Volkswagen Cabrio Serpentine/Drive Belt Replacement at your home or office.

Our mobile mechanics offer services 7 days a week. Upfront and transparent pricing.

Estimate price near me

Service Location

Customer Ratings

(3)

Included for free with this service

Online Booking

Mechanic comes to you

12-month / 12k-mile warranty

Free 50 point safety inspection

Our certified mobile mechanics can come to your home or office 7 days a week between 7 AM and 9 PM.

Customer Ratings

(3)

Serpentine/Drive Belt Replacement Service

How much does a Serpentine/Drive Belt Replacement cost?

On average, the cost for a Volkswagen Cabrio Serpentine/Drive Belt Replacement is $155 with $15 for parts and $140 for labor. Prices may vary depending on your location.

CarServiceEstimateShop/Dealer Price
1998 Volkswagen CabrioL4-2.0LService typeSerpentine/Drive Belt ReplacementEstimate$185.90Shop/Dealer Price$197.23 - $223.10
1995 Volkswagen CabrioL4-2.0LService typeSerpentine/Drive Belt ReplacementEstimate$176.89Shop/Dealer Price$186.45 - $211.00
2001 Volkswagen CabrioL4-2.0LService typeSerpentine/Drive Belt ReplacementEstimate$176.89Shop/Dealer Price$186.47 - $211.04
1996 Volkswagen CabrioL4-2.0LService typeSerpentine/Drive Belt ReplacementEstimate$176.89Shop/Dealer Price$186.47 - $211.04
1999 Volkswagen CabrioL4-2.0LService typeSerpentine/Drive Belt ReplacementEstimate$176.89Shop/Dealer Price$187.95 - $213.62
1997 Volkswagen CabrioL4-2.0LService typeSerpentine/Drive Belt ReplacementEstimate$176.89Shop/Dealer Price$186.61 - $211.29
2000 Volkswagen CabrioL4-2.0LService typeSerpentine/Drive Belt ReplacementEstimate$176.89Shop/Dealer Price$186.49 - $211.07
2002 Volkswagen CabrioL4-2.0LService typeSerpentine/Drive Belt ReplacementEstimate$176.89Shop/Dealer Price$186.47 - $211.04
Show example Volkswagen Cabrio Serpentine/Drive Belt Replacement prices

What is a serpentine belt and how does it work?

A serpentine belt is a relatively long, flat, multi-ribbed belt that is driven by the engine’s crankshaft pulley. The belt drives many, and often all, of the engine accessories such as the alternator, air conditioning compressor, power steering pump, water pump, and air pump. The serpentine belt is tensioned by a hydraulic or spring-loaded automatic tensioner. Some older cars use a serpentine belt to drive most accessories but will also have a shorter v-style belt to drive, for example, the power steering pump.

Belts

When to consider replacing the serpentine belt:

  • Regularly scheduled maintenance. Typically, belt manufacturers recommend belt replacement at 90,000 miles. However, the belt must be inspected for wear or damage at regular intervals prior to this high mileage.
  • Squealing noise, belt slippage, visible belt damage. Should the belt fail or wear out prematurely, you may hear noise or you may see visible signs of deterioration such as missing chunks of rubber, excessive cracking, or a shredded appearance on the edge of the belt.
  • Battery Light. A loose belt, perhaps caused by a defective tensioner, may not drive the alternator at adequate speed and thus the battery may discharge, causing the warning light to illuminate.
  • Engine overheating. Often, the serpentine belt drives the water pump. In those applications, if the belt breaks the engine will overheat in seconds to minutes. If the belt is inadequately tensioned, you may notice higher-than-normal engine operating temperature.

How do mechanics replace the serpentine belt?

  • Prior to removing the belt, the mechanic must run the engine to determine if the idler pulley and the belt tensioner are noise-free. Those rotating components have grease filled bearings and are subject to wear. In addition, the mechanic will ensure that all pulleys and accessories are turning in the same plane. These steps help make sure your new belt will operate trouble-free for its full-service life.
  • The belt’s routing path through the various components is noted. The belt tensioner is released, usually with a wrench or lever, to release the tension from the belt. With the tension off, the belt slides off the pulleys.
  • All rotating components — that is the alternator, air conditioner compressor, etc. — are checked for smooth operation and no noise.
  • If everything checks out, the new belt is slipped over all of the pulleys while holding the tensioner away from the belt. Once the belt is centered on all pulleys, the tensioner is released and the installation is complete. The engine is run to ensure normal operation.

Is it safe to drive with a serpentine belt problem?

No. Should the belt have visible damage, you risk unexpected and sudden breakage that could potentially leave you stranded. Serpentine belt problems that result in the alternator not charging may cause the battery to discharge, which will result in loss of electrical power to the vehicle. Additionally, if a deteriorated belt breaks and that belt drives the water pump, the engine will overheat in a matter of seconds.

When replacing the serpentine belt keep in mind:

  • On many cars, the expected service life of a serpentine belt is around 90,000 miles. Should the belt fail well prior to that, a very careful inspection should be performed to check for out-of-alignment pulleys, a possibly out-of-position crankshaft harmonic balancer on which the drive pulley is mounted, binding pulleys, or a defective belt tensioner.
  • Attention should always be given to serpentine belt routing, since proper routing is critical to proper belt tension, and function of the driven components.
  • Sometimes it is difficult to distinguish serpentine belt related noise from other engine noises. In these cases, a mechanic will determine the origin of the noise by momentarily running the engine without the serpentine belt attached.

Fast and easy service at your home or office

Backed by 12-month, 12.000-mile guarantee


Meet some of our expert Volkswagen mechanics

Real customer reviews from Volkswagen owners like you.

Excellent Rating

(3)

Rating Summary
3
0
0
0
0
3
0
0
0
0

Robert

31 years of experience
228 reviews
Robert
31 years of experience
Cabrio 1995 - Serpentine/Drive Belt - Hiram, GA
Very nice and new what he was doin

Vadym

4 years of experience
43 reviews
Vadym
4 years of experience
Cabrio 2001 - Check Engine Light is on - Aurora, CO
Vadym knows his stuff! Got right to the job and was able to take care of everything. Very professional.

Gustavo

15 years of experience
12 reviews
Gustavo
15 years of experience
Jetta 2013 - Ignition Coil - Irvington, NJ
This is my first experience with a mechanic coming to my home to fix my car. Gustavos was on time and very professional. If I could rate him 100 stars I would. Great job and would definitely recommend him to my friends and family.

Gustavo

15 years of experience
12 reviews
Gustavo
15 years of experience
Jetta 2013 - Check Engine Light is on - Irvington, NJ
This is my first experience with a mechanic coming to my home to fix my car. Gustavos was on time and very professional. If I could rate him 100 stars I would. Great job and would definitely recommend him to my friends and family.

Excellent Rating

(3)

Rating Summary
3
0
0
0
0
3
0
0
0
0
Number of Volkswagen Cabrio Serpentine/Drive Belt Replacement services completed
33+
services done by our mechanics
TOTAL NUMBER OF EXPERT Volkswagen MECHANICS
1000+
experts on our platform

Recent articles & questions

Is it Safe to Drive With an Oil Leak?
Oil lubricates the engine, and is an essential part of your vehicle. Oil reduces corrosion, helps to cool the engine, and...
How Does an Engine Idle High and Low?
A common problem that car owners experience is high or low engine idle. A damaged intake gasket, cold air intake, or PCV valve can cause idle issues.
P0668 OBD-II Trouble Code: PCM/ECM/TCM Internal Temperature Sensor Circuit Low
P0668 means there is a problematic temperature reading from the engine or transmission. This could be due to a faulty sensor or wire, or overheating.

Brake pedal not working properly.

The brake master cylinder on your car has two internal chambers and it sounds like you have one of them failing or you have a major fluid leak. The first thing to look at is if the fluid is low...

2005 Chevy Avalanche dash lights occasionally go dim.

Yes, but any component in the lighting circuit could cause or contribute to the problem. An intermittent fault is causing a voltage drop in the circuit and that, in turn is causing the lights to dim. Often, there is a...

Hi car won’t start it turns over but it’s like there no fuel to ignite

How can we help?

Our service team is available 7 days a week, Monday - Friday from 6 AM to 5 PM PST, Saturday - Sunday 7 AM - 4 PM PST.

1 (855) 347-2779 · hi@yourmechanic.com