Water isnt your enemy as much as mud is, mine was filled with clay.Down here our streets flood but have never had a problem. 2007 ford - Answered by a verified Ford Mechanic . Option 2-. What To Do and How To Fix It? We recommend Parts Geek for the best prices and selection. If the serpentine belt snaps off, the alternator will not charge electricity anymore, and if you keep driving, your car engine will stop running after a while. For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding. He has been writing about the automotive industry for several years, providing in-depth reviews, analysis, and commentary on the latest car models and technology. They all make the same noise. A month and a half ago my original serpentine belt gave out and just started tearing apart. 4. What Is a Serpentine Belt and What Does It Do? Many different brands of serpentine belts exist and some are better than others. This will cause the power steering pump to stop working if your serpentine belt snaps off completely. What to do if the squealing noise continues: New Serpentine Belt Squeals When Accelerating: What to Do? The other reason is it is impossible in most cars to get to the water pump without moving the serpentine belt, so it is more cost-effective to replace the water pump while the belt is off. The best thing to do about this is to check where the squealing noise originates and see if your pulley also needs replacement. Answer (1 of 16): Ok so first question is the starter rotating the motor like it should and it just wont start or are you turning the key without getting any results. The anti-theft light will turn off, and Your security system will now be fully reset. About two weeks ago I started it up and the serpentine belt was squealing. ACDelco Professional PT2288 Alternator Pigtail. I used a floor jack, axle stands and a serpentine belt tool (CAD29.99). Votes on non-original work can unfairly impact user rankings. Here is a more detailed list of the signs of a bad or failing serpentine belt to look for: The first thing you imminently may experience if your serpentine belt is damaged or completely snapped off is warning lights on your dashboard. Castrol Edge vs. Mobil 1 Oil: Differences & Which Is Better? He is a mechanic at an independent shop. Related: Why Is My Car Overheating When Idle? Island Splashes - Crystal G. Reece 2013-07-12 Such a belt tensioner can make a loose serpentine belt fall off the tensioner. Must use oil on the bolt, must use new serpentine belt, must use the 3rd version tensioner pulley, must torque the bolts exactly (not close - exactly) AND must replace the A/C housing. Most mechanics tend to recommend the OEM ones because they are known to last longer. Turned out the OEM serpentine belt was slightly shorter than the new one and that was causing the noise. I am wondering if this has caused the belt to slip off 3 times in about 3 weeks of light driving. Mark helpful. Also includes 13mm, 14mm and I replaced the serpentine belt the day after i replaced the battery. Serpentine belt broke because the tensioner pulley failed and the belt shredded. If the serpentine belt on your car is misaligned, it can cause a lot of problems. it act like it wants to start but it wont. The serpentine belt is the main drive belt in most modern cars. The idler pulley has to be strong enough to hold the serpentine belt in place with the right tension as it spins. I thought the Napa belt was a decent buy. How To Diagnose DODGE RAM 1500 Grinding Noise When Turning? Get your vehicle towed to a shop, or get the shop to tow it. There are a few things you can do to fix this problem.First, check the tensioner pulley to make sure it is tight. While prices range depending on the area, mechanics will charge between $100 and $200 to replace the belt. A bad serpentine belt would produce the following symptoms: You can also visually identity a bad serpentine belt by: There are many things that will happen to a car when the serpentine belt breaks, including: To better understand what will happen, essentially everything listed in this serpentine belt diagram will either stop working or work inefficiently. Continue with Recommended Cookies. Serpentine belts dont break often, but if it does, what will happen to a car when the serpentine belt breaks? The serpentine belt is one of them. Due to the serpentine belts importance, there are many symptoms you may experience when it goes bad or snaps off. I would imagine people are not getting the right size and or not installing them correctly if they are having problems. . Feb 4, 2011 (Edited) So my serpentine belt broke on my way to work this morning, but luckily it was a straight 7 mile road and it was about -15 this morning so it didnt get hot and i didnt have to turn or stop but once. Second, if the pulleys are misaligned, the belt can rub against them and wear down.Third, if there is something wrong with the tensioner or idler pulley, they may not be able to keep the belt tight enough, causing it to slip and shred. A serpentine belt drives several important devices in the car including: Those are just some of the things that depend on the serpentine belt. I purchased a new belt at Napa Auto Parts and had a local garage do the work. Maybe the mud/water was enough to have if fail. In general, youll want to find out where that squeaking noise comes from before you do anything. Here's how to tell your serpentine belt is bad. Wondering about the price estimate?Find out how much a RepairSmith serpentine belt replacement costs here. That can include vehicles in areas with extreme hot and cold temperatures or where cars are driven long distances at higher speeds regularly. This can cause the belt to slip and wear out prematurely.Second, the pulleys that the belt runs over could be misaligned or damaged, which can also cause premature wear. I have a 2000 Tundra. You should pull over as soon as possible and call a tow truck. Take belt off and spin pulleys- maybe bearings on either binding up and throwing belt off track and shredding. One of the most common reasons a serpentine belt will shred is due to it being old and worn out. To make things easier, just reach out to a professional like RepairSmith. We allow Sonata 4 Cyl Drive Serpentine Belt Replacement and numerous ebook collections from fictions to scientific research in any way. Most newer car models have an automatic tensioner for the serpentine belt, but some older ones have a manual tensioner, which you might have to tension the belt to get it right and stop squealing. A broken serpentine belt stops the alternator from generating power to operate the vehicle's electric (and electronic) systems and recharge the battery. 2010 Honda Odyssey EX-L; 150,000 miles; VCM is Muzzled (original VCMuzzler) Cleveland, Ohio USA. So, you may ask: If my new serpentine belt squeal on startup, what should I do? Sometimes it's hard to find both of them, especially in new vehicles that are crowded with complications and you shouldn't own . First, try replacing just the damaged portion of the belt. In fact, many professionals rely on this belt as it is renowned for lasting longer than similar products. I bought a new belt and installed it. Required fields are marked *. Option 1-. The serpentine belt (also known as a fan belt, alternator belt, or drive belt) is a critical car component. So, What Happens to a Car When the Serpentine Belt Breaks? Pretty normal after almost 60k miles. As previously stated, this sort of noise is generated by a relative slide between the belts and pulley and will generally grow in intensity as the rpm advances. How to tell if you have a broken or damaged hydraulic belt tensioner?You may spot a tensioner leak or hear a rattling noise, producing the serpentine belt noise. Not even a squeak or chirp now. Fortunately, professional mechanics can fix any misaligned pulley or replace any tensioner pulley easily. RepairSmith is the easiest way to repair your car. The car drove fine all week, the old belt was in really rough shape, and doing this procedure cured me of that startup and low RPM whining noise. The scream will usually stop once the moisture is removed. My serpentine belt broke while I was just down the road from my house, so luckily I was able to get it home with no damage to the vehicle or getting it towed. Noise is still there , so will have to replace the belt. You will probably need to replace the belt. I've been working in my own auto repair shop for the last 13 years, and now I want to help you here, on my blog. They had no come back..-LoL .. A serpentine belt runs the air conditioning, cooling system, alternator, and power steering pump. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Manage Settings No. A car that is under continuous extreme heat and friction will need to be replaced more often. (Explained). Just be sure to get the right size belt for your car and follow all of the instructions carefully so you dont end up doing more harm than good! If these cracks increase in number, the belt tension and the tightness in the pulley system will reduce, resulting in slippage or snapping. Be careful on how much you tighten the belt you can cause the bearings in the alternator to fail.I had the same thing happen to mine the po went mudding and got mud in the alternator and the alt locked up months later. Also, since WD-40 is a water-displacing lube, it should dry out the belt ribs. This way, youll have a sense of what to do if it ever happens in your car. 3. If it doesnt, the belt may slip, and the annoying squeal will start. Ask Question Asked 4 years, 3 months ago. In this instance, the only way to stop the serpentine belt noise is by getting a replacement belt installed by a mechanic. Push the alternator back into position and tighten the bolts. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission, which supports our community. Sometimes it gets louder, too. If engine is timing chain configured, I don't see a way a broken serpentine belt would be able to jam the timing chain path, since timing chain path is totally enclosed and isolated from the serp belt, so the oil that lubes the timing chain doesn't leak out. Ships from and sold by Amazon.com. Some of our partners may process your data as a part of their legitimate business interest without asking for consent. New serpentine belt squeals after replacement. Thus, even though you have a new belt, you cant guarantee that your car will stop squealing.