Q: Broken belt
was driving down the road, steering wheel was hard to turn, battery light came on and car heated up
the most common cause of a belt breaking or coming off is the belt tensioner seizes and throws off the belt. Have the tensioner and belt replaced. Check all the other pulleys are free moving and not seized.
The statements expressed above are only for informational purposes and should be independently verified. Please see our
terms of service
for more details
Get an instant quote for your car
Our certified mechanics come to you ・Backed by 12-month, 12,000-mile guarantee・Fair and transparent pricing
What others are asking
How do you check the engine oil?
Keeping an eye on the fluids in your car is an important part of being a responsible vehicle owner. Your oil should be checked regularly, at least once per month, but more frequently is fine. Here’s how to do it:...
AC not working at idle
Your symptoms lead me to believe you may have a problem concerning your cooling fans at the front of the vehicle. While the engine is running and the car sitting still, both fans should come on when the air conditioning...
White smoke at starup on a '98 Maxima
That is a classic sign of the blowing head gasket. What you'd want to do first is watch my video "how to tell if your head gasket is blowing (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QA7KVQq9vKA)." If it is, you'll need to figure out whether you'd...
Service light on, high temperature, heat off
The only way to gain insight as to what happened it to retrieve the diagnostic trouble codes associated with the Check Engine Light. Even if the Check Engine Light is not on anymore, you may be able to retrieve history...
clicking noise in heating and cooling duct work under dash
The noise you are hearing is likely a temperature or blend door electronic actuator, which will make the clicking noise when the circuit board inside the actuator goes bad. The actuator that is bad will need to be located and...
When i try to put my vehicle into gear the shifter moves freely and will not go into any gear is a 2003 Cavalier what could that b
If you are unable to actually change gears, the possibility of damage to the linkage between the shift lever and the gearbox has to be ruled out first. The linkage might appear to move but it might not be moving...
I have coolant in my lower intake manifold after replacing the gasket in my upper manifold in my 1996 Chevrolet Suburban.
Hi there. If you have coolant in your lower manifold also then at the very minimum you need to blow it out with compressed air. I would recommend removing the lower manifold also to make sure that you get it...
Related articles
How Do Drive and Serpentine Belts Work?
The The drive belt on your vehicle delivers power to the car’s engine, alternator, water pump, power steering pump, and air conditioner compressor. Usually, a car has one or two drive belts, and if there is only one, it is...
Symptoms of a Bad or Failing Serpentine/Drive Belt
Common signs include a squealing noise from the front of the vehicle, power steering and AC not working, engine overheating, and cracks on the belt.
How to Tighten a Drive Belt
If you have just replaced your drive belt (https://www.yourmechanic.com/article/common-signs -your-drive-belt-needs-replacement) and you are noticing high-pitched squeaking or squealing under the hood,...
Browse other content
Maintenance
Cities