Volvo 960 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

(19)

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

(19)

Serpentine/Drive Belt Replacement Service

How much does a Serpentine/Drive Belt Replacement cost?

On average, the cost for a Volvo 960 Serpentine/Drive Belt Replacement is $182 with $42 for parts and $140 for labor. Prices may vary depending on your location.

CarServiceEstimateShop/Dealer Price
1994 Volvo 960L6-2.9LService typeSerpentine/Drive Belt ReplacementEstimate$238.64Shop/Dealer Price$263.15 - $328.58
1996 Volvo 960L6-2.9LService typeSerpentine/Drive Belt ReplacementEstimate$229.89Shop/Dealer Price$252.70 - $317.00
1993 Volvo 960L6-2.9LService typeSerpentine/Drive Belt ReplacementEstimate$229.63Shop/Dealer Price$252.40 - $316.52
1992 Volvo 960L6-2.9LService typeSerpentine/Drive Belt ReplacementEstimate$229.63Shop/Dealer Price$252.40 - $316.52
1997 Volvo 960L6-2.9LService typeSerpentine/Drive Belt ReplacementEstimate$229.99Shop/Dealer Price$254.32 - $319.82
1995 Volvo 960L6-2.9LService typeSerpentine/Drive Belt ReplacementEstimate$229.89Shop/Dealer Price$252.86 - $317.29
Show example Volvo 960 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 Volvo mechanics

Real customer reviews from Volvo owners like you.

Excellent Rating

(19)

Rating Summary
19
0
0
0
0
19
0
0
0
0

Alex

24 years of experience
464 reviews
Alex
24 years of experience
Volvo 960 L6-2.9L - Check Engine Light is on - Garland, Texas
Professional expert mechanic

Whitney

40 years of experience
783 reviews
Whitney
40 years of experience
Volvo 960 L6-2.9L - Spark Plugs - Mountain View, California
Incredibly knowledgeable and generous with his time. He was willing to walk me through my problems in detail without missing a step.

H

27 years of experience
828 reviews
H
27 years of experience
Volvo 960 L6-2.9L - Radiator Flush - Saratoga, California
Probably the most helpful mechanic in the bay area

Lucas

30 years of experience
938 reviews
Lucas
30 years of experience
Volvo 960 L6-2.9L - Brake Pads Replacement (Rear) - North Hollywood, California
Always love working with Lucas.

Excellent Rating

(19)

Rating Summary
19
0
0
0
0
19
0
0
0
0
Number of Volvo 960 services completed
209+
services done by our mechanics
TOTAL NUMBER OF EXPERT Volvo MECHANICS
600+
experts on our platform

Recent articles & questions

How to Replace an Intake Manifold Gasket
The intake manifold gaskets fail when coolant is leaking, the engine overheats, or the engine misfires or has reduced performance.
Top 10 Scenic Drives in South Dakota
South Dakota may not get a lot of play outside of seeing Mount Rushmore as a tourist destination, but that doesn’t mean there isn’t an array of recreational opportunities and scenic views. It just means the state’s most treasured areas...
How the Starter Works in Your Car
A A car starter is a powerful electric motor that cranks your engine in order to start your car. The starting system consists of the motor itself, and the attached solenoid. The solenoid is what takes battery power and delivers...

For what reason is my car grinding and forcing itself to turn off at low RPM's?

Hi there. The battery could be low on a charge. Check the voltage of the battery and if it's lower than 12.4 volts it will need to charged or replaced. for the grinding noise that you are hearing, either the...

Whining noise after head gasket replacement on Subaru Impreza 2007

Hi Al. Let me try to answer your questions in order. First, it is always possible that a mechanic made a mistake when reassembling your engine. However, what is more probable is that whatever caused the head gasket to fail...

I have a new question.

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