Automotive Belts and Hoses 

BELTS AND HOSES

Belts and hoses are critical for your vehicle's engine along with its cooling, air conditioning, and charging systems. Accessory drive belts, serpentine belts, and timing belts ensure coordination between key engine components when the engine is running, such as the crankshaft, camshafts, water pump, alternator, power steering pump, and radiator cooling fan.

Here are some of the different belts and hoses that can be found under the hood of your vehicle:

Serpentine Belt

Also called V-belts or accessory drive belts, serpentine belts power your vehicle's A/C compressor, power steering pump, cooling fan, alternator, and other engine accessories. Most modern vehicles have one or two belts to drive their accessories.

Timing Belt

This notched rubber belt wraps around the crankshaft and camshafts. By aligning the timing marks, the camshafts turn to open and close the valves in the cylinder head in synchronized movement with the engine's pistons. If your vehicle has an interference engine and the timing belt breaks, the engine will be seriously damaged and stop working.

Coolant Hose

Radiator and heater hoses circulate the antifreeze that keeps your engine from overheating. These rubber hoses are constantly exposed to high temperatures, which can cause cracks, kinks, stretching, and leaks. Radiator hoses can be made of rubber or silicone. They're susceptible to different degrees of wear and tear and can have shorter or longer lifespans.

Other Engine Hoses

There are different types of hoses that are designed and rated to transfer various fluids and liquids to an engine and other parts of your vehicle. A fuel hose transfers gasoline and diesel from the tank to the carburetor or fuel injectors. A power steering hose connects the power steering reservoir to the power steering pump, which connects to your steering rack or box.

SYMPTOMS OF FAULTY BELTS OR HOSES

Exposure to heat, vibration, and contaminants causes belts and hoses to split, crack, or make squeaking, screeching, or grinding noises. Other symptoms to watch for include loss of power, leaking coolant or other fluids, increased coolant temperature, an overheating engine, and air conditioning failure.

Since your car's belts and hoses operate whenever the engine is running, if a hose bursts or collapses, or if a belt tears or snaps, it can disable your vehicle and cause substantial damage to your engine.

It's important to check the condition of your belts and hoses on a regular basis if you want to avoid expensive repairs.You should also consider other factors that contribute to wear and tear on belts and hoses, such as vehicle age, mileage, belt tension, hose clamp failure, degradation, and oil contamination.

Regularly maintaining your car's belts and hoses is recommended, and you should replace them before they break and cause a failure, which may not be covered under warranty. Consider asking a NAPA parts expert for advice on the best belts and hoses for your vehicle to avoid any unpleasant surprises.

PULLEYS AND TENSIONERS

Pulleys are required for proper belt function. They ensure that the belt turns smoothly while providing support and maintaining tension. For pulleys to work properly, they require a tensioner. There are three types of tensioners: fixed, adjustable, and automatic. Tensioners absorb vibrations and reduce the tension in the belt.

GET THE BEST BELTS AND HOSES FOR YOUR VEHICLE

At NAPA Auto Parts, we have a wide selection of quality belts, hoses, pulleys, and tensioners for your car, truck, or SUV. Avoid costly repairs by shopping the best replacement parts for your vehicle in-store or on the NAPA website.

It's possible to verify your entire accessory belt drive system and inspect and replace your car's hoses on your own. If you prefer to have your vehicle checked by a professional, head to a NAPA AUTOPRO centre near you and let us inspect and service your vehicle for you.