Serpentine belt
A serpentine belt (or drive belt
To allow the belt to pass over more than three pulleys with a large enough wrap angle to avoid slipping,
Variations
On some engine designs, the "back" (smooth side) of the belt may drive some accessories. This is typically limited to components requiring less torque or where a large angle of wrap is present. Such accessories will counter-rotate vs. the "normal" pulleys. Some vehicles use two serpentine belts for their system, such as the manual transaxle equipped
.Advantages
It is more efficient than the older multiple belt system and may consume less space in the engine compartment. By using a single, wider belt instead of multiple, thinner belts, the belt may be put under increased tension without stretching. Higher tension reduces slip, which increases belt life and
Disadvantages
The drawback of this single belt is that if the belt breaks or is knocked loose, the vehicle instantly loses multiple critical functions. The water pump, power steering pump, and alternator (for battery charging) would cease functioning. The vehicle becomes quickly unusable due to loss of engine cooling.[2] The belt typically gives ample visual warning of impending failure, sometimes even totally shedding several grooves (ribs) while continuing to function acceptably.
Furthermore, the loss of function of a single component (such as a power steering pump or air conditioning compressor) causes the failure of the entire accessory drive. Sometimes, this can be overcome with a shorter belt to bypass the failed components (if the belt is available). But this is not always possible. Thus, it is possible to be stranded because of, say, a seized power steering pump or A/C compressor clutch. It may also not be possible to restore use of the vehicle without first repairing the bad power steering pump or A/C compressor, which precludes a simple roadside repair.
See also
References
- ^ "Symptoms of a Bad or Failing Serpentine/Drive Belt". Autoblog. Archived from the original on 28 May 2021. Retrieved 24 November 2021.
- ^ a b "Your Car's Serpentine Belt". Firestone Tire and Rubber Company. Retrieved 9 July 2017.
- ^ Radu, Vlad (2022-03-08). "A Short History of Buick's 3800: One of the Best, yet Underrated V6 Engines of All Time". autoevolution. Retrieved 2023-09-05.
- ^ Reyes, Alvin (2023-05-15). "Here's What Made The Buick 3800 V6 So Special". slashgear.com. Retrieved 2023-09-05.