What is a serpentine belt and how does it work?\r\n
\n\n
A serpentine belt is a relatively long, flat, multi-ribbed belt that is driven by the engine\u2019s crankshaft pulley. The belt drives many, and often all, of the engine accessories such as the alternator, air conditioning compressor, power steering pump, water pump, and air pump. The serpentine belt is tensioned by a hydraulic or spring-loaded automatic tensioner. Some older cars use a serpentine belt to drive most accessories but will also have a shorter v-style belt to drive, for example, the power steering pump.
\n
","articleDesc2":"
When to consider replacing the serpentine belt:\r\n
\n\n
\n- Regularly scheduled maintenance. Typically, belt manufacturers recommend belt replacement at 90,000 miles. However, the belt must be inspected for wear or damage at regular intervals prior to this high mileage.
\n- Squealing noise, belt slippage, visible belt damage. Should the belt fail or wear out prematurely, you may hear noise or you may see visible signs of deterioration such as missing chunks of rubber, excessive cracking, or a shredded appearance on the edge of the belt.
\n- Battery Light. A loose belt, perhaps caused by a defective tensioner, may not drive the alternator at adequate speed and thus the battery may discharge, causing the warning light to illuminate.
\n- Engine overheating. Often, the serpentine belt drives the water pump. In those applications, if the belt breaks the engine will overheat in seconds to minutes. If the belt is inadequately tensioned, you may notice higher-than-normal engine operating temperature.
\n
\n\n
How do mechanics replace the serpentine belt?\r\n
\n\n
\n- Prior to removing the belt, the mechanic must run the engine to determine if the idler pulley and the belt tensioner are noise-free. Those rotating components have grease filled bearings and are subject to wear. In addition, the mechanic will ensure that all pulleys and accessories are turning in the same plane. These steps help make sure your new belt will operate trouble-free for its full-service life.
\n- The belt\u2019s routing path through the various components is noted. The belt tensioner is released, usually with a wrench or lever, to release the tension from the belt. With the tension off, the belt slides off the pulleys.
\n- All rotating components \u2014 that is the alternator, air conditioner compressor, etc. \u2014 are checked for smooth operation and no noise.
\n- If everything checks out, the new belt is slipped over all of the pulleys while holding the tensioner away from the belt. Once the belt is centered on all pulleys, the tensioner is released and the installation is complete. The engine is run to ensure normal operation.
\n
\n\n
Is it safe to drive with a serpentine belt problem?
\n\n
No. Should the belt have visible damage, you risk unexpected and sudden breakage that could potentially leave you stranded. Serpentine belt problems that result in the alternator not charging may cause the battery to discharge, which will result in loss of electrical power to the vehicle. Additionally, if a deteriorated belt breaks and that belt drives the water pump, the engine will overheat in a matter of seconds.
\n\n
When replacing the serpentine belt keep in mind:\r\n
\n\n
\n- On many cars, the expected service life of a serpentine belt is around 90,000 miles. Should the belt fail well prior to that, a very careful inspection should be performed to check for out-of-alignment pulleys, a possibly out-of-position crankshaft harmonic balancer on which the drive pulley is mounted, binding pulleys, or a defective belt tensioner.
\n- Attention should always be given to serpentine belt routing, since proper routing is critical to proper belt tension, and function of the driven components.
\n- Sometimes it is difficult to distinguish serpentine belt related noise from other engine noises. In these cases, a mechanic will determine the origin of the noise by momentarily running the engine without the serpentine belt attached.
\n
\n
"},"reviewsAndRatings":{"reviewsData":{"make":null,"model":null,"jid":202,"city_id":null,"state_id":null,"review_count":10,"mechanics":[{"id":734819,"name":"Daniel","login":"daniel704","mech_location":"River Grove, IL","experience":11,"avatar_url":"https://res.cloudinary.com/yourmechanic/image/upload/dpr_auto,f_auto,g_face,q_auto/v1/mechanic/avatar_images/18323678481915183043","avatar_path":"mechanic/avatar_images/18323678481915183043","profile_url":"/pro/daniel704","average_rating":5,"ratings_count":226,"reviews":[{"rating":5,"content":"Daniel is 100% the best! very professional and knowledgeable ! i will tell everyone about him......Thank you Daniel for taking the stress away and doing a great job on my ram!!","author":"marc","review_date":"2020-01-16T15:08:26-08:00","service_location":"Schaumburg, Illinois","year":"2011","make":"Ram","model":"1500","engine":"V8-5.7L","car":"2011 Ram 1500 V8-5.7L","job":"Serpentine/Drive Belt","job_id":202}]},{"id":1057937,"name":"Vlad","login":"vkonovnitsyn","mech_location":"Glenview, IL","experience":14,"avatar_url":"https://res.cloudinary.com/yourmechanic/image/upload/dpr_auto,f_auto,g_face,q_auto/v1/mechanic/avatar_images/10374152451968963287","avatar_path":"mechanic/avatar_images/10374152451968963287","profile_url":"/pro/vkonovnitsyn","average_rating":5,"ratings_count":79,"reviews":[{"rating":4,"content":"Very professional and on time. Had very good experience on how things will happen.","author":"Ram","review_date":"2018-06-28T13:12:48-07:00","service_location":"Schaumburg, Illinois","year":"2011","make":"Hyundai","model":"Sonata","engine":"L4-2.4L","car":"2011 Hyundai Sonata L4-2.4L","job":"Serpentine/Drive Belt","job_id":202}]},{"id":1665987,"name":"Gus","login":"cpanagakis","mech_location":"Elk Grove Village, IL","experience":17,"avatar_url":"https://res.cloudinary.com/yourmechanic/image/upload/dpr_auto,f_auto,g_face,q_auto/v1/mechanic/avatar_images/15060479647760940113","avatar_path":"mechanic/avatar_images/15060479647760940113","profile_url":"/pro/cpanagakis","average_rating":5,"ratings_count":18,"reviews":[{"rating":5,"content":"Gus was extremely knowledgeable, reliable, and friendly. Overall it was a great experience!","author":"Vince","review_date":"2019-07-18T21:45:52-07:00","service_location":"Schaumburg, Illinois","year":"2010","make":"BMW","model":"328i xDrive","engine":"L6-3.0L","car":"2010 BMW 328i xDrive L6-3.0L","job":"Serpentine/Drive Belt","job_id":202}]},{"id":32052,"name":"Terry","login":"terry","mech_location":"Tempe, AZ","experience":26,"avatar_url":"https://res.cloudinary.com/yourmechanic/image/upload/dpr_auto,f_auto,g_face,q_auto/v1/mechanic/avatar_images/48621551954602810","avatar_path":"mechanic/avatar_images/48621551954602810","profile_url":"/pro/terry","average_rating":5,"ratings_count":326,"reviews":[{"rating":5,"content":"Got there early and was knowledgeable and nice!","author":"Aureo","review_date":"2017-07-22T04:45:06-07:00","service_location":"Laveen, Arizona","year":"2015","make":"Nissan","model":"Versa","engine":"L4-1.6L","car":"2015 Nissan Versa L4-1.6L","job":"Serpentine/Drive Belt Replacement","job_id":202}]},{"id":773087,"name":"Kyle","login":"kkoelzer","mech_location":"Hyattsville, MD","experience":11,"avatar_url":"https://res.cloudinary.com/yourmechanic/image/upload/dpr_auto,f_auto,g_face,q_auto/v1/mechanic/avatar_images/14701722904702643014","avatar_path":"mechanic/avatar_images/14701722904702643014","profile_url":"/pro/kkoelzer","average_rating":5,"ratings_count":68,"reviews":[{"rating":5,"content":"awesome highly recommended","author":"naresh","review_date":"2018-03-19T20:35:56-07:00","service_location":"Washington, District of Columbia","year":"2012","make":"Mitsubishi","model":"Galant","engine":"L4-2.4L","car":"2012 Mitsubishi Galant L4-2.4L","job":"Serpentine/Drive Belt","job_id":202}]},{"id":250918,"name":"Noe","login":"nreyes","mech_location":"Seattle, WA","experience":36,"avatar_url":"https://res.cloudinary.com/yourmechanic/image/upload/dpr_auto,f_auto,g_face,q_auto/v1/mechanic/avatar_images/5618504102170546234","avatar_path":"mechanic/avatar_images/5618504102170546234","profile_url":"/pro/nreyes","average_rating":5,"ratings_count":604,"reviews":[{"rating":5,"content":"Noe is really professional, he called as soon as he got the old parts removed and explain it to me the problem i was having with the car. very nice and knowledgeable.","author":"Arnie","review_date":"2015-12-27T06:44:43-08:00","service_location":"Bothell, Washington","year":"2000","make":"Hyundai","model":"Tiburon","engine":"L4-2.0L","car":"2000 Hyundai Tiburon L4-2.0L","job":"Serpentine/Drive Belt","job_id":202}]},{"id":1781598,"name":"Jason","login":"jasonwade","mech_location":"Brooklyn, NY","experience":15,"avatar_url":"https://res.cloudinary.com/yourmechanic/image/upload/dpr_auto,f_auto,g_face,q_auto/v1/mechanic/avatar_images/17841283821186286703","avatar_path":"mechanic/avatar_images/17841283821186286703","profile_url":"/pro/jasonwade","average_rating":5,"ratings_count":344,"reviews":[{"rating":5,"content":"During the inspection during a visit for a battery replacement, Jason discovered that the serpentine belt was splitting and recommended replacement. Jason completed the belt replacement on this visit. Both service visits were well handled.","author":"Michael","review_date":"2020-07-03T20:03:01-07:00","service_location":"Ozone Park, New York","year":"2015","make":"Hyundai","model":"Sonata","engine":"L4-2.4L","car":"2015 Hyundai Sonata L4-2.4L","job":"Serpentine/Drive Belt","job_id":202}]},{"id":95566,"name":"Peter","login":"peter","mech_location":"Tolleson, AZ","experience":43,"avatar_url":"https://res.cloudinary.com/yourmechanic/image/upload/dpr_auto,f_auto,g_face,q_auto/v1/mechanic/avatar_images/2298338137472105527","avatar_path":"mechanic/avatar_images/2298338137472105527","profile_url":"/pro/peter","average_rating":5,"ratings_count":1321,"reviews":[{"rating":5,"content":"Peter was honest and fast . He is truly a Genius in what he does thanks peter cadi is running Great!","author":"Jacob","review_date":"2018-04-11T02:07:42-07:00","service_location":"Mesa, Arizona","year":"2005","make":"Cadillac","model":"CTS","engine":"V6-3.6L","car":"2005 Cadillac CTS V6-3.6L","job":"Serpentine/Drive Belt","job_id":202}]},{"id":738825,"name":"Eliseo","login":"eliseo","mech_location":"Willis, TX","experience":12,"avatar_url":"https://res.cloudinary.com/yourmechanic/image/upload/dpr_auto,f_auto,g_face,q_auto/v1/mechanic/avatar_images/9258969390123707476","avatar_path":"mechanic/avatar_images/9258969390123707476","profile_url":"/pro/eliseo","average_rating":5,"ratings_count":239,"reviews":[{"rating":5,"content":"Great communication! Eliseo is a professional and great mechanic. He has my 05 accord running like a champ! 300k +","author":"Ralph","review_date":"2018-10-23T15:20:51-07:00","service_location":"Spring, Texas","year":"2005","make":"Honda","model":"Accord","engine":"L4-2.4L","car":"2005 Honda Accord L4-2.4L","job":"Serpentine/Drive Belt","job_id":202}]},{"id":743542,"name":"Breck","login":"breck","mech_location":"Houston, TX","experience":20,"avatar_url":"https://res.cloudinary.com/yourmechanic/image/upload/dpr_auto,f_auto,g_face,q_auto/v1/mechanic/avatar_images/3562892850434702721","avatar_path":"mechanic/avatar_images/3562892850434702721","profile_url":"/pro/breck","average_rating":5,"ratings_count":681,"reviews":[{"rating":4,"content":"Nice guy finished really fast.","author":"Agustina","review_date":"2019-07-17T22:39:06-07:00","service_location":"Houston, Texas","year":"2012","make":"Nissan","model":"Rogue","engine":"L4-2.5L","car":"2012 Nissan Rogue L4-2.5L","job":"Serpentine/Drive Belt Replacement","job_id":202}]}],"hide_description":true},"aggregateRating":{"city_id":19519,"jid":202,"extrapolated_service_count":44,"rating_count":4,"rating":"4.0","count_1_star":0,"count_2_star":1,"count_3_star":0,"count_4_star":1,"count_5_star":2},"linkToReviewsPage":"/reviews/?mktg_jid=202&city=19519","cityLinks":[{"title":"Serpentine/Drive Belt Replacement In Bellflower, CA","url":"/services/serpentine-drive-belt-replacement/?city=bellflower-ca"},{"title":"Serpentine/Drive Belt Replacement In Arvada, CO","url":"/services/serpentine-drive-belt-replacement/?city=arvada-co"},{"title":"Serpentine/Drive Belt Replacement In Deland, FL","url":"/services/serpentine-drive-belt-replacement/?city=deland-fl"},{"title":"Serpentine/Drive Belt Replacement In Jupiter, FL","url":"/services/serpentine-drive-belt-replacement/?city=jupiter-fl"},{"title":"Serpentine/Drive Belt Replacement In Camby, IN","url":"/services/serpentine-drive-belt-replacement/?city=camby-in"},{"title":"Serpentine/Drive Belt Replacement In Olathe, KS","url":"/services/serpentine-drive-belt-replacement/?city=olathe-ks"},{"title":"Serpentine/Drive Belt Replacement In Medfield, MA","url":"/services/serpentine-drive-belt-replacement/?city=medfield-ma"},{"title":"Serpentine/Drive Belt Replacement In Walpole, MA","url":"/services/serpentine-drive-belt-replacement/?city=walpole-ma"},{"title":"Serpentine/Drive Belt Replacement In Summerfield, NC","url":"/services/serpentine-drive-belt-replacement/?city=summerfield-nc"},{"title":"Serpentine/Drive Belt Replacement In Nutley, NJ","url":"/services/serpentine-drive-belt-replacement/?city=nutley-nj"},{"title":"Serpentine/Drive Belt Replacement In Los Lunas, NM","url":"/services/serpentine-drive-belt-replacement/?city=los-lunas-nm"},{"title":"Serpentine/Drive Belt Replacement In Forest Hills, NY","url":"/services/serpentine-drive-belt-replacement/?city=forest-hills-ny"},{"title":"Serpentine/Drive Belt Replacement In Melville, NY","url":"/services/serpentine-drive-belt-replacement/?city=melville-ny"},{"title":"Serpentine/Drive Belt Replacement In Cincinnati, OH","url":"/services/serpentine-drive-belt-replacement/?city=cincinnati-oh"},{"title":"Serpentine/Drive Belt Replacement In Charles City, VA","url":"/services/serpentine-drive-belt-replacement/?city=charles-city-va"}]},"repairPricingTableData":{"pricingData":[{"car":"2013|Nissan|NV200|L4-2.0L","labor":3600,"parts":3902,"url":"/cars/0/1","estimate":"$134","partsCost":"$39.02","laborCost":"$94.99","savings":"8%","averageDealerPrice":"$146.52"},{"car":"2008|Honda|Civic|L4-1.3L Hybrid","labor":3600,"parts":5171,"url":"/cars/0/0","estimate":"$147","partsCost":"$51.71","laborCost":"$94.99","savings":"7%","averageDealerPrice":"$159.21"},{"car":"2015|Subaru|Outback|H4-2.5L","labor":3600,"parts":5091,"url":"/cars/0/1","estimate":"$146","partsCost":"$50.91","laborCost":"$94.99","savings":"7%","averageDealerPrice":"$158.41"},{"car":"2014|Lexus|ES350|V6-3.5L","labor":3600,"parts":6639,"url":"/cars/0/1","estimate":"$161","partsCost":"$66.39","laborCost":"$94.99","savings":"7%","averageDealerPrice":"$173.89"},{"car":"2006|Mercedes-Benz|SLK280|V6-3.0L","labor":3600,"parts":6187,"url":"/cars/0/0","estimate":"$157","partsCost":"$61.87","laborCost":"$94.99","savings":"7%","averageDealerPrice":"$169.37"},{"car":"2011|Jaguar|XF|V8-5.0L Turbo","labor":7200,"parts":3641,"url":"/cars/0/1","estimate":"$226","partsCost":"$36.41","laborCost":"$189.98","savings":"9%","averageDealerPrice":"$251.41"}],"sidebarTitle":"Need a new Serpentine/Drive Belt?","sidebarBody":"Get your Serpentine/Drive Belt changed by a top-rated mechanic at the convenience of your home or office."},"seoData":{"metaData":{"service":{"itemType":"https://schema.org/Service","metaProps":[{"itemProp":"url","content":"//m.whoreclub.com/services/serpentine-drive-belt-replacement/?city=schaumburg-il"},{"itemProp":"areaServed","content":"Schaumburg, IL"},{"itemProp":"serviceType","content":"Mobile Car Repair"}]},"organization":{"itemType":"https://schema.org/Organization","metaProps":[{"itemProp":"name","content":"YourMechanic"},{"itemProp":"legalname","content":"YourMechanic"},{"itemProp":"logo","content":"//m.whoreclub.com/assets/ym-logo-straight.png"},{"itemProp":"telephone","content":"1 (855) 347-2779"},{"itemProp":"url","content":"//m.whoreclub.com"},{"itemProp":"areaServed","content":"Schaumburg, IL"},{"itemProp":"address","content":"Schaumburg, IL"}]}}},"bookEngineState":{"quote":{"jobs":[{"id":202,"description":"Serpentine/Drive Belt Replacement"}]}},"serviceMerchandiserUI":{"heading":"Serpentine/Drive Belt Replacement at your home or office in Schaumburg.","isDiagnosticJob":false,"costRangeMin":11160,"costRangeMax":34996,"serviceRating":4.0,"totalRatings":4,"benefits":[{"title":"Online Booking"},{"title":"Mechanic comes to you"},{"title":"12-month / 12k-mile warranty"},{"title":"Free 50 point safety inspection"}],"notFixedOnMobile":false,"jobTitle":"Serpentine/Drive Belt Replacement","cityName":"Schaumburg","seoFriendlyHeading":"","seoFriendlyTitle":"","ctaTextTitle":"","navBarCities":[{"id":9232,"name":"Greenville","featured_on_homepage":true,"featured_on_navbar":true,"url":"city/greenville-sc","city_state":"Greenville, SC"},{"id":25324,"name":"Pasadena","featured_on_homepage":true,"featured_on_navbar":true,"url":"city/pasadena-tx","city_state":"Pasadena, TX"},{"id":10263,"name":"Orlando","featured_on_homepage":true,"featured_on_navbar":true,"url":"city/orlando-fl","city_state":"Orlando, FL"},{"id":8635,"name":"Charlotte","featured_on_homepage":true,"featured_on_navbar":true,"url":"city/charlotte-nc","city_state":"Charlotte, NC"},{"id":19657,"name":"Chicago","featured_on_homepage":true,"featured_on_navbar":true,"url":"city/chicago-il","city_state":"Chicago, IL"},{"id":25545,"name":"San Antonio","featured_on_homepage":true,"featured_on_navbar":true,"url":"city/san-antonio-tx","city_state":"San Antonio, TX"},{"id":24056,"name":"Austin","featured_on_homepage":true,"featured_on_navbar":true,"url":"city/austin-tx","city_state":"Austin, TX"},{"id":9514,"name":"Atlanta","featured_on_homepage":true,"featured_on_navbar":true,"url":"city/atlanta-ga","city_state":"Atlanta, GA"},{"id":10370,"name":"Tampa","featured_on_homepage":true,"featured_on_navbar":true,"url":"city/tampa-fl","city_state":"Tampa, FL"},{"id":6106,"name":"Washington","featured_on_homepage":true,"featured_on_navbar":true,"url":"city/washington-dc","city_state":"Washington, DC"},{"id":27890,"name":"Los Angeles","featured_on_homepage":true,"featured_on_navbar":true,"url":"city/los-angeles-ca","city_state":"Los Angeles, CA"},{"id":27167,"name":"Phoenix","featured_on_homepage":true,"featured_on_navbar":true,"url":"city/phoenix-az","city_state":"Phoenix, AZ"}]}}" data-trace="true" style="display: none">
