The serpentine belt shredded in my brother car today while I was driving it my question is can his belt shred do to me driving sho
My brother serpentine belt shredded today we was trying to figure out would it shred when I was going a long distance away from the house or was it gonna shred naturally due to something beneath the engine?
My car has an automatic transmission.
My car has an automatic transmission.
Experienced mechanics share their insights in answering this question :
Hi there. If the serpentine belt had ANY signs of damage, it could shred by simply starting the car; so I wouldn’t blame yourself or have him blame you. The serpentine belt typically will wear out over time naturally, but oil leaks or items under the vehicle can hit it, which can cause it to shred.
How to Identify and Fix Common car Problems ?
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If your serpentine belt keeps shredding, it`s likely due to one of two issues. Either the belt is old and needs to be replaced, or there is something wrong with the pulleys that the belt runs over. If you`re unsure which it is, take your car to a mechanic and have them take a look.
A broken serpentine belt means your engine loses that cooling factor if it powers your water pump. Your car`s engine will start to overheat rapidly as a result. The temperature gauge will rise into the red zone, and the Check Engine light will illuminate once temperatures exceed safe levels.
A component that the belt drive has failed (ie: power steering pump, alternator, a/c compressor, etc.), some kind of foreign material has gotten into the belt and caused damage, or a idler/tensioner has failed and allowed the pulley to either lock up, or will allow the pulley to wobble.
The most serious failure is when the serpentine belt breaks completely. This is usually the result of a belt in poor condition, or a problem with one of the accessory components being driven by the belt. A failed bearing in a pulley being driven by the serpentine belt will also cause the belt to break.
You should absolutely not drive your car with a broken serpentine belt unless you`re going directly to a nearby mechanic for repairs. Even then, you may find that your broken serpentine belt means the steering wheel is stiff and hard to maneuver. If that is the case, call for roadside assistance.
If the belt breaks while you are on the road, the car will break down immediately – and your engine can experience severe damage. You need to look out for signs and symptoms of a weakening timing belt so that you can take action before it is too late.
Improper belt tension is the most common and obvious cause of slip, which generates unwanted heat. The friction that occurs when a V-belt slips in a pulley causes belt sidewalls to become glazed, and decreases gripping ability.
Bad spring-loaded automatic belt tensioner.
Proper tension is vital for any belt. Often an old spring-loaded automatic belt tensioner seizes up or wears out and becomes weak. Without proper tension a serpentine belt will start slipping. This will cause the belt to wear faster.
Relevant Questions and Answers :
the most relevant questions and answers related to your specific issue
The serpentine belt shredded in my brother car today while I was driving it my question is can his belt shred do to me driving sho
ANSWER : Hi there. If the serpentine belt had ANY signs of damage, it could shred by simply starting the car; so I wouldn’t blame yourself or have him blame you. The serpentine belt typically will wear out over time naturally, but oil leaks or items under the vehicle can hit it, which can cause it to shred.
Why my drive belt keep shredding ?
ANSWER : Usually, by the time a Mercedes drive belt is ready to be replaced, the tensioner is shot too. If you haven’t replaced the tensioner, than you should. If the pulley that was replaced was in fact tensioner, then you need to look at the individual devices. If you have an AC compressor or an alternator that is trying to lock up, the extra load on the belt will make it slip, and eventually burn up. Additionally,if any of the mounts are loose, causing alignment issues, then the belt will not last very long. As a final thought, make sure the routing of the belt is correct. Some of these belts are routed like a Rube Goldberg mousetrap and it’s possible to fit the belt up in several ways, but only one of them is right. If you decide to delegate this work, you can contact Your Mechanic to have a technician come out to your home or office to check out your car and take care of your belt for you.
Alternator belt got torn whilst driving and had new belt fixed but the car won’t move on drive or reverse after few seconds drive
ANSWER : This is a sign of a faulty transmission control solenoid. Modern automatic transmissions use pressurized hydraulic fluid to change gears. Every time a gear change is required, the car’s computer activates a transmission solenoid, which directs transmission fluid into the valve body to engage the correct gear. When this is faulty or not working properly, this can cause a delay in gear shifting or in some cases cause the car to not shift at all. If you’d like, a certified technician from YourMechanic can come to your home or office to inspect your vehicle, and provide a definitive diagnosis for the shifting issue.
hey i had a belt break while traveling on my 2004 honda pilot. It is the small belt and not the serpentine belt. The mechanic t
ANSWER : Hello. The smaller belt is known as your timing belt, and it works inside the engine to keep mechanical components aligned with each other during the compression cycle. The serpentine belt, which is the big belt, drives the alternator, water pump, AC compressor, and a couple of other components. If the small belt broke it is likely the timing belt. This will cause the car to stall, lights to illuminate, and can even cause serious damage to the engine. Typically replacing a timing belt is a lot more complicated and expensive than replacing a serpentine belt. You may want to receive a second opinion on the car before you go ahead with repairs.
A few days after replacing serpentine belt the car will not move when in drive
ANSWER : This would suggest that you may have a charging system problem as well as the car potentially being in limp mode. When the car goes into limp mode this is a measure the car’s computer takes in an effort to keep you and the car safe when one or more critical components is not working properly. When this happens you should have a Check Engine Light on which will register fault codes in the car’s computer which will point to specific components. I would recommend having an certified expert, like one from YourMechanic, come to your home to diagnose your starting issue and help you repair it.
Can you change the defected water pump without changing its defected belt (which is the drive belt and only belt in this model of
ANSWER : Hello. Yes you can replace the water pump without replacing the serpentine belt. If the belt is worn, and it breaks while you are driving, you can damage a lot of other components in that area. Typically the price of a serpentine belt is relatively inexpensive. You will have to remove the belt to replace the water pump anyway. Since you are likely going to have to purchase a new pump, we do recommend that you purchase a belt at the same time. You SHOULD replace the belt if it is worn, and this is a perfect time to do it. It is not necessarily required, but you are putting yourself at risk of another break down at a later time. Not to mention if the belt is already worn, manipulating off and back onto the vehicle while changing the water pump can further damage it, and shorten the amount of time its got left. Belts should be replaced before they break, as to the amount of damage they can cause when they do break. Again, you may be able to get away with not replacing the belt right now, but if its as worn as you say, its going to break sooner than later and should be replaced.
can a alternator belt make car not start because I was driving my car and I ran out of gas and i put a little gas in? belt broke
ANSWER : Hi there. It is very difficult to diagnose this type of hard to start issue remotely due to the fact that both issues; running the vehicle out of gas and the alternator belt being broken can cause the car to not start. It’s kind of like a chicken / egg type deal. In order for the fuel pump to deliver fuel, it needs power. It receives this power from the battery initially, but then the alternator. If the alternator belt is broken, you won’t have power supplied to components. It is best to have a professional mobile mechanic complete a car is hard to start inspection to determine what is causing the starting problems on your Dodge Neon.
Serpentine belt tearing apart by pebble & pieces of it getting inside timing belt, motor destroyed
ANSWER : Hi there. I agree with you – this doesn’t pass the ’smell test’. The only way for debris to enter the engine is through the throttle body. Since the throttle body inlet is protected and covered by an air intake on your Ford Fiesta, I highly doubt that this is the source of your problems.
