Ask Auto Lab Livonia: What Happens When a Serpentine Belt Breaks?
February 28, 2021
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 Livonia drivers should never wait to get a serpentine belt replaced.
Serpentine belts are fairly inexpensive at Auto Lab Livonia in Livonia. 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 Auto Lab Livonia technician to glance under your hood and give that serpentine belt a quick look-over.
Auto Lab Livonia
36251 Five Miles Rd
Livonia, MI 48154
734-432-6000
http://www.autolablivonia.com
Need Service?
More articles from Auto Lab Livonia
Keeping Yourself in Suspension (Control Arm Assembly Replacement)
February 23, 2025
When you are pointing your vehicle straight down the street, it should go straight. Thats pretty straightforward, right? Sometimes, though, you may notice you have to keep adjusting the steering wheel to keep going straight. While that could be caused by many different issues, one possibility i... More
A Door No One Can Step Through (Fuel Door Repair and Maintenance)
February 16, 2025
Your vehicle has lots of doors including that one usually near the back on the vehicle's side. That's the fuel door, something you use every time you gas up. These endure hundreds of open-and-close cycles, usually without any problems. But when they act up, it can be a major inconvenience for ... More
The Neglected Windshield (Windshield Care)
February 9, 2025
You look at it every day, yet you don't really see it. We're talking about your vehicle's windshield, and if you're not seeing it at all, that's probably a good sign. The fact is that unless our windshields get fogged up, hazy or cracked, we don't pay all that much attention to them. Consideri... More