Experience the Car Craft way

Engine Belt & Hoses

Modern car clean look engine with timing and serpentine belts

If your vehicle is running smoothly your belts and hoses never even come to mind but when they fail the situation turns bad fast. For your vehicle to properly cool and for the charging of your engine systems and air conditioning systems to function, the belts are crucial. By taking a look at your engine, you can see with V-shaped belts or Serpentine belts, they keep the power steering, air-conditioner compressor, water pump and alternator turning.

Inspect Your Engine’s Hoses and Belts Regularly

Automotive Timing Belt

The belt is constructed out of a specific combination of rubber which is made to operate in the very hot area that is your engine. Although durable, there does come a point when they become worn out or snap. If this occurs while you are driving, let’s say on a highway, you can be left stranded.

An engine hose is made to carry liquids. If the hose to the radiator is cracked or broken, then you could begin to leak coolant, and your engine would rapidly overheat. If your engine overheats you can not drive your vehicle. All it takes to determine whether your vehicle’s belts or hoses need to be replaced before they fail on you, is a quick inspection.

A qualified technician can inspect the vehicle and detect cracks, worn down ribbing or brittle rubber. It is important to prevent having an uncomfortable or even dangerous breakdown, by having your belts and hoses inspected. This simple inspection could save you from getting an overheated engine, which is not only time consuming but also inconvenient and expensive to repair.

The Timing Belt sutomotive hoses and belts

The timing belt is vital to the operation and performance of your engine. The timing belt does just that, time, if there is damage or stretching to the timing belt, your engine will not work properly. It is highly recommended that once your engine reaches 160,000 km, you replace the timing belt. Every 15,000 km your engine belt should be inspected.

Everyday use causes the timing belts to become worn out and if the engine is strained more than it should be due to wet weather or pulling a trailer then this will happen even quicker. When inspecting your timing belt, the technician will look for edges that are worn out and where you can see the filaments, any form of cracking on either side, surfaces that are shiny or glazing; this is a symptom of flexibility being lost on the belt and means it is easier for it to break.

When inspecting the timing belt a technician will also look for a collection of materials as when the timing belt begins to wear out there can be a buildup of debris on the rib cross-sections, noise and unwanted vibrations can come from this. Stretching or elongation reduces the amount of tension placed on the belt and lowers the needed power being transferred to the accessories.

If the tensioners internal components have malfunctioned then you will have misalignment which can cause excess vibrations and noise and it can eventually lead to your vehicle overheating. Timing is everything, especially when dealing with the performance of your automobile so make sure that you have regular inspections performed on your timing belts in Kelowna British Columbia.