What's A Serpentine Belt?
Serving: Jefferson City, MO
December 16, 2024
We all have those days when we’ve got a bunch of errands to run. Suppose on your day off and you need to get gas, pick up some groceries, swing by the ATM and get the kids from school. Now you could make four trips, but that would be a waste of time and money – totally inefficient. Instead you get organized and hit the ATM first and get some gas next. Then you go to the supermarket and pick up the kids on the way home. Way better use of your time.
Now you may wonder what this has to do with your car. Well, back in the day, each of your engine’s accessories, like the alternator and air conditioner, were powered by separate belts. A vehicle might have 5 or 6 belts. These days, vehicles have a single belt to run all the accessories. It’s called the serpentine belt because it snakes around everything, efficiently connecting the accessories – like bundling your errands.
A pulley attached to the engine’s crank provides the power to turn the serpentine belt. The belt may provide the power for the power steering pump, which makes it easier to steer your vehicle. Next comes the alternator which generates electricity to run the vehicle’s electrical system and charge the battery. On to the air conditioning compressor. This helps make cold air to keep you comfortable all summer long.
On some vehicles the water pump or radiator fan or the power brakes are also run by the serpentine belt. Some even have two serpentine belts. No matter how your engine is arranged, you aren’t going far without a serpentine belt. Your manufacturer has a recommended interval for inspecting your belt and your service technician can inspect it for damage or wear.
Finally, there is the belt tensioner. Its job is to apply pressure on the belt to keep it tight.
Several years ago, they started making serpentine belts out of a new material. It’s much more durable, but it’s harder to tell when the belt needs to be replaced. The old-style belts would crack, and chunks would fall off so you could easily see when you needed a new one.
On the new style belts, if the ribs wear too deep, it’s time to replace. Your technician uses a simple gauge to tell when the belt is worn. A worn belt stresses your engine’s expensive accessories and causes them to wear prematurely.
So, change your serpentine belt and belt tensioner as recommended to extend the life of your accessories and to prevent future breakdowns.
Question:
Your vehicle's engine is probably the first thing that comes to mind when you think of a power plant. But it has another power source that is vital as well: the alternator. The alternator is what puts out the electricity that powers such things as your lights, power windows, sound system, and navigation. Maybe you've started seeing those electrical components behaving in strange ways. Maybe your power windows are going up and down a little bit more slowly than they used to. Or perhaps your engine doesn't start as easily or is misfiring. Other signs of a failing alternator are headlights that are either brighter or dimmer than usual. If your battery keeps going dead, it could be that the alternator isn't recharging it. The alternator has to get its power from somewhere, and in vehicles with internal combustion engines, that power comes from a drive belt powered by the engine. Sometimes that belt can fail. If you hear a whining sound, it could mean bearings in the alternator aren't turning as freely as they used to. You could even notice a burning smell. Oh, and when you see your battery light illuminated on your dash (it looks like a rectangle with a - and + inside), it may be warning you that your alternator is not healthy. Bring your vehicle in to us for a diagnosis if you notice any of these symptoms. If your alternator is bad, we can recommend a new or remanufactured one to replace it. Some new alternators are warranted for life and remanufactured units usually are guaranteed as well. It's important to your vehicle's health to have its alternator putting out the right power consistently. It may not be as well known as the other power plant under the hood, but it's a vital part of helping your vehicle run the way it is designed to. Contact Frosty's Today! Read the original article on the NAPA website.
When the weather gets hot, some of the components of your vehicle are pushed to the limit. Here are a few things to watch out for as the mercury climbs higher:
Question:
Have you ever thought about all the little things we do to keep our lives running smoothly - like vacuuming? It makes a room feel fresher and more comfortable. We may not consider that we're also prolonging the life of the carpet by keeping it clean. But JEFFERSON CITY, MO drivers don't always extend those good habits into the garage. Our vehicles need regular maintenance just like our rugs need vacuuming. We may not notice a difference in the feel or appearance of the vehicle, but just as cleaning a carpet carries the hidden reward of prolonging its life, maintaining our vehicles incurs a hidden reward that becomes noticeable at JEFFERSON CITY, MO gas stations. When it comes to reduced fuel economy, there are two culprits: increased friction and inefficient fuel combustion. That means that anything JEFFERSON CITY, MO drivers can do to decrease friction and increase the efficiency of their engines will translate to savings on fuel. Friction increases the amount of energy it takes to move something. So if we can reduce friction, we can decrease the amount of fuel it takes to run our vehicles. Engine oil is usually at the heart of friction problems in an engine. Too little oil means parts are not getting lubricated, which increases friction and dirty oil doesn't lubricate as well as clean oil. So one secret to good fuel economy is to stay on top of oil changes. Don't skip them and don't procrastinate. The same auto advice applies to transmission fluid. Keep it full and keep it clean, and your vehicle will run with less friction and better . If your tires are underinflated, it increases the friction between the tire and the road. Again, there is increased drag, and it takes more fuel to move your vehicle. People in JEFFERSON CITY, MO should check their tire pressure every month and keep their tires properly inflated. Alignment and brake problems can also increase friction. Besides saving fuel, keeping these systems in good repair has the added benefit of saving you on tires and brake pads. These items wear out more quickly when the alignment is off or when the brake system isn't in good working order. Talk to your friendly and knowledgeable Frosty Auto Clinic service advisor. The second culprit that stealthily steals our fuel economy is inefficient fuel combustion, which depends on the engine getting the right amount of clean fuel to the right place with the right pressure at the right time in the right pattern. The key to peak engine performance is to keep the fuel system clean. Varnish and gum can build up in a fuel system, which will interfere with the fuel injectors. The fuel injectors are responsible for all those “rights” we spoke of. If they're dirty, amounts, timing, pressure and spray patterns can all get out of whack. The result? Reduced fuel economy. A fuel system cleaning at Frosty Auto Clinic in JEFFERSON CITY, MO can get your injectors back on track, improving performance and efficiency. There are a few other maintenance items that can improve your fuel economy. One is to replace your PCV valve when it gets sticky. This valve allows unburned fuel in your engine exhaust to return to the engine. JEFFERSON CITY, MO can also replace worn spark plugs and dirty fuel filters. A well-maintained vehicle will require fewer repairs and save money at JEFFERSON CITY, MO gas pumps. Call us today!
The PCV valve is a little, inexpensive part that does a big job for JEFFERSON CITY, MO and our environment here in MO. PCV stands for Positive Crankcase Ventilation. The crankcase is the bottom area of the engine that holds the oil. When the engine's running, fuel is burned to generate power. Most of the exhaust from combustion goes out through the exhaust system. But some exhaust blows by the pistons and goes into the lower engine, or crankcase. These hot gases are about 70 percent unburned fuel. This can dilute and contaminate the oil, leading to damaging engine oil sludge. It can also cause engine corrosion. At high speeds, the pressure can build up to the point that gaskets and seals start to leak. Over time, the vented gases will gum up the PCV valve and it won't work well. That can lead to oil leaks, excessive oil consumption and reduced fuel economy. Fortunately, it's very easy to test the PCV valve, and it's quick and inexpensive to replace at Frosty Auto Clinic in JEFFERSON CITY, MO. Even so, it's often overlooked because many JEFFERSON CITY, MO don't know about it. Check your owner's manual or ask your friendly and knowledgeable Frosty Auto Clinic . If this is the first time you've heard of a PCV valve, you might be in line for a replacement. Please ask us at Frosty Auto Clinic about your PCV valve. For the price of a couple of burger combo meals at your favorite JEFFERSON CITY, MO drive-up window, you can avoid some very expensive deep engine repairs. Give us a call
Let's address a very important maintenance item for everyone in JEFFERSON CITY MO – timing belt replacement. It's important because letting this one slide can lead to very expensive engine damage. Your timing belt choreographs the timing of your combustion process. Your pistons travel up and down in the cylinder. Intake valves open at the right time to let in air and fuel; they close at the right time to allow the fuel to burn and then the exhaust valves open at the right time to let out the exhaust. All this happens thousands of times a minute and it's your timing belt that makes sure the valves are opening and closing at precisely the right time. If the timing is off, your engine won't run. And that's the best case. The worst case is that a valve is opening at the wrong time and collides with the piston. The result is bent valves and maybe even more damage to the cylinder head. Repairs can run several thousand dollars. Now, timing belts just wear out naturally so you want to replace a worn belt before it slips or breaks. Check your owner's manual or with your service advisor at Frosty Auto Clinic in JEFFERSON CITY, MO, to see when they recommend you replace the timing belt. If you've never replaced your timing belt and have more than 60,000 miles/100,000 kilometers on the clock, talk with your JEFFERSON CITY service advisor at Frosty Auto Clinic right away to see if you're due. On some engines, the water pump is driven by the timing belt as opposed to the serpentine belt. If that's the case, it's a good idea to replace the water pump when you're replacing the timing belt and vice versa, since much of the same work has to be done for either. The same is true for the timing belt tensioner – it should be inspected and possibly replaced. Now, replacing a timing belt is one of the more expensive routine maintenance items on your service schedule. But not replacing your timing belt can lead to some of the most expensive repairs you're likely to ever have. Call Us Today.
Today's Frosty Auto Clinic article focuses on the effect of tire tread depth on braking. When JEFFERSON CITY, MO and drivers talk about stopping power, they tend to focus on their brakes. But our tires are where the rubber meets the road. We have to have tires with enough traction to translate braking power into stopping power. Let's concentrate on stopping in wet conditions. In order for a tire to have good contact with the road, it has to move the water out of the way. If it can't move the water, the tire will actually ride on top of a thin film of water. That's called hydroplaning and it is a factor in many MO auto accidents. If it's really bad, you can actually spin out of control. At best, you won't stop as fast. Your vehicle tires have channels for water to flow through. The deeper the channel, the more water it can move. A brand new tire has very deep channels and can easily move a lot of water. As the tire wears down, the channels become shallower and can move less water. When it wears down enough, it can seriously affect your ability to stop on wet MO roads. That's why it's so important for JEFFERSON CITY, MO and motorists to replace their tires when they get worn. Consumer Reports and other advocate groups call for a standard of replacing tires when the tread is worn down to 4/32 of an inch. That's 3.2 millimeters. By comparison, you've probably seen the wear indicator that's molded into tires. When tires are worn to 3/32 of an inch, the tread wear bar is visible. And that little bit of additional tread makes a big difference. Stopping distances are cut dramatically on wet JEFFERSON CITY, MO surface streets and highways. A safe stop from MO freeway speeds with 4/32 of an inch of tread would result in a crash with worn out tires. There's an easy way to tell when a tire's worn to 4/32 of an inch. Just insert a quarter into the tread. Put it in upside down. If the tread doesn't cover George Washington's hairline, it's time to replace your tires. With a Canadian quarter, the tread should cover the numbers in the year stamp. You've probably heard of this technique using a penny and Abe Lincoln's head. That measure gives you 2/32 of an inch – half the suggested amount. And if you have uneven tread wear, have us check it out at Frosty Auto Clinic. It could be a problem with your steering or suspension components or a wheel alignment problem. If you need new tires or have any concerns about your brakes, give us a call today at 573-635-1767.
