Common questions

Is the serpentine drive belt tensioner leaking?

Is the serpentine drive belt tensioner leaking?

Dealer says the serpentine drive belt tensioner is leakin… Q: Dealer says the serpentine drive belt tensioner is leaking. I say, they are full of it, and it is a scam job to replace it.

How can I tell if my serpentine belt is bad?

So, if it’s worn out, it will start slipping over the alternator pulley and the alternator won’t be able to produce enough electric power. This symptom of a serpentine belt problem is notorious for being hard to recognize. In most cases, there will be no sounds or visible symptoms. To make things even harder, even the battery light doesn’t come up.

Is the water pump driven by the serpentine belt?

Another important device driven by the serpentine belt is the water pump. This is not always the case as on a lot of cars the water pump is driven by the timing belt. You should have this in mind so you don’t falsely “accuse” the serpentine belt for overheating.

Why does my serpentine belt slip in the morning?

Very small amounts of water appear on the serpentine belt in the morning acting as sort of lubricant, causing the belt to slip. This, combined with the beginning of belt material fatigue will cause this sound. It usually disappears once the belt warms up a bit (like 10 to 20 seconds after the engine is started).

Dealer says the serpentine drive belt tensioner is leakin… Q: Dealer says the serpentine drive belt tensioner is leaking. I say, they are full of it, and it is a scam job to replace it.

So, if it’s worn out, it will start slipping over the alternator pulley and the alternator won’t be able to produce enough electric power. This symptom of a serpentine belt problem is notorious for being hard to recognize. In most cases, there will be no sounds or visible symptoms. To make things even harder, even the battery light doesn’t come up.

Another important device driven by the serpentine belt is the water pump. This is not always the case as on a lot of cars the water pump is driven by the timing belt. You should have this in mind so you don’t falsely “accuse” the serpentine belt for overheating.

Very small amounts of water appear on the serpentine belt in the morning acting as sort of lubricant, causing the belt to slip. This, combined with the beginning of belt material fatigue will cause this sound. It usually disappears once the belt warms up a bit (like 10 to 20 seconds after the engine is started).

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Ruth Doyle