What happens if serpentine belt is too loose?

If the belt is too loose, it will cause the alternator to slip. This slipping can cause the alternator and the battery to work harder.

Is it safe to drive your car if the serpentine belt is loose?

The short answer is yes, your car will start even if the serpentine belt is broken or missing. To get the car going, the battery sends power to your starter motor. The starter motor provides enough power to get your engine moving and the combustion process started.

What problems can a loose belt cause?

Many of the engine’s accessories, such as the alternator, water pump, and AC compressor, can be belt driven. A seized or loose drive belt tensioner can cause the belt to snap, which will disables those accessories and can cause problems such as overheating, a dead electrical system and battery, or a disabled AC system.

What does a misaligned serpentine belt sound like?

Noises that indicate your drive belt may be misaligned A chirp is a repetitive, high-pitched noise that doesn’t last long, and is usually worse when the engine is idling. A squeal, on the other hand, is a chirp that gets louder and increases in volume along with engine speed.

Is the serpentine belt supposed to be tight?

In many applications, the serpentine belt needs only to be reasonably tight. The belt should have about a half an inch of play when at the appropriate tightness. If there is less than a half an inch, the belt will need to be loosened, if there is more, it will need to be tightened.

Can a tight belt cause squeaking?

If the belt is too tight, it can eventually cause the bearings in either the tensioner, or one of the accessories (= the things being driven!) to wear to excess, which usually results in noise. If the belt it too loose, it will squeal, as the belt will be slipping on one or more of the pulleys, usually the alternator.

How do you know if your serpentine belt is loose?

The symptoms of a loose serpentine belt include a loud squealing noise when the engine is started or when the steering is turned all the way to one side. A serpentine belt that keeps slipping off the pulley is another symptom of a bad tensioner. The solution is to replace a serpentine belt and a belt tensioner.

How do you know if your belt is loose?

A loose drive belt will often be noisy, squeaking a bit, or emitting a high-pitched squeal. The most obvious sign of a loose drive belt, though, is in its appearance and tension. A loose belt, simply stated, looks and feels loose.

Can a loose serpentine belt cause rough idle?

When you notice a combination of issues like rough idle, flickering lights when you start the engine, dimmed headlights, and difficulty in starting the vehicle (which mostly points to alternator issues) you want to check the serpentine belt.

How can you tell if you have a belt alignment problem?

Noises that indicate your drive belt may be misaligned As the speed of the serpentine belt or drive belt increases, it will probably become nearly inaudible. A squeal, on the other hand, is a chirp that gets louder and increases in volume along with engine speed.

How do you know if a tensioner pulley is bad?

1. Grinding or squeaking noise from the belts or tensioner. The most common symptom of a bad or failing drive belt tensioner is noise from the belts or tensioner. If the tensioner is loose the belts may squeak or squeal, especially when the engine is first started.

How tight should the belt tensioner be?

A general rule of thumb for the correct tightness is being able to twist a belt with a thumb and finger a 1/2 turn and feel resistance. If you can turn it more than a 1/2 turn, you do not have enough tension on the belt. If you cannot turn it a 1/2 turn, you have too much tension on the belt.

How do you fix a squeaky serpentine belt?

Quick Answer. Fix a squeaky serpentine belt by applying belt dressing to the area. This takes only a few minutes. You need aerosol belt dressing, a level area, tight fitting clothes and a hair band.

What causes a squeaky serpentine belt?

SERPENTINE BELT NOISE. Sometimes a serpentine belt will start to squeal, glaze or crack at lower mileages. The high-pitched squealing noise is caused by a glaze that develops on the outer surface of the belt, which may be due to pulley misalignment and/or slippage (loss of belt tension or a weak automatic tensioner ).

Is it safe driving with a squeaky serpentine belt?

That’s why it’s recommended that the serpentine belt is replaced early when the squealing symptoms are first noticed. Although it may be safe to drive with the squealing for a few days or weeks, the belt will eventually need to be replaced, and for safety, the earlier it’s repaired, the better.

What can cause my serpentine belt to squeal?

Top 5 Causes of Serpentine Belt Squealing Bad or Worn Tensioner. The serpentine belt is given the proper amount of tension by a device called a drive belt tensioner. Belt Misalignment. Sometimes the serpentine belt might be in good condition, but it is simply misaligned. Belt is Worn Out. Serpentine belts used to last about 50,000 miles in older vehicles. Idler Pulley Misalignment. Slippage.