HOW TO INSPECT YOUR SERPENTINE BELT FOR WEAR
                     HOW TO INSPECT YOUR SERPENTINE BELT FOR 
WEAR
Paul Norman Jasper
Writer at autopartsu.com whose favorite topics 
include, Replacement auto parts reviews and 
Replacement car parts reviews.
What does your alternator, water pump, air conditioner, and power steering 
have in common? On a modern vehicle, they’re all driven by a serpentine 
belt. What you don’t want is for this long strip of rubber to suddenly break 
while you’re on the road, as you’ll lose all of these driven accessories and 
possibly the engine itself.
Capable of lasting 50,000 miles or more, today’s serpentine belts are long-
lived. Nevertheless, a quick inspection from time to time can help save you 
plenty of headaches. Here’s how to check your car’s serpentine belt for wear 
and tear.
LISTEN AND LEARN
Serpentine belts tend to get a little noisy as they wear out with age and use. 
In fact, belt squeak is usually one of the first signs that your serpentine belt is 
due for replacement. If your serpentine belt squeaks or squeals, whether it 
happens upon engine startup or on a constant basis, then it’s time for a more 
thorough inspection.
While it’s tempting to mask serpentine belt squeal with products like belt 
dressing, doing so can actually make things worse. Not only are you ignoring 
one of the many signs of a short life for your serpentine belt, but some 
products can actually worsen the belt’s condition, making it more likely to fail 
sooner.
LOOK FOR WEAR SIGNS
Most serpentine belts tend to wear out gradually, giving you plenty of 
warning.
Look for glazing on the top of the belt, as well as the grooves. Friction 
between the belt and the drive pulleys can leave behind glazed spots. Poor 
belt alignment or a weak automatic serpentine belt tensioner can cause 
slippage, resulting in glazing.
Check for fraying and cracking on the top and edges of the belt, as well as on 
the belt ribs. It’s not uncommon for serpentine belts to shed material as they 
age, especially if there’s a problem with the belt’s alignment or a problem 
with one of the drive pulleys.
Check the serpentine belt’s tension by finding the longest run between drive 
pulleys and pressing down on the middle of the belt. A brand-new and 
properly routed serpentine belt should be taut and have less than a half-inch 
of play, whereas a worn-out belt may give by an inch or more.
USING A WEAR GAUGE
If you’re dealing with a serpentine belt made from ethylene propylene diene 
monomer or EPDM, then chances are you won’t see the traditional signs of 
wear and tear mentioned above. Instead, EPDM belts tend to wear out in the 
same manner as a car tire. That means you’ll find gradual wear that’s hard to 
spot with the naked eye.
A belt wear gauge comes in handy for discovering signs of wear and tear on 
an EPDM serpentine belt. With the engine off, place the belt wear gauge on 
the serpentine belt with the ribs on the gauge fitting into the grooves on the 
belt. Once the tool is seated, hold it in place with light pressure and try to 
rock the gauge back and forth.
If the gauge stays firmly seated with little to no movement, then the belt has 
plenty of life left in it. You may even see the tool rest slightly above the 
serpentine belt’s surface. If the gauge rocks laterally and/or lies completely 
flush against the serpentine belt, that means the belt material has worn 
down enough to merit replacement.
About Autopartsu.com
Autopartsu.com is the website of Auto Parts University. This site provides 
information on various car parts with detailed reviews to help visitors. Site 
content helps the visitors to find right solution for auto parts. This site 
provides articles that cover detailed information of auto parts, features, 
general information, financing information and technical advice articles. 
Replacement auto parts reviews at autopartsu.com are popular. 
Replacement car parts reviews at autopartsu.com are known for their 
credibility. It offers information on a wide variety of auto parts. For more 
details on the auto parts please visit https://autopartsu.com/