When do you need to change your vehicles serpentine belt?

Hamish from

If you ask any auto repair and service shop, or automotive maintenance shop, they will tell you that vehicle owner’s often fail to replace their car’s serpentine belt in a timely manner. Years ago, auto mechanics had to replace multiple v-belts when they worked on a car. Today, one belt, called a serpentine belt, replaces these.

The old rule of thumb to determine when to replace a serpentine belt was when a belt had numerous cracks across the different “ribs” per inch of belt. The attached picture shows a belt with numerous cracks per inch. If you don’t address a belt that needs to be replaced, you risk the belt breaking and being stranded on the side of the road. Most serpentine belts will need replacing once every 5 years, depending on the number of kilometres you drive.

In recent years, this has changed. New technology in the rubber used to make serpentine belts keeps them from developing cracks. These belts do need to be replaced, however. The rubber on the belt wears much like a tyre does. Over time, the belt will loose rubber and the gaps between the “ribs” will become deeper. Auto mechanics use a depth gauge to measure the wear of the belt. Trusted repair shops, like Auto Super Shoppe Rangiora, will inform customers when their belt has too much wear and needs to be replaced.

Make sure your automotive repair shop checks your belt(s) at each oil change and advises you of the condition.