Preventative Maintenance for your Vehicles Belts

The best way to avoid spending excess money and time on your vehicle is with a program of preventative maintenance. You minimize expenses when small problems are prevented from becoming large ones, and you save time by keeping your vehicle on the road rather than in the shop. One of the most simple aspects of vehicle maintenance is keeping a check on the quality of your oil, and having it changed regularly. Checking your tires for wear and tear, as well as maintaining correct air pressure, is also important. Finally, make sure to keep a periodic check on the belts in your vehicle.

Checking your vehicle's belts:

Regardless of the visible condition of the belts in your vehicle, they should all be changed at the sixty-thousand mile tune-up. The timing belt is part of the sixty-thousand mile tune-up so there should be no extra labor charges for your mechanic to change the other belts when the timing belt is changed.

The first step to checking the belts is to be sure that your engine is switched off. Make sure the engine and belts have cooled before attempting to touch them. Pull the hood release under the dashboard and reach underneath hood from the front of the vehicle to release the latch. The hood release can be squeezed or slid to open.

Directly in front of the vehicle's engine you will be able to see the belts. If you have a vehicle that is a rear wheel drive then the engine is close to the front bumper and radiator. If your vehicle is a front wheel drive then the engine is close to the fender.

Check how many belts you can see.

Depending on the type of vehicle, you may find a varying number of belts. The belts are called drive belts because the drive various components of the vehicle's operations like the power steering pump, the water pump, the smog pump, the alternator and the fan. You will find at least two belts on your vehicle. Depending in the make and model, there may be more. Each belt runs over a pulley. As you locate them, press lightly in the middle of the longest part of the belt with your thumb to test the tension. Look at the owner's manual for your vehicle to see how much give in the belt should have. As a rough guide, there should usually be less than an inch of give from a gentle push.

(While you are checking for the give in the belt you can inspect it for any signs that it is beginning to crack or dry out. You may also notice some minor rust discoloration. This is also fine. As the belt operates, a fine dust is created and this will rust over time. It is nothing to worry about. This is particularly true of the belt for the air conditioning clutch. The belt must be replaced if there is either too much wear or give when inspected. If not replaced, the belt may break. If the belt makes a screeching noise when you hit the gas then the belt is too loose and needs to be tightened or replaced. Should one of your belts break, it can be an expensive repair.