car belts hoses

Belts & Hoses

FAQ

Carage is pleased to provide the following frequently asked questions about the automotive belt and hose repair that our team of technicians often hear from our customers in and around the greater Jupiter area.

Here are some common questions about Belts & Hoses.

Carage knows that nothing can be more embarrassing than driving around the streets of the greater Jupiter area with a squeaky fan belt under the hood of a car. Aside from being embarrassing, a squeaky fan belt can be mildly if not terribly bothersome when listening to it squeal for extended periods of time. Sometimes a belt will squeal upon starting a vehicle and will disappear shortly thereafter. Other times though the squealing belt problem will last for the duration of the time the car engine is running. Carage is happy to offer the following free automotive repair advice to our customers in the Jupiter area who have a problem with a squeaking fan belt.

Belt dressing is a product available at most auto repair supply stores and can work wonders when the instructions on the package are followed correctly. Belt dressing has the ability to work wonders for stopping a belt from squealing and prevent the squealing from returning for quite some after applied.

If a squealing belt problem happens when it is not possible to purchase belt dressing or it is more desirable to save on expenses there is an “old-fashioned” way to stop a belt from squealing — bar soap! That’s right, ordinary bar soap can usually stop the squealing when rubbed on a fan belt. Just a few rubs on the belt with bar soap can solve the bar squealing problem for quite some time and save money in the process.

Carage always stresses to our customers in the Jupiter area with a squealing fan belt that it is always important to be safe when working around an engine and turning off the engine is the best bet when applying either belt dressing or bar soap to a fan belt to solve a squealing belt problem.

Carage is sometimes asked by our customers in the Jupiter area “what is a serpentine belt”? When asked, one of the skilled auto mechanics on the Carage team will tell our customers that were they to take a look at the underside of their vehicle they would either notice a single belt woven through several pulleys or a system of belts connected to pulleys in front of the vehicle’s engine. When only one belt is present, that belt would be a serpentine belt. The serpentine belt is distinguished from other belts in that it is one continuous belt that connects itself to multiple devices. On older model vehicles, multiple belts were employed to drive the various engine compartment devices. But after the serpentine belt was developed in 1979, the majority of, if not all, vehicle manufacturers began using serpentine belts due to their ease of use and overall efficiency. One of the primary benefits of using a serpentine belt is that in older model vehicles, components such as the alternator, air, and power steering pumps were all connected to belt systems and if one belt broke a vehicle’s owner might not be aware of losing the operation of one component. Alternatively, with a serpentine belt, all the pulleys of the various components are connected meaning a driver will know quickly if the serpentine belt breaks because ALL the components, including power steering, will suffer immediately or completely shut down. If you live in the greater Jupiter area and are having a problem with your serpentine belt and want the advice of a qualified and skilled auto repair specialist please contact Carage!

Carage recommends changing your vehicle’s belts and hoses at 35,000 and 60,000 miles. The best time to replace belts and hoses is prior to the hot Jupiter summer months. The cost to change belts and hoses can vary from one engine type to another.