Signs You Need To Replace Your Radiator's Fan Belt

Automotive Blog

Your radiator fan belt is an integral part of your vehicle's coolant system. The belt keeps the fan rotating, allowing cool air circulate throughout the engine and blowing hot air into the cabin if needed. If the belt itself is damaged or broken, your radiator's performance, and by extension your vehicle's engine performance, can be severely negatively affected. Thankfully, there are a couple of signs that you can keep your eye out for to help determine when you should head to a mechanic to have the fan belt replaced.

Noises

Radiator fan belts that are in good condition won't make any noise while in operation. If you can hear a squealing sound from your engine while you're driving, your radiator fan belt may to blame. This is usually caused by corrosion of the actual belt, which causes it to slip against the pulleys that it is installed upon, creating increased friction and the aforementioned squealing sound. This is more than an annoyance: the squealing and the friction causing it will increase the amount of wear on the already damaged belt, making it more likely that the belt will break in the future.

Looseness

You can open up your hood to take a look directly at your radiator fan belt. Check your owner's manual to see where exactly it's located in the make and model of your car, but in general it will be located on the front portion of your engine block. Once you locate it, you can gauge the tautness of your radiator fan belt by pressing down on it with your fingers. A fan belt that is in good condition should be fairly taut and will not give under pressure, so if your belt moves quite a bit when you press down on it, you should consider talking to an auto repair mechanic about having the belt replaced.

Physical Damage

In a similar train of thought to the above point, you should inspect your radiator fan belt for signs of damage when you check how tightly it is secured to the pulleys. While this may seem obvious, you should closely look at the surface of the belt for even small rips and tears or pinholes that can develop in your belt. While small abrasions and other forms of damage may not have an immediate effect on your radiator, they can quickly spread and cause your belt to literally fall apart, leaving your radiator inoperable.

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27 February 2017

Driving a New Vehicle Style Was Easier Than I Expected

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