Is Your Fan Belt Acting Fussy?

Are you concerned that your that your fan belt is on its way to complete disrepair?

Worried that your aging fan belt might be too hard to fix, or that if you drive it longer it might cause your car more trouble?

And are you wondering what the difference is between a fan belt and a serpentine belt? Not to worry, when we say "fan belt" we mean "serpentine belt," too: the serpentine belt is the longer, post-'80s version of the fan belt, as explained below.

Regardless of what drew you to this article, it's the right place for you to be if you're looking to learn about fan belts or serpentine belts, because that's what we're gonna use this space to talk about!

Starting with...

How Can I Tell If My Fan Belt Is Bad?

   ● Steering your vehicle becomes a wrestling match. If steering has become a little more challenging than it used to be, it might be a sign that your fan belt is on its way out. 

As the fan belt continues to lose its grip and slip, it makes power steering increasingly difficult, as your car misses the help of the water pump, which also has responsibility for driving the power steering belt.

  ● The cabin inside your car develops disco fever. As the belt continues to lose its grip, it will struggle to turn the alternator, especially during a cold start. So you may notice that the lights inside the car, and the headlights, go dim when you start your car or whenever there's an extra load on your battery.

  ● Your car hits the “snooze” button when you try to start it. As your serpentine belt wears down, it has trouble turning the alternator belt consistently, which can lead to no-start problems. 

Sometimes it gets so bad that it kills your battery, or causes the car to intermittently fail to start, even when the battery is charged up.

  ● Your vehicle spikes a fever. As your fan belt or serpentine belt breaks down and frays, it won't be able to turn the water pump consistently, which slowly defeats the engine's cooling systems and causes the temperature to rise more than it should. 

At first, it'll only be a few degrees and you might just notice off hand that your temp gauge is up a few degrees more than normal. After a while, if the belt lets the water pump slide enough times, the engine will overheat.

  ● Your serpentine belt is impersonating a snake in the grass. If you find your fan belt is no longer attached to your engine, or is lying on the ground somewhere, that is definitely a sign that it's time to replace your fan belt!

When experienced individually, these signs do not always indicate that your fan belt or serpentine belt needs to be replaced. 

Many types of electrical and mechanical failures can cause most of these signs and symptoms as well. But seeing two or more of these signs or symptoms together increases the likelihood that your car's fan belt needs your attention.

Why Is My Car Making That Noise?

Old fan belts and serpentine belts are one of the most common parts that cause your car to make some seriously disturbing noises.

●Squealing: If you're noticing a loud squealing or scratching noise coming from under your hood—especially when you first start your car or truck for the day, when you're going up a hill with the heater or A/C on, or when you push on the accelerator pedal—that is your fan belt screaming out: "CHANGE ME!"

●Flapping: If your serpentine belt partially breaks or severely frays, it can start making a "flapping" sound as the broken parts of the belt strike various other things inside the front of the engine compartment.

●Ticking: This is another sound that can occur when small pieces of the belt have separated and are briefly striking other things. It's a small ticking sound that speeds up when you hit the gas.

Signs and Symptoms of a Fan Belt Needing Replacement

When Starting Up	While Driving	Upon Inspection
Screeching or squealing noise	Squealing while driving up hills	Noticeable fraying
Flickering or blinking lights	Squealing while A/C or heater is on	Noticeable cracking
Difficulty starting	Flapping or ticking sounds	Broken or torn strips
No start	Trouble with power steering	Missing completely
Headlights dim	Loss of power steering	Missing tread or ribs, or worn out tread
Amperage gauge stays on	Temp gauge shows elevation or the engine overheats	—