Serpentine Belt
You know that long belt
that snakes around the front of your engine? It’s called the serpentine
belt. The serpentine belt is driven by the engine as it turns.
It powers your alternator, air conditioning compressor,
and power steering pump. On some vehicles it also runs
the water pump, radiator fan, and power brakes.
Sounds like a lot of important stuff doesn’t it?
If your serpentine belt were to break on one of our
Eugene Oregon
roads, your battery would die in a few miles. If it runs your fan or
water pump, your engine could overheat. And steering and braking
could be more difficult. Obviously, the best thing is to replace
your serpentine belt before it breaks.
Check your owner’s manual for when it’s recommended that you replace
your serpentine belt – or just ask a service
advisor at Integrity Auto Repair on River Road in Eugene OR. We can inspect the belt as well to
see if it’s in trouble.
You may have been told by a service advisor to look for
cracks in your belt to see if it needs to be replaced. Of course,
cracks are still a concern, but modern belt material doesn’t crack
as often as old belts did. What we look for these days is the
thickness of the belt. There are tools available that measures the
depth of the grooves in the belt to see if it needs replacing.
A worn belt can slip (squeal) or be misaligned, putting undue stress on the
accessories it runs.
Now you can imagine it’s important for the belt to be tight, so
there’s a tensioner pulley on your engine that puts pressure
on the belt to keep it at the right tension. The spring on the
tensioner wears out over time so we recommend replacing the
tensioner pulley at the same time as the serpentine belt.
Replacing your serpentine belt on schedule, or when an inspection
warrants it, will keep you from an unexpected breakdown.
Radiator & Coolant Hoses
 Radiator
and coolant hoses are vital to keep your engine from overheating.
With time and use, hoses become brittle and weak. Don't wait for a
failed radiator or coolant hose to leave you stranded.
Coolant System
Components:
- Heater Core
- Heater Hoses
- Pressure Cap
- Thermostat
- Upper Radiator Hose
- Radiator
- Fan
- Water Pump
- Transmission Cooler
- Lower Radiator Hose
- Reserve Tank
- Antifreeze
|
Cooling hoses should be
replaced every 5 years or 100,000 miles.
TIMING BELTS.... WHAT ARE THEY?
Piston engines can generally be divided into two groups-Interference
AND non-interference engines.
If a timing belt breaks on a non-Interference engine the engine will
'free-wheel' and the piston will not contact the valves.
On the other hand, interference engines will not 'free-wheel".
Severe valve train and piston damage can result if the timing belt
breaks while the engine is running.
TIMING BELT REPLACEMENT GUIDE
Most manufactures have recommended replacement Intervals for
replacing timing belts. A typical service Interval in between 50,000
and 60,000 miles. It is important to replace timing belts at
recommended Intervals even if the vehicle has a non-interference
engine. Proper maintenance prevents expensive tow bills and possible
accidents due to loss of engine power while traveling at highway
speeds.
Call Us at (541) 343-1545 and schedule a vehicle inspection so
that an accurate estimate can be provided.
Remember...All repairs at Integrity Auto Repair are performed by ASE
Certified technicians.
|
Accessory Drive Belts
