Hello – you may have an overheated engine, with a blown cylinder head gasket (or other overheating damage) or simply a run-down battery. The same serpentine belt that drives the alternator also drives the water pump. Depending on how long you drove after the belt failed, the engine may have overheated – with some damage. I recommend an engine inspection performed by a mobile, professional mechanic, such as one from YourMechanic, who will come to your location, diagnose this problem, give you an accurate assessment of damage and cost estimate for repairs.
How to Identify and Fix Common car Problems ?
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If your serpentine belt is failing, you may notice performance issues with your vehicle. The vehicle may frequently overheat. Your air conditioning or power steering may fail to work or not work properly. You may notice your vehicle battery failing to recharge if the alternator is affected by a bad serpentine belt.
As we mentioned early, a serpentine belt delivers power to your alternator, power steering pump, and air conditioning compressor. In some cases, it also supplies power to your water pump. It`s a long, winding rubber band of sorts that is attached to your crank pulley.
Serpentine belts are built to last—much longer than before because of advancements in rubber technology. Under ideal conditions, a belt should stick with you for an average of 60,000 to 100,000 miles.
If your serpentine belt wears out, becomes damaged or contaminated, or breaks, engine accessories will not be able to spin at the proper speed, leading to decreased power to the electrical system.
Typically a damaged belt tensioner will not impact vehicle performance. It would cause the serpentine or drive belt to wear prematurely or to squeak – but not cause the acceleration issue.
The water pump keeps coolant running consistently through the engine block, hoses and radiator, ensuring that everything is kept at a safe temperature. Without a correctly running water pump, your engine will overheat in the summer or freeze in the winter.
How long does a serpentine belt last? Being made of durable rubber, a serpentine belt can last anywhere from around 50,000-100,000 miles. Learn when to replace a serpentine belt and more with the service center at Westbrook Toyota.
A worn, defective, or incorrectly tensioned belt can lead to battery failure and engine overheating.
While the water pump is designed as a cooling system component in charge of preventing the engine from overheating, it is driven by the timing belt and it derives its power from the crankshaft of the engine.
The short answer is yes, your car will start even if the serpentine belt is broken or missing. To get the car going, the battery sends power to your starter motor. The starter motor provides enough power to get your engine moving and the combustion process started.
Loosing the serpentine belt should not affect the engine timing.
The serpentine belt is a single, continuous belt that drives multiple devices in your engine, such as the alternator, power steering pump, water pump, and air conditioning compressor. If your serpentine belt breaks, all of these systems will shut down and your vehicle will overheat.
A bad timing belt can also be the cause of sluggish acceleration. This is a belt that is responsible for synchronizing the movement of the engine`s valves. If it is not working properly, then the engine will not be able to function correctly and it will cause the car to move slowly.
A worn timing belt will affect your engine`s starting speed as it is attached to the pulleys that drive the crankshaft. Eventually, the belt can slip on the camshaft drive causing the engine cylinder to open and close at the wrong time.
Engine Misfiring
The timing belt is responsible for synchronizing the valves and cylinders in your engine. If it slips too far or falls off the pulley system, it may cause one of the cylinders to open or close too early. This will cause a misfire, and a noticeable loss of acceleration.
Common problems include overheating, leakage, low water pressure, noisy operation, and cavitation. These problems can be prevented or fixed by regular maintenance, inspection, and replacement of worn-out parts.
Water pumps can fail prematurely due to corrosion inside the cooling system or from an imbalanced water-pump shaft. But in most instances, water pumps fail because of shaft leaks.
The coolant that may have leaked from the water pump could have gotten into the alternator which could short it out. You should test the alternator and recharge the battery.
An alternator belt is known by many names including the drive belt, fan belt, v-belt or a serpentine belt. Made of rubber, the belt is prone to deterioration over time, and due to its position next to the engine, excessive heat and general wear will lead to a brittle drive belt that is prone to cracking.
Belt drive turntables, reportedly, produce better sound quality. Because a belt drive reduces vibration noise, a record player`s sound can be cleaner. Many record player owners, in fact, focus on motor noise reduction as a priority. The more a record player`s feedback noise is reduced, the clearer its noise is.
Today, most serpentine belts are expected to last anywhere from 60,000 to 100,000 miles. Some belts can last significantly longer than this, while others give out before 60,000 miles.
They`re usually good for 10 years or 150,000 miles. Even so, don`t neglect your car belt maintenance. It`s still a good idea to have a mechanic check the belt from time to time. Usually they`ll do this as a courtesy if you`re in for an oil change or other servicing.
Generally, a car battery can run for about 30 minutes to an hour without an alternator, depending on these factors. However, this time can vary widely and is not recommended to be used as a long-term solution.
If the belt is too loose or slips this could force the engine to stall or shut down. This could be very dangerous if the car is on a busy road or motorway. i The car battery is dead. If the issue is severe, the battery will not be able to maintain its charge and could die shortly after the car has been started.