Perhaps you’ve heard mention of both timing belts and serpentine belts. What exactly are those belts? Are they just different names for the same thing? While both belts are critical to your car’s operation, they both serve totally different purposes.
Timing Belt
The timing belt connects the crankshaft to the camshaft, synchronizing the engine’s valves with the piston positions. That synchronization ensures that the valves and pistons do not collide. This rubber belt has teeth along one side, gripping the gears of the camshaft and crankshaft. Many manufacturers have now moved toward replacing these toothed belts with much more durable metal timing chains.
If your timing belt fails, the crankshaft will continue to spin and move the pistons, but the camshaft will stop operating the valves. The moving pistons could collide with the valves, causing catastrophic engine damage and causing your vehicle to break down immediately.
Serpentine Belt
As automobiles evolved, designers added more peripheral systems to cars, such as the alternator, power steering, and air conditioning. Each of those systems needed to be connected to the engine, and each initially had its own belt. Since then, manufacturers have replaced those belts with one long belt that snakes its way to each system, taking up less space under the hood than the old multi-belt designs. This rubber belt typically has grooves running along one side.
If your serpentine belt ever fails, you will instantly know. Each of your auxiliary systems will shut down, including power steering, making your steering wheel much harder to turn. As the alternator fails, your battery will lose charge leading to a decrease in power and a loss of all electrical functions. The serpentine belt also runs the engine’s cooling system, so your engine will also begin to overheat.
Belt Maintenance
Since these belts are both critical to your car’s operation, it is vital that they be inspected regularly. If there is any sign of fraying or cracking on either belt, be sure to replace it before it becomes a drastic, expensive problem. While the durability of each belt depends on a wide variety of factors, both serpentine and timing belts should generally be replaced every 60,000 to 100,000 miles.
If you need your belts inspected or replaced, reach out to the team at North Roswell Automotive Repair. Our certified technicians are here for all your repair and maintenance needs. Make an appointment today!