Ask Commerce Auto Repair: What Happens When a Serpentine Belt Breaks?
March 19, 2017
The serpentine belt is aptly named since it snakes around under your hood. It may lack its namesake's fangs, but it sure packs a wallop when it breaks.
The serpentine belt powers a lot of engine systems. It runs the alternator, which charges the battery; the water pump (on some vehicles), which cools the engine; the air conditioning, which cools the driver and passengers; and the power steering pump, which allows for easier steering. When the belt breaks, all of these systems shut down.
Okay, so maybe you can live without air conditioning and power steering for a while, but your battery can't live very long without an alternator, and when the cooling system goes down, your vehicle engine will overheat. That's why Commerce drivers should never wait to get a serpentine belt replaced.
Serpentine belts are fairly inexpensive at Commerce Auto Repair in Commerce. And they look downright cheap when you compare them to the cost of an overheated vehicle engine, a tow truck, time lost on the road, inconvenience, and the potential safety consequences of being stranded.
Good car care means never putting off preventive maintenance. Do yourself a favor. Ask your friendly and knowledgeable Commerce Auto Repair technician to glance under your hood and give that serpentine belt a quick look-over.
Commerce Auto Repair
9575 Commerce Rd.
Commerce, Michigan 48382
248.363.3749
Need Service?
More articles from Commerce Auto Repair
I Want a New Vehicle. Or Do I? (Vehicle Maintenance Payoffs)
December 1, 2024
Spring is a peak season for vehicle sales; companies aggressively market new models and offer all sorts of incentives. So you may be tempted to buy a shiny new beauty. But should you? If you've regularly maintained the vehicle you're driving now, you probably don't NEED a new one. Even if your... More
Easy on the Wheel (Power Steering)
November 24, 2024
Steering a vehicle these days doesn't take much effort, but if you got behind the wheel back before power steering was invented, you'd need to practically have the strength of Hercules to turn the wheel. The first power steering systems widely available changed everything. Chrysler introduced... More
Your Vehicle's Other Power Plant (Alternator Replacement)
November 17, 2024
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 na... More