Know Your Car Highly recommend Reading First Under The Hood Air filter Antifreeze/coolant Battery Belts Brake fluid Engine oil Power steering fluid Transmission fluid Washer fluid

Belts & Hoses Some cars have multiple belts, some have a single belt (called a serpentine belt).  The belts are used to run the alternator, water pump, power steering, air conditioner compressor, and in some cases air pump (used in pollution controls) . Help prevent premature engine wear and extend the life of your vehicle by inspecting belts and hoses  monthly. People often wait until they get some indication that their vehicle need service, such as noise or a squeal, before taking it to a repair facility. Although you should have a professional technician look at your belts and hoses as part of your regular maintenance schedule, basic inspection can be done in your own driveway. Preventative Maintenance Check List Keep a Maintenance Record By conducting monthly inspections of your belts and hoses, you can help prevent premature engine wear and extend the life of your vehicle. Belts and hoses are relatively inexpensive parts to maintain or replace. But ignoring these vital vehicle components can add up to a major repair expense. Spending just a few minutes under your hood can help keep your vehicle running smoothly. Inspect and Adjust Engine Accessory Drive Belts Warning Signs  You may be experiencing hose or belt problems if you notice any of the following: Small hole in radiator hose. A collapsed radiator hose. Hoses that crunch or are soft, sticky, or oil-soaked. Belts that are cracking, fraying, missing pieces or have a shiny, glazed appearance. If you see these, it may be time to have them replaced.  You can carry spares in your vehicle so if they break. It is much better to have belts replaced before they break, then have them break while driving down the road. Swollen areas on hoses. Coolant tracks. A squealing noise as the engine is accelerated. If a bearing in an accessory goes bad and locks up, (such as air conditioner) it can cause a loud squealing as the belt tries to turn it. This can cause a rapid belt failure. A slow, rhythmic slapping sound at idle. A sweet burning smell from a coolant leak. Timing belts are under a cover and need to be periodically replaced. Many car makers recommend replacing these at least every 60,000 miles.  Check your owners manual or with a dealer.  On some belts, when the timing belt fails, severe engine damage can result from pistons hitting valves. Not all cars have a timing belt; some use a timing chain that needs no periodic replacement. Timing belts may give no warning when they fail, leaving you stranded. Inspect and Adjust Engine Accessory Drive Belts     Remove and Replace an Accessory Drive Belt Many engine accessories--including the alternator, fan, and coolant pump--are operated by drive belts. If these belts break or slip, the components they drive will fail to work. The belt that drives the fan also drives the coolant pump. If it breaks, coolant and air circulation stop, and the engine overheats at once. Drive belts should be inspected for a potential problem anytime you have the hood of a customer's car up. A quick inspection can locate a problem and save your customer a major problem. WARNING: Never try to adjust or inspect belts with the engine running. Make sure no one is in the car that could start the engine during belt inspection Before inspecting the drivebelts, be sure the ignition is off and the engine is completely cool. If your engine has an electric cooling fan, unplug the fan motor connector if it is accessible. The electric fan is thermostatically controlled and can start at any time without warning, even when the engine is off.   To inspect the belts, grab the belt in your hand and twist it so you can see the underside of the "V" shape on V-type belts, or the ribs on a serpentine-type belt. Use a trouble or flashlight so you can make a close inspection. The conditions to look for are shown below Conditions to inspect on a drive belt Cracks indicate the belt is getting ready to fail. Oil-soaked belts can slip and not rotate the component they are driving fast enough. Glazed belts have a shiny appearance; this occurs when a belt is not tight enough and the slipping polishes its surface. Torn or split belts have major damage and must be replaced immediately. Before adjusting any drive belt, always check the service manual for specific instructions. Find the longest span in the belt and push on it as shown below Measuring belt adjustment with a belt tension gauge It should move in about half an inch per foot of free span. If it moves more than this, the belt is too loose. If it moves less, it is too tight. A belt tension gauge can also be used for testing belt tension These gauges are operated differently, so follow the instructions on the tool. Basically, you attach the gauge to the longest span of the belt. Then you pull on the belt and measure the tension. Specifications are available in the shop service manual to compare against your reading. Most belts are adjusted by loosening the support for the alternator and moving it back and forth to tighten or loosen the belt. Other systems use an idler pulley for the adjustment. A typical adjustment procedure is shown below Adjusting the belt tension by moving the alternator Remove and Replace an Accessory Drive Belt When you have determined that a drive belt is defective and needs to be replaced, you should have the replacement belt on hand. Loosen the adjustment fastener on the alternator or idler pulley Push the alternator or idler pulley inward to loosen the belt. Pull the old drive belt off the pulleys. Place the new and old belt side by side on the work bench to make a comparison. The belt width and length of the new belt must be the same. If you find a difference, check to see that you have not gotten the wrong belt. A belt that is too long to be adjusted properly will slip. A belt that is too short will not fit over the pulleys. A belt with the incorrect width or V shape could be thrown off when the engine is running. Install the correct belt over the pulleys. Adjust the belt to the proper tension as described previously. Start the engine and observe the belt in operation. Stop the engine and recheck the tension.  TIP: There is an old trick tow truck drivers use when responding to cars that are disabled because of a broken drive belt. They carry packages of women's pantyhose. They wind them around the pulleys and then tie them in a knot. The pantyhose will work as a belt for a short distance to get the car to a service facility.   Click the arrow above to go back where you just linked from The objective of this Web Page is to familiarize you with basic auto maintenance -  in some common emergencies - not to make you an expert in auto mechanics DISCLAIMER: PLEASE READ - By printing, downloading, or using you agree to our full terms. Review the full terms by clicking here. Below is a summary of some of the terms. If you do not agree to the full terms, do not use the information. We are only publishers of this material, not authors. Information may have errors or be outdated. Some information is from historical sources or represents opinions of the author. It is for research purposes only. The information is "AS IS", "WITH ALL FAULTS". User assumes all risk of use, damage, or injury. You agree that we have no liability for any damages. We are not liable for any consequential, incidental, indirect, or special damages. You indemnify us for claims caused by you.  I am in no way, shape, or form telling you to do this yourself. Your results may vary. If something goes wrong, it is not my fault! These are just guidelines. Copyright © 2000 Jon's Images, Inc. All rights reserved