How tight should belts be on car?

For most vehicles, the belt should not be able to be pressed down more than ½ inch. If it can be pressed lower, then the belt is too loose. Note: Manufacturers have their own specifications for how much deflection can be found in the belt.

How do I know if my car belt is too tight?

If the belt is too tight, it will cause excessive side loads and overheat the bearings. This in turn causes noise, decreased output and even the seizing of the alternator. If the belt is too loose, it will cause the alternator to slip. This slipping can cause the alternator and the battery to work harder.

Can a car belt be to tight?

If the belts are too tight, they can put a strain on the shaft (and its bearing) of the alternator, power-steering pump and even the water pump. Most belts are installed on the tight side because they take an initial stretch.

Will a belt squeal if it's too tight?

A belt that is either too loose or too tight will often slip against the pulleys, causing the squeal. While the motor is running, pour water over the squealing belt.

What does a loose belt in a car sound like?

A loose drive belt will often be noisy, squeaking a bit, or emitting a high-pitched squeal. The most obvious sign of a loose drive belt, though, is in its appearance and tension.

How to Test and Replace the Belt Tensioner on your Vehicle

What happens if you over tighten alternator belt?

An over-tightened belt can burn out any bearing that the belt rotates on, including alternator, power steering pump, A/C compressor, idler pulleys, etc. An over-tightened timing belt can ruin any pulley bearing it is connected with.

Should you be able to turn the serpentine belt by hand?

The only pulleys you should be able to turn by hand when the serpentine belt is not in place are: the water pump, alternator, and power steering pump pulleys. The air conditioning compressor has a clutch on it that should spin freely as well but it will not be rotating the internals of the compressor.

Can a loose serpentine belt cause rough idle?

So if you have searched for answers to the question, can a bad serpentine belt cause rough idle? The answer is yes.

What are some potential problems if belt tension is too loose?

Improper Tension

A belt that's too loose on a pulley will cause slippage, which leads to heat build up from friction. This heat will damage your rubber belts and cause the belts to crack and break. A belt that's too tight can add stress to your bearings and cause your motor to over amp, leading to motor failure.

What is effective belt tension?

That portion of the total tension in a conveyor belt effective in actually moving the loaded belt. It is often referred to as horsepower pull. Effective tension is the difference between tight side tension and slack side tension.

What is proper belt deflection?

desired belt deflection is 1/64 of an inch. for every inch of belt span. For example, if the span length is 32 inches, the desired. belt deflection is ½ inch.

Can you drive with a loose engine belt?

The short answer is yes, your car will start even if the serpentine belt is broken or missing. To get the car going, the battery sends power to your starter motor. The starter motor provides enough power to get your engine moving and the combustion process started.

Can a loose belt cause alternator not to charge?

A: Not necessarily. The next step is to verify that the drive belt that turns the alternator is properly tensioned. A belt that is “too tight” or “too loose” will cause charging issues that, in turn, will cause the problems your customer describes.

What causes a new serpentine belt to squeal?

The most common serpentine belt problems include: Worn/Cracked Serpentine Belt – Serpentine belts have grooves which fit into grooves in the pulleys. Over time, the friction wears down these grooves, resulting in a loose fit. A worn belt can, therefore, begin to slip, which is one of the causes the squeal.

What does a squealing belt mean?

Your engine belts make a screech or squeal noise usually because the rubber belt is slipping on the metal pulley and just like your tires spinning on the road, this causes noise. The belt may be slipping due to improper tension or because it simply has gotten old and the surface has become glazed, cracked or brittle.

What is the recommended initial tension of the belt?

When installing a new belt, installation tension should be set higher. Generally 1.4-1.5 times the normal static tension. This is necessary because drive tension drops rapidly during the seating-in process. This extra initial tension does not affect bearings because it decays rapidly.

How do you find the tight and slack side of a belt?

When the driving pulley starts rotates there is an increase in tension on one side and decrease in tension (depends on the pre tension). The side with the increased tension is the tight side and the side with lesser tension happens to be the slack side.

What is initial tension in belt?

The tension in the belt which is passing over the two pulleys i.e driver and follower when the pulleys are stationary is known as initial tension in the belt.

What is the most common cause of belt slippage?

Improper belt tension is the most common and obvious cause of slip, which generates unwanted heat. The friction that occurs when a V-belt slips in a pulley causes belt sidewalls to become glazed, and decreases gripping ability.

What will a loose serpentine belt do?

When this happens, all the accessories powered by the engine go kaput and the vehicle will stop running. Quick fact: If your serpentine belt is loose, you may have other mechanical problems like under-performing water pump, which can cause the engine to overheat. Avoid performance loss.