How to Check Belts

By eHow Cars Editor

Check Belts Check Belts

Rate: (10 Ratings)

A broken belt is painful to the wallet; get in the habit of scoping yours out from time to time, and have all the belts changed at 60,000 miles. There should be no extra labor charge if you ask your mechanic to change them when the timing belt is replaced at 60,000 miles.

Instructions

Difficulty: Easy

Things You’ll Need:

Step1
Turn off the engine.
Step2
Pull the hood release lever under the dashboard.
Step3
Walk around to the front of the car, reach under the hood, find the latch and squeeze it. As you squeeze the latch, open the hood.
Step4
Find the belts located on the very front of the engine. On a front-wheel-drive car, the front of the engine is usually adjacent to the fender; on a rear-wheel-drive car, the front of the engine is adjacent to the radiator and the front bumper.
Step5
Note that there will be 2 or more belts, depending on the car. Belts are used to operate the fan, water pump, alternator, air conditioner, power steering pump and smog pump.
Step6
Press lightly with your thumb on each belt at the belt's longest part between pulleys.
Step7
Check the appropriate tension for your belts in your car's manual. Belts should not have more than 1 inch of "give" in either direction.
Step8
Observe the belt as you press on it. If it's cracked or can be easily pushed more than 1 inch, it most likely needs to be replaced.

Tips & Warnings

  • Let the engine cool before checking the belts, and be careful around hot engine parts.
  • Some belts run more smoothly after being sprayed with "belt dressing."
  • If your belts make a horrible shrieking sound when you press on the gas pedal, they are too loose, and probably need to be tightened or replaced.

Comments

| View All Comments
Anonymous

Anonymous said

Flag This Comment

on 11/22/2005 Do not spray a lubricant on serpentine belts to stop the noise as a quick fix. This will cause the belt to slip off the tensioner and could do serious engine damage. Try using steel wool on the tensioner and belt dressing will work.

Anonymous

Anonymous said

Flag This Comment

on 11/22/2005 Any V belt can wear out especially if it's not been kept tight. If you've tightened it and you still get the noise, it's probably bottoming out in the pulley. Fit a new one and re-tighten after say, 200 miles.

Anonymous

Anonymous said

Flag This Comment

on 11/22/2005 If you change your belts BEFORE they break, a spare belt in the trunk (or spare-tire well) can save you an expensive tow. Even a novice can change a belt roadside with a few tools - if you have the belt!

Anonymous

Anonymous said

Flag This Comment

on 6/11/2007 When changing an alternator belt, remove the negative battery cable. If you drop a metal tool on the alternator it could blow your car's main fuse.

Anonymous

Anonymous said

Flag This Comment

on 6/7/2007 Some cars have electric fans that come on after the engine has stopped, even when the key is not in the ignition! Keep your hands clear of the blades or disconnect the negative battery cable.

View All

Post a Comment

POST A COMMENT

Request a New How-To Article

Looking for more How To information? Chances are there’s an eHow member who knows how to do what you’re looking to do. Submit an article request now!

eHow Article:  How to Check Belts

eHow Cars Editor

eHow Cars Editor

Category: Cars

Articles: See my other articles

Related Ads

Cars

rjcogan
Meet Ron Cogan eHow’s Cars Expert.