The Ultimate Serpentine Belt Buying Guide

1 What Does A Serpentine Belt Do In A Vehicle?

The serpentine belt is a long rubber belt that transmits power to the engine’s accessories, including the alternator, power steering pump, air conditioning compressor, and (sometimes) the water pump. It is also referred to as a drive belt or accessory belt. 

Modern automobiles typically have only one belt that runs through many pulleys to power all the accessories. While having only one belt is the most efficient and dependable alternative, it also means that if your vehicle’s serpentine belt breaks, everything stops operating. You’ll lose power steering, the air conditioner will stop working, your battery may fail, and the engine may overheat.

What Happens When a Serpentine Belt Breaks?

When a serpentine belt breaks, it can cause several problems in your car. The serpentine belt is responsible for powering several important devices in the car, including the alternator, water pump, air pump, power steering pump, and AC compressor. If the belt breaks, you may experience the following symptoms:

• Power steering won’t work: This is a dangerous situation if you are driving when this happens.
• Overheating: Another thing you will notice right away is overheating.

If you continue to drive with a broken serpentine belt, it can cause further damage to your car and lead to costly repairs. The vehicle will need to be towed to a repair shop. While replacing a serpentine belt is a relatively simple process that takes about an hour or two, replacing a broken serpentine belt and fixing any damage caused by it can take days. It depends on how many pieces the belt broke into and how it affected a multitude of car parts.

Can You Drive a Car Without a Serpentine Belt?

You can drive a car without a serpentine belt, but it is not recommended. The serpentine belt powers several important devices in the car, including the alternator, water pump, air pump, power steering pump, and AC compressor.

Featured Products

Serpentine Belt

Alternator Belt

Air Compressor Belt

Timing Belt

2 What Are The Factors To Be Considered While Buying Serpentine Belt?

The serpentine belt is vital to the proper functioning of your vehicle’s components. Therefore, it is very important to properly select your serpentine belt. You must look into two most important factors before purchasing a serpentine belt:

Correct Size

The size of the serpentine belt may vary from model to model depending upon the specifications set by the manufacturer. As the serpentine belt is very critical for the proper functioning of all the vehicles and their accessories, therefore, it is very crucial to install the correct size serpentine belt in your vehicle. Installing the wrong size belt can render your vehicle non-functional and will cost you your hard-earned money.

OE vs Aftermarket

Although OE-manufactured serpentine belts offer prominent performance and durability, they come at a higher cost compared to the aftermarket serpentine belts. quality-made aftermarket serpentine belts from the top-notch brands provide additional warranty at a comparatively cheaper price to their customers. However, the choice of purchasing an OE-manufactured or an aftermarket serpentine belt solely resides on the user, based on their vehicle’s requirements.

3 Which Brand Serpentine Belt Should I Choose?

Dayco Serpentine Belts

Dayco has been a leader in belt technology since establishing the first accessory drive belt application in the 1970s, and it continues to create highly engineered belts for a wide range of accessory drive designs and applications. Dayco’s flexible design and manufacturing strategy match materials to individual application needs, utilising the latest and most advanced technology.

Features

• Constructed with aramid reinforced EPDM compounds for added strength
• Developed through extensive laboratory and road testing
• Rib profile in this EPDM belt has been engineered to conform to high mileage, worn or misaligned drives and help eliminate noisy belt conditions
• Dayco Poly-V serpentine belts offer extensive flexibility and longer service life while handling higher workloads and temperatures.

For more products, please refer to our Dayco Serpentine Belts section.

Gates Serpentine Belts

Gates has developed a serpentine belt that is suitable for a wide range of automobiles thanks to its cutting-edge production technique. The Gates serpentine belt is a heavy-duty belt of exceptional quality and durability. It’s heated and break-resistant, and it’s thicker than most OEM belts. The belt is constructed of high-profile materials that comply with OEM specifications.

Features

• Special belt construction eliminates belt noise, reduces tension loss, and solves problem drive applications.
• Utilizes advanced materials like Aramid Fiber found in bullet-proof vests and crack and heat-resistant materials.
• Meets or exceeds all specifications from the Original Equipment Manufacturer.

For more products, please refer to our Gates Serpentine Belts section.

Bando Serpentine Belts

Bando is unmatched when it comes to making high-quality serpentine belts. Bando has been around for over a century. The Bando belts have high durability and do not wear out quickly. Bando has also established a reputation as an Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) for well-known manufacturers such as Toyota and Nissan.

Features

• Low-cost and long-lasting
• Designed to provide optimum horsepower while maintaining OEM quality.
• It’s ideal for use with automatic tensioners or pulleys with a small diameter.
• Resistant to heat and cracks

For more products, please refer to our Bando Serpentine Belts section.

What Serpentine Belt Do I Need?

The size of the serpentine belt you need depends on the make and model of your car. It is important to use the correct size of belt to ensure that it fits properly and functions correctly. You can find the correct size of serpentine belt for your car in the owner’s manual or by using an online belt sizing tool.

If you are unsure about the size of the serpentine belt you need, it is best to consult a mechanic or an auto parts store. They can help you find the right size of belt for your car and provide you with additional information on how to replace it.

4 When Should Serpentine Belt Be Replaced?

A serpentine belt’s main element is rubber and it gradually wears owing to continuous exposure to the atmospheric and climatic variables, severe under-hood heat, and pollution from oil and coolant. On average, the serpentine belts are designed to last between 60,000 and 100,000 miles. The rubber sections of a serpentine belt may peel off as it ages and wears down, causing the belt to split, tear, or slip. It may become misaligned or contaminated with fluid if these things happen. There are several signs that your car’s serpentine belt is worn out like:

Squealing Or Chirping Noises

As the serpentine belt’s life comes to end the belt may begin to chirp or screech. This sound indicates that the belt is stretched, the belt tension is low, or the pulley and belt are not aligned properly. If you hear these noises, you should check for a damaged serpentine belt.

Cracks And Wear

Cracks are most commonly caused by heat and age. Between the extreme heat of the engine and the fluctuating temperatures outside, the belt takes a beating regularly. When these cracks become bad enough the belt will chunk pieces off and eventually break. When this happens your vehicle will stall, the coolant system will stop running which causes the car to overheat, the alternator stops working, and your power steering will fail.

Air Conditioning Failure

The serpentine belt powers the AC compressor, so when there is a problem with the serpentine belt, your vehicle’s air conditioning will be affected. When the air conditioner is turned on but the air vents aren’t blowing cool air, then the first thing you should do is check your serpentine belt.

Engine Overheating

If your serpentine belt is damaged then your car’s coolant will stop flowing and the engine will quickly overheat which is harmful to your engine. So if you see the temperature rising while driving then it is suggested to pull over and check your vehicle’s serpentine belt.

Heavy Steering

The serpentine belts also power the power steering pump. A power steering pump pressurizes the hydraulic fluid that helps the driver to turn the steering wheel. When your vehicle’s serpentine belt goes bad, then you might observe that while driving the steering becomes heavy. This can be very dangerous and must be immediately addressed.

5 Does Serpentine Belt Affect Transmission?

The answer is yes, a damaged serpentine belt can seriously affect your transmission. The serpentine belt is responsible for supplying power from the crankshaft to the rest of the engine accessories. Therefore, if the serpentine belt wears out or breaks, the engine will overheat, because the water pump will cease working resulting in the stopping of the power steering. The water pump takes cooled fluid from the radiator through the pump’s central input and then circulates outward into the engine and back into the cooling system of the vehicle. If the engine overheats, the transmission may be damaged because the transmissions, like all other engine components, are designed to work within a specified temperature range. Therefore, if the engine temperature goes into the red zone then your transmission will be damaged.

6 How Much Does Serpentine Belt Replacement Cost?

A serpentine belt is relatively inexpensive to replace compared to other car components. The serpentine belt costs from $CAD 10 to $CAD 180 on the PartsAvatar website. You can select serpentine belts as per the requirement of your vehicle.