Belts and Hoses
When you think of maintaining your vehicle, you probably think about changing the oil. That is the very most basic vehicle maintenance. Maybe changing filters or changing brake pads comes to mind. The truth is that many people overlook two very important things. These are belts and hoses.
Owning a car can be very expensive. You have to pay for the vehicle itself, and then you owe insurance each month. You have to pay for gas. Then you have to change the oil multiple times a year. You have to get tires every once in a while. It’s also going to need occasional repairs. Owning a vehicle really is more expensive than most people think it will be. That is exactly why many people do not take proper car of their vehicle. They overlook so many things because they feel like they are already spending so much on their vehicle and can’t spend any more.
The truth is that there are so many minor things that you can do to ensure that your vehicle lasts as long as possible. Paying $50 today is better than spending $500 or even $5,000 down the road. Overlooking these small things in reality do not save you money.
Timing Belt
The most important belt on your vehicle is the timing belt. Your engine has a wide variety of moving parts which all must move at the proper times to prevent damaging each other. Your timing belt has the job of synchronizing the crankshaft and the camshaft. This makes it so that the valves open and close exactly when they are supposed to. During the intake and exhaust strokes.
It is extremely important that everything works together with perfect timing or else irreversible engine damage will occur. If the timing belt were to break, then the piston will hit the valves. This will bend and break the valves. It also has the potential to put a hole in the engine block as a result of the collision. If this occurs, you will need to buy a new engine.
That is exactly why it is best to replace the belt before it breaks. Your manufacturer will suggest a mileage by which you should have changed your timing belt. This varies by manufacturer but is generally every 30,000-80,000 miles. Doing this is incredibly important as it could end up costing you thousands of dollars if the belt breaks.
Below is a video we found that portrays very well what occurs when a timing belt breaks. This will help you to visualize what actually happens when the timing belt breaks.
Changing a timing belt can be difficult. The timing must be exact or else engine damage will occur. If the timing is off, you could experience improper compression, premature exhaust gas leakage, or valve damage. For these reasons, it is usually best if you take your car to a professional if you need the timing belt replaced.
Serpentine Belt
Another very important belt your vehicle has is the serpentine belt. While not as potentially dangerous as the timing belt, this belt still serves an important purpose. Your serpentine belt is the one that you can see when you look under the hood. Your serpentine belt is responsible for powering a lot of the key components to your vehicle.
Your serpentine belt generally supplies power to your AC compressor, water pump, alternator, and power steering pump. Each of these systems is critical to proper engine function. When the belt breaks, you will no longer have any of these systems. This means that the vehicle will quickly need to be parked as the water pump is no longer pumping engine coolant. You can still drive without power-steering and AC but without engine coolant flowing, you will quickly overheat.
A serpentine belt breaking will absolutely leave you stranded. On the bright side, your serpentine belt will give you plenty of hints that it is about to break. It will start to crack and break. It can even lose entire grooves and still function normally. As long as you inspect it from time to time, it will not break on you. You can also regularly change your belt to make sure that it never sneaks up on you.
Hose Inspection
Another very important thing to inspect is the hoses in your vehicle. There are several different hoses which all have important functions. The radiator hoses are incredibly important. These will crack over time and can start leaking. If you continue to lose coolant, eventually your vehicles ability to cool the engine down will suffer. Regularly inspecting these hoses takes little to no effort and can save you from overheating down the road. If you do have hoses that are cracking, you should have them replaced as soon as possible.
Your heater hoses can also fail. The outlet heater hose that runs from the engine to the heater core is a common hose to fail. Check this hose regularly as you do not want it to start leaking. This can result in in engine overheating as well. Coolant flows through these lines as well. You will notice puddles of coolant under your vehicle as these hoses start to fail. Do not ignore this issue as it can lead to worse issues.
Hose and Belt Replacement
All of these parts are relatively cheap to buy. Changing most of these is also fairly simple with the timing belt being the exception. The timing belt itself may not be too expensive but the labor to pay someone to do it can be. A timing belt replacement can cost you well over $1,000, depending on the vehicle you have.
Serpentine belts can be changing fairly simply. You will want to refer to the owner’s manual or find a guide online to ensure that you route the new belt properly. Changing hoses is also fairly simple and can be done by most people without an excessive amount of automotive experience. Checking and replacing these parts, while often overlooked, will save you a lot of money down the road!
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A-1 Auto Tech, Inc. 89 Pioneer Way, Mountain View, CA 94041 650-487-2240 mountainviewautorepairs.com