Change Serpentine belt with ZERO cracks?
06-11-2015, 08:26 PM
#1
Honda-Tech Member
Thread Starter
Change Serpentine belt with ZERO cracks?
The serpentine belt on my 'new to me' Accord has ZERO cracks. I inspect it up, down, bended backwards, and there are absolutely no cracks. The car just broke 105k miles. I have no squeals or anything.
The tensioner arrow is to the right of the bar though, which usually indicates that the belt is due. Do you guys change belt just because of the bar?
All my research online says that the belt will show cracks when it is bent backward, or it will start becoming noisy. I am not one to change things 'just because' for no apparent reason.
The tensioner arrow is to the right of the bar though, which usually indicates that the belt is due. Do you guys change belt just because of the bar?
All my research online says that the belt will show cracks when it is bent backward, or it will start becoming noisy. I am not one to change things 'just because' for no apparent reason.
06-11-2015, 09:12 PM
#2
Honda-Tech Member
Thread Starter
Re: Change Serpentine belt with ZERO cracks?
Gates Use these Tech Tips to learn how to diagnose EPDM belt wear
Neoprene Belt Wear vs EPDM Belt Wear
While it's hard to tell neoprene and EPDM belts apart visually, EPDM belts far outlast and outperform their predecessors. Neoprene belts have a life expectancy of 50-60K miles, and as they wear out, cracks and chunk-outs will occur. EPDM belts rarely show these symptoms, even at very high mileage.
As EPDM belts age, they gradually lose rubber material similar to the way a vehicle’s tires wear out. Over a period of 100,000 miles, a belt can lose up to 10% of its rib material. While this may not seem like a lot, the consequences can be significant.
As EPDM belts age, they gradually lose rubber material similar to the way a vehicle’s tires wear out. Over a period of 100,000 miles, a belt can lose up to 10% of its rib material. While this may not seem like a lot, the consequences can be significant.
When EPDM serpentine belts lose material in the valleys of the ribs, the space between the ribs widens without the ribs getting shorter. As more material is lost, the pulleys ride deeper into the belt valleys resulting in slip, noise, and hydroplaning.
With sufficient material loss, the pulley ribs “bottom out” in the valleys and ride on the belt cord. This reduces the surface contact on the valley sides where the traction is generated. Wear also increases the effective belt length, lowering the tension in the system, which also reduces traction.
With sufficient material loss, the pulley ribs “bottom out” in the valleys and ride on the belt cord. This reduces the surface contact on the valley sides where the traction is generated. Wear also increases the effective belt length, lowering the tension in the system, which also reduces traction.
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