A serpentine belt is one of the most important parts of a car, which can also cause great trouble if it is bad or hampered. People often question, “Can a bad serpentine belt cause check engine light?
As the serpentine belt plays an unavoidable role in running your car flawlessly, you must take good care of it. For this, you should know the signs of a bad serpentine engine.
This article will answer your question. Read the entire article mindfully to take care of and protect your serpentine belt.
Can A Bad Serpentine Belt Cause Check Engine Light?
Yes, your bad serpentine belt can cause the check engine light to come on.
A serpentine belt controls the power steering pump, the air conditioning compressor, the alternator, and the water pump all at the same time. This way, the power is split up between them.
A serpentine belt is very important for the engine to work well. When the belt gets loose, the engine makes some noises.
which makes the engine work poorly, and a lot of problems happen. Overheating and the engine breaking down
Finally, it causes the check engine light to come on. This is a sign for you that you should change your belt.
Other Signs of a Bad Serpentine Belt
Cracks And Fluids On The Belt
Rubber is used to make a serpentine belt. It will soon fade or accumulate dust. In addition, there may be a crack in the belt itself. After several years of continuous use, the belt begins to strain.
A belt that isn’t aligned will wear unevenly, causing it to break at the worst possible time. Oil and other lubricants will break down the belt’s material, causing it to break down early.
If you see the damage, treat it as if the belt has completely broken down and you should throw it away, taking the new one.
Can Bad Engine Mounts Affect The Transmission?
A squeal comes from under the hood.
This will happen if the tensioner is bent or cracked. It will make the belt move out of place. This can happen when the car is idling, speeding up, or even when the ignition is started.
You can hear the noise coming from under the front of the car. That is a signal that you need to look at and fix a pulley, belt, tensioner, or the whole system right away.
A Sudden Loss Of Steering Power Or A High Temperature
A serpentine belt loops around a lot of different gears that connect to different pumps and fans.
Your power steering will feel like it’s seized up, the pump that circulates your radiator coolant will stop working, and even the fans that circulate your air conditioning may not work if the belt breaks down.
The belt failure can damage all of these other systems, which will make your repair bill go up a lot.
The belt is not properly aligned with the pulleys
The serpentine belt has certain grooves on it that aid it in maintaining proper alignment with the pulleys.
As a result, if the belt remains in good condition, it will remain attached to the pulleys. However, if the belt is misplaced in any way, the engine will not function properly.
Belts Are Very Slippery
Slick belts will not provide adequate grip. As a result, the problem of displacement will persist indefinitely. So all you have to do is look for a belt with a good grip.
If your serpentine belt is so slippery, it is an indication that it should be replaced.
Drawbacks of the Bad Serpentine Engine
A faulty serpentine belt can result in a variety of problems. Furthermore, if they are left unattended, they pose a danger to others.
Check out the list below to learn about the issues that a faulty serpentine can create.
Power steering failure
If your power steering suddenly becomes unbearably heavy, you should investigate whether or not there is an issue with your serpentine belt.
When the belt becomes loose, it might cause problems such as power steering that does not work properly.
Scratchy Sound
On the serpentine belt, some channels adjust to fit into the grooves of different parts, allowing those parts to run more easily when the belt is used.
This belt is used to help those parts run more easily.
When a belt gets old, the thin channels begin to fade away over time as a result of the constant friction on the belt.
This eventually causes the belt to come loose from the grooves, resulting in the grating sound produced by the engine.
Problems with overheating and battery
The water pump is ineffective as a result of a damaged serpentine belt. It is responsible for the cooling of the engine.
As a result of the problematic belts, the vehicle’s engine gradually loses its ability to perform.
The alternator assists in the battery’s recharge, but a faulty serpentine belt causes the power supply to the battery to be cut off. Battery Obsolete As a result, the battery becomes no longer functional.
Failure Of The Air Conditioning Compressor
The air conditioning compressor is responsible for keeping the atmosphere of the car cool.
The serpentine belt is intimately tied to the compressor, and hence, a faulty serpentine belt can cause a significant degree of malfunction in the air-cooling system.
FAQs about the Bad Serpentine Belt
How to check my serpentine belt?
- Cracks, fraying, or splits on the top cover should be looked for
- Look for signs that the belt’s sides have been glazed. Glazed or slick belts can slip, get hot, or break.
- In order to look for missing grooves, cracks, or layers, twist the serpentine belt.
How Much Does A Serpentine Belt Cost To Replace?
When the belt starts to wear out or break, it will need to be replaced if those parts are going to work the way they should.
Mechanic can charge between $120 and $160 for this job. In this case, the labour should cost you about $80, and the parts should cost about $60.
How long does it take to change the serpentine belt?
It usually takes about 30 minutes for a mechanic to change a serpentine belt. With the right tools and equipment, an auto mechanic can finish the job in 30 to an hour.
How long can I drive with a bad serpentine belt?
If your serpentine belt breaks, your car should be able to run for between 20 and 90 minutes. This depends on a lot of different things.
The engine will overheat faster if the cooling system doesn’t work, so your driving time will be cut short.
Why Is My Check Engine Still On After Changing The Belt?
Because some car circuits may need to be disconnected or repositioned. This disrupts the vehicle’s central processing system. So the engine light would come on even after changing.
It won’t hurt your car. If the engine light comes on after the serpentine belt installation, simply return the car to the shop that installed it. Then tell them to correctly connect all the circuits.
Tell them to use the scanner to see if there are any additional issues.
Final Words
We hope you have got the answer to the question, “Can a bad serpentine belt cause a check engine light?” A bad belt will show signs of wear as soon as it gets worse.
A serpentine belt is one of the main regulators of your car. The engine will work better if this belt moves in the right way.
This belt is important for both the engine and the airflow inside the car. It won’t run well if the belt is bad. So, be cautious about it.
