Q: Is the drive belt different from the timing belt?

The serpentine belt (aka drive belt), is the belt that drives the accessories on the front of the engine. It drives the alternator, water pump, power steering pump, air conditioning compressor, and any other belt driven accessories. This is the belt that you can see when looking at the engine. The timing belt on the other hand, is located behind a set of covers on the front of the engine and is used to transfer power from the crankshaft to the camshaft. It is designed to turn the camshaft in a direct correlation to the crankshaft so the engine will be able to go through its cycles and the actions on each cycle will stay in synch. If you need to have the belts replaced, contact a certified mechanic, like those available at YourMechanic.com.