Serpentine & Timing Belt Issues

Squeak, Squeak, Squeak! AHHHH! It’s enough to drive you crazy. Is it the fan belt is it the tensioner, (what does that mean)? Or worse you bring your car in for service and they say you need your timing belt replaced $800….WHAT???

Why is there only one belt called a serpentine instead of the two or three I used to see, or what does it mean I have to replace the tensioner if I replace the belt. Worse: “Yep you gotta replace the water pump, tensioner, seals, gaskets.

Some of these are HUGE MISSION CRITICAL ISSUES!

• Check Your Owner Manual for recommended timing belt replacement click this link if you need to get yours
• If you have an interference Engine (meaning if your timing belt breaks while running your valves slam into your pistons INTERFERENCE) failure to replace your belt on time will cause catastrophic engine failure

Good News some vehicles, like mine, don’t have timing belts, we have timing chains, YEA! Others have non-interferance engines and if the timing belt breaks it not such a big deal. FIND OUT what you have.

Serpentine belts are far better than the old two, three or four belt systems; they last longer, get better mileage, (less friction) and in the old systems if one broke it would often interfere with the others. They normally have tensioners and idler pulleys that both can begin to squeak. So most of us will have to deal with that squeak in one or the other. Again the good news is that the rubber technology has come a long way and these serpentine belts can go over 100k miles.

So as you head for the hills or the beach this summer and if your car has over 90k miles on it, belts should be something to consider before you get strapped with this problem…so to speak.