Cottonwood Auto Repair

Arizona heat is hard on anything made of rubber, and engine belts are no exception. Your serpentine or accessory drive belt spends months sitting in a hot engine compartment while also bending around pulleys thousands of times every time you drive. The damage does not always show up as one obvious crack. Heat can harden the rubber, weaken the ribs, glaze the surface, and make the belt less flexible long before it actually breaks. After a long Arizona summer, checking the belt before cooler weather arrives is a simple way to avoid getting stranded by a part that was already near the end of its life. Cracks and Missing Rib Material Are Clear Warning Signs Older belts can develop cracks across the ribs or lose small sections of rubber. On some newer belt designs, obvious cracking is less common, so we also look for missing rib material, frayed edges, and a surface that looks worn unevenly. At our shop, we inspect both sides of the belt instead of checking only the smo ... read more