Jack Williams

New Year Car Maintenance: Check Your Belts

The new year is upon us. It's time to go through a checklist of easy auto maintenance tasks that you can do in your driveway. Among these is checking your car's belts.

Your vehicle's engine belt or belts should be replaced about every 50,000 miles. For a typical American driver, that's about once every four years. However, if you drive longer distances, spend a lot of time off-road, or place heavy performance demands on your engine, you might need to cut that time in half.

On many late model vehicles, a single rubber belt, known as a serpentine belt, is turned by your engine and powers everything that requires a belt, from your alternator and your water pump to your power steering and your air conditioning. If the serpentine belt breaks, your vehicle will stop running. On older vehicles, the separate components are more likely to have individual belts. All these belts are made of durable rubber that gradually loses its flexibility over time. Fraying and cracking are the most visible signs, but an aging belt that looks intact to the naked eye can also fail.

The most obvious clue that your belts might need replacement is a high-pitched squealing noise from underneath your hood. The noise might start one day and last only a few seconds, then lengthen over time. A squealing noise doesn't always mean the belt needs replacement, however. It may merely be misaligned or need to be reseated in its track. The pulleys it rides on may also need adjustment.

A car battery that dies frequently, particularly if the battery is less than three years old, could indicate the belt that turns the car's alternator, which recharges the battery, is slipping. Belt slippage is often a precursor to belt failure.

If you suspect your belts could need replacement, visit your car service professional as soon as possible.

PHOTO: This belt on a 1997 Toyota Corolla is visibly fraying and needs replacement.

[Photo credit: Bozart2000 via Flickr, used under CC-BY-2.0 license]