Serpentine Belt - When To Change?

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About what mileage do you change your serpentine belt out? They seem to last much longer than belts of yesteryear, but I am PM anal-retentive. Car is almost at 100k.
 
I've done them at 100,000. If it's not glazed, missing chunks out of the ribs, or badly cracking along the ribbed side, then it's probably in decent shape. Some vehicles have an indicator on the tensioner that shows how much the belt has stretched and use that as a guideline of when to replace it. Don't know if your Elantra has a timing belt (my Pilot does), but it would have to come off to do the TB anyway.
 
I think the belt companies used to reccomend every four years. I agree with the above if it appears in good condition not tore or missing pieces. I'd run it longer.
 
Change it when you feel like it....Don't throw the old one away...I keep mine in the trunk...Just because I can sleep better with a spare WITH me...I can change it in 5 minutes, and a worn one is better than a broken one in the middle of nowhere...
 
Yep change them whenever you like and if older carry a spare knowing you might be in less than ideal conditions rain, snow, highway, rough neighborhood....
My 2001 sable with over 160,000 miles still has original serpentine belt but I have a spare in the car. It also has a very small water pump belt that went bad over Christmas break. Broke on me in cold weather on highway but made it to the nearest gas station. Light sleet going on was on our way to Orlando and wanted to change it before the trip knowing it was at risk.
 
Originally Posted by Ihatetochangeoil
Change it when you feel like it....Don't throw the old one away...I keep mine in the trunk...Just because I can sleep better with a spare WITH me...I can change it in 5 minutes, and a worn one is better than a broken one in the middle of nowhere...


This is good advice.
 
My last car with 83K miles had very tight access to the serpentine belt requiring removing a front wheel and jacking the engine up 1" or so. In my case a power steering fitting was leaking on to the belt and causing it to slowly give up little chards of rubber. It was living on borrowed time with the edges frayed and slick spots in the centers. I was carrying a brand new replacement by that time. But for 16 yrs old that belt was doing pretty darn good. Fortunately, the car was sold and I replaced it with a 2001 with a much cleaner engine bay and nearly mint looking serpentine belt. I have no intention of doing anything with that for years to come. My 1999 Camaro with 19K miles has a mint original belt as well. No designs on messing with that either. If the belts aren't stretched, frayed, blowing chunks, or cracking....it's probably good to go regardless of age.
 
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I change it when the timing belt/water pump is due for service of if the belt is cracked excessively.

I dunno about other automakers, Toyota's V8s(maybe their V6s) did have a belt stretch table on the serpentine belt tensioner. If the tensioner is on the lower end(area A), the belt is good and if it's in the higher end of the table(area B), time for a new one.
 
I inspect and go from there

Check for cracks, separation, noise, glazing, and groove depth - if you can see the belt's backing from the groove it's worn out
 
I change serpentine belts every 6 years or 75k miles at minimum, it's not an expensive part but alternators and power steering pumps typically are. One imagines the belt suddenly snapping while the accessory components are under load is not going to do good things for their service life.
 
Originally Posted by GZRider
I change serpentine belts every 6 years or 75k miles at minimum, it's not an expensive part but alternators and power steering pumps typically are. One imagines the belt suddenly snapping while the accessory components are under load is not going to do good things for their service life.

As a matter of fact, it would do nothing to them. If you have a serp belt driven water pump on the other hand... Your engine might not appreciate it
 
Originally Posted by SnowDrifter
Originally Posted by GZRider
I change serpentine belts every 6 years or 75k miles at minimum, it's not an expensive part but alternators and power steering pumps typically are. One imagines the belt suddenly snapping while the accessory components are under load is not going to do good things for their service life.

As a matter of fact, it would do nothing to them.

I was thinking the same thing. I can't imagine how it could hurt anything. They would just coast down to zero RPMs.
 
The service schedule for my '08 G35 has a "special premium schedule that says replace the belt every 30k miles. For regular schedules 1 and 2, they say "inspect" it and give no change interval. Sadly, on some Infiniti forums, people preach "change the serpentine belt every 30k miles ! Infiniti says you have to !".
 
Depending on where it is, it's pretty easy to examine it yourself. On my 2004 WRX the A/C and accessory belts are right there at the front of the engine where I can place my finger there to check. My A/C belt was squealing, so popped the hood and felt it. The rubber was noticeably brittle with lots of little chunks missing. I can't exactly describe it, but anyone who has experienced a worn belt knows what it's like. I don't know how to do it myself, but paid someone to do it. He charged me $85 to both replace my cracked radiator (provided by myself) and install two OEM belts. He actually did it again later - not sure what happened but the belt broke. I also needed a timing belt replacement at that time.

I had a serpentine accessory belt fail on my wife's 2002 Civic LX. Never really thought about it until it went bam on the freeway. I could see a small piece of it that fell to the ground and I then smelled burning rubber. When I got off the freeway I parked in the first place I could and saw that it was still being driven on a single rib. So I limped it to our destination until I figure the entire belt broke off, and all of sudden the radio went out and then finally we lost all power. I had to awkwardly park it where it was partially blocking a driveway. The residents later came out and were understanding when I told them that my belt was gone and it had no power to do anything. I figure after the belt eventually gave out the battery took over as long as it could. I had it towed to a local shop that charged me maybe $125 to replace that and the A/C belt, but I did get a $25 gift card. However, I could see what remained of the old belt, and it was severely cracked/pitted.

At least on that car the timing belt (which I know is on borrowed time) drives the water pump, so at least there was coolant flowing.

Here's a primer on the various ways that serpentine belts show wear/aging/damage:

https://fifthgear.biz/fifthgear-blog/how-to-tell-when-you-need-a-new-serpentine-belt/

[Linked Image]


I've seen cracking, but where the cracks were literally little V chunks where pieces of the rubber had come out. You also need to know the kind of serpentine belt. The Gates/Mitsuboshi/Bando belts on our Japanese makes use smooth ribs, but some belts have textured ribs, so you can't necessarily tell by just feeling it. You'll have to see if it's cracked or just feels like there are cracks. This one looks different than any belt on my cars, but I understand it's normal and in good condition.

[Linked Image]
 
Originally Posted by GZRider
I change serpentine belts every 6 years or 75k miles at minimum, it's not an expensive part but alternators and power steering pumps typically are. One imagines the belt suddenly snapping while the accessory components are under load is not going to do good things for their service life.

I've had a belt snap while I was driving. The alternator and PS pump are fine. They simply stop working because nothing is driving them, which is no different than a car with the ignition off. But I had to fight the steering wheel, the radio stopped working, and eventually I couldn't move at all once the battery completely died. I got a AAA tow to a repair shop that fixed it the next day using one part they had at the shop and another one they bought from Napa AP.

If anything, it would be bad for the battery because it will draw it all the way down until it can't power the electronics.
 
Originally Posted by y_p_w
Has anyone heard a car go by with that telltale belt squeal where you wanted to tell the driver that they needed a new belt?


When I first got my Corolla back in 95, it squeal and the dealer can't adjust their way out of it. Eventually they replace the belt.
 
Originally Posted by hallstevenson
Originally Posted by SnowDrifter
Originally Posted by GZRider
I change serpentine belts every 6 years or 75k miles at minimum, it's not an expensive part but alternators and power steering pumps typically are. One imagines the belt suddenly snapping while the accessory components are under load is not going to do good things for their service life.

As a matter of fact, it would do nothing to them.

I was thinking the same thing. I can't imagine how it could hurt anything. They would just coast down to zero RPMs.
I thought the danger was that it could whip around and damage things, like your radiator.
 
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