belt breaks, the engine will begin to overheat. Without the belt running, the water pump won't be able to adequately cool your engine.

Is it easy to replace a serpentine belt?

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.

How often should accessory belts be checked?

On many GM vehicles, the first recommended inspection is at 150,000 miles or 10 years. Though these belts often last many years, they can become cracked or frayed and need to be replaced. These common signs of wear are why they should be inspected at least annually on vehicles that are more than a few years old.

How much does it cost to replace all the hoses in a car?

The average cost for radiator hose replacement is between $407 and $429. Labor costs are estimated between $82 and $103 while parts are priced at $326. This range does not include taxes and fees, and does not factor in your specific vehicle or unique location.

How long do engine hoses last?

Coolant hoses typically last several years, though anything longer than 10 years may be pushing the limits. Rubber weakens with age and from repeated exposure to hot coolant, so the older they get the higher chance they'll leak and cause the engine to overheat.

What does a failing serpentine belt sound like?

Think you might have a bad serpentine belt? A telltale sign is that the engine squealing comes from the front of the vehicle and that it persists. 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.

Why do drive belts break?

The most serious failure is when the serpentine belt breaks completely. This is usually the result of a belt in poor condition, or a problem with one of the accessory components being driven by the belt. A failed bearing in a pulley being driven by the serpentine belt will also cause the belt to break.

What causes a drive belt to crack?

Cracks commonly begin to appear on belts that are being exposed to excessive heat. Although it cannot always be exclusively attributed to this, as pulleys and backside idlers that are too small or misaligned can also cause this cracking.