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MECHANIC
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3 INTERMEDIATE
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Welcome to the third
Home Mechanic Guide
Getting your car serviced at a main dealer
has always been the most expensive way of
maintaining it, and with hourly labour rates and
the cost of car parts on the rise, our budgets are
being hammered like never before.
Fortunately, Haynes’ mission has always been to give people the
information and the confidence to DIY, which is why we’ve created
a free four-part, print-out-and-keep ebook series. This is Part 3 –
Intermediate, where we’ll walk you through how to replace the
auxiliary belt.

To continue this part of the course,

click here to find more simple checks

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UNDERSTANDING
YOUR CAR’S AUXILIARY
DRIVE BELT
THE AUXILIARY/SERPENTINE BELT
The auxiliary, or serpentine, belt’s role is to ‘power’ a variety of
important peripheral components via a system of pulleys

1 BELT 2 ALTERNATOR 3 A BELT TENSIONER 4 IDLER PULLEY

5 WATER PUMP 6 POWER STEERING PUMP 7 CRANKSHAFT
8 AIR CONDITIONING COMPRESSOR

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What is an auxiliary drive belt?
The aux drive belt is also known as the serpentine belt, and shouldn’t
be confused with the timing belt which serves a completely different
purpose. The auxiliary belt’s role is to ‘power’ a variety of important
peripheral components via a system of pulleys driven by the main
crankshaft pulley.

On old cars the belt simply connected the crank with the fan, so as the
engine rotated so did the fan. But as engines became more complex –
and fans became electrical rather than mechanical – the fan belt was
superseded by the V-belt, which as the name suggests is a V-shaped
belt that powers one or more
additional components. It’s not
uncommon to find more than
one V-belt, depending on the
application.

In more recent years the aux belt

has become the preferred choice.
Its wide, flat, often toothed
design means that it can power several different components at once
and has become the norm in engine bays where space is restricted.

On a regular front-wheel-drive car you’ll see the aux belt down the side
of the engine (access may be very tight). The aux belt is virtually always
visible, unlike the timing belt which is much more likely to be hidden
behind a cover.

It’s not uncommon for the aux belt to power the alternator, power
steering pump, air-con pump and water pump.

As the belt needs to be long you’re also likely to find an idler pulley and/
or a tensioner pulley in the mix. These keep the belt correctly tensioned
so it doesn’t deviate from its course, and so that it applies sufficient
friction to the pulleys.

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What is an aux drive belt made of?
The belts are made of reinforced rubber and are usually ‘toothed’ on
one side. It’s interesting to note that as the belt snakes its way around
the various pulleys, both the toothed side of the belt and the smooth
side apply friction to the different pulleys depending on the level of
‘load’ they place on the belt.

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Why you should change your drive belt
A working drive belt is essential. It drives the alternator, and on some
engines, the coolant pump, power steering pump and air conditioning
compressor. If the belt fails, the electrical system will soon fail, along with
the cooling system, power steering and air conditioning.

When a drive belt fails it tends to do so in one go - it’ll split or shred

immediately and you’ll know straight away that something is wrong with the
engine. Sometimes the belt splits longitudinally and remains on the pulleys.
You may not realise the belt is failing but as soon as you do it’s important to
stop the engine and replace the belt.

When should your drive belt be changed?

An auxiliary drive belt should be inspected regularly. Fail to do so and when
it fails it’s likely to leave you stranded at the side of the road. Drive belts are
rubber-based and are designed to
last for between 40,000 miles and
100,000 miles - check your car’s
Service Schedule for guidance.

The belt(s) should be examined

every time the car is serviced. It’s
not unusual for a ribbed belt to
exhibit small cracks in the edges of
the belt ribs, and unless these are extensive or very deep, belt replacement
is not essential. However, if two or more ribs are missing for more than half
an inch or there are cracks running parallel to the ‘V’ portions of the belt, it
needs to be replaced.

All cars are slightly different, so if it is time to change your drive belt, use our
‘before you begin’ checklist, and find your car for specific instructions.

It’s not unusual for a ribbed belt to exhibit small cracks on the
edges of the belt ribs

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How much does a drive belt cost to change?
V belt £10-£50
Tensioner £50-£100
Garage fee savings £100-£200

Before you begin

Tools you will need
Only basic tools are required for this job, although you may need to raise
the car to remove the undershield.

■ Floor jack (if necessary). Not your car’s emergency jack

■ Axle stands
■ Ratchet and socket set
■ Flat-bladed/Phillips/torx screwdriver
■ Torque wrench
■ Breaker bar

Parts you may need

■ Drive belt - Buy a good quality belt
■ Tensioner - A broken belt can sometimes damage the tensioner. Some
manufacturers recommend changing the tensioner at the same time
as the belt.

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How to change your drive belt
Here’s an example of how it’s done

A very brief summary of the task:

1 You may need to remove a wheel and the wheelarch liner to access
the belt, along with the undershield.
2 If your car has a tensioner, rotate it to release the belt tension
3 Remove the belt and locate the new one on the pulleys. Set the
tension
4 Replace the wheel arch liner and undershield.

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More basic simple checks
anyone can do...
■ Car battery removal & replacement

■ How to check your car’s shocks for wear

■ Coolant replacement: how to change your car’s antifreeze

■ Brake fluid change: how much and how often?

■ Air filter change

■ Understanding your car’s auxiliary drive belt

■ Caring for your car’s CV boots

Click here for access to all the above tutorials

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