This is what the dealer showed me and want to replace it. 60k miles and already has some cracks. I'm inclined to agree with them but just want opinions from you guys. How does this happen anyway?
Thanks!
Serpentine Belt
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This is what the dealer showed me and want to replace it. 60k miles and already has some cracks. I'm inclined to agree with them but just want opinions from you guys. How does this happen anyway?
Thanks!
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31 Posts
I had mine replaced at 56000 miles. I live up north so with the cold weather and summer time. The heat and cold will cause the rubber to expand and over time cause it to crack. It wasn’t to expensive to have them replace it. It cost me like $165 to have the dealership replace it. You can probably get the belt for like $25-30 on amazon & might take 1 to 1.5 hrs to replace it.
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Cracks in the rubber like the one in the image are superficial. It's like saying paint cracks mean the wall is unsound.
The serp belt's structure is in the cords of the belt, and such cracks do not affect these cords.
If you start to lose this rubber, it still won't harm the belt structure, but that's when I replace it.
The serp belt's structure is in the cords of the belt, and such cracks do not affect these cords.
If you start to lose this rubber, it still won't harm the belt structure, but that's when I replace it.
Whew, that's good to know. The dealership was charging $260. The local Mavis is charging $140
Glad to know I can breathe a bit about it
Glad to know I can breathe a bit about it
Sound advice. I worked as a ASE certified automotive technician for years at a Ford dealer. Ford actually sent out a TSB stating these cracks were not cause for replacement.
That's alright for Ford to say, it's not them stuck in the back blocks of the never never, or stranded on a highway between towns/cities.
That brings up a good point. How long is that rubber good for before it gets dangerous? I had no idea such a thing even existed if not for that picture. If that's at 60k how many more do you guys think it could go before you would replace it?
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Factory-Recommended Maintenance for 2016 and Newer Honda HR-V
To help ensure that your 2016 or newer Honda HR-V stays strong during its entire life, follow the Honda factory-recommended maintenance schedule. Performing all the various maintenance items at the recommended time will help to prevent mechanical problems before they occur, saving you money, hassle, and time. Additionally, following these schedules will help keep your manufacturer’s warranty intact for the life of the warranty.
• Replace the brake fluid every 3 years Independent of the maintenance messages in the information display
• Inspect idle speed every 160,000 miles.
• Adjust the valves during services A, B, 1, 2 or 3 if they are noisy.
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No disrespect to anyone but when in doubt always follow the manufacturer’s recommended maintenance section of the owners manual. Normally belts last 60,000 miles on a vehicle. If you wish to push it beyond that its your personal preference. Every vehicle manufacturer is different, if Ford wants to say don’t need to replace it, then is up to them to assume the risk. All I know is that cracking in a belt will eventually cause it to break. It can happen now or it could happen 100,000 miles from now.
To help ensure that your 2016 or newer Honda HR-V stays strong during its entire life, follow the Honda factory-recommended maintenance schedule. Performing all the various maintenance items at the recommended time will help to prevent mechanical problems before they occur, saving you money, hassle, and time. Additionally, following these schedules will help keep your manufacturer’s warranty intact for the life of the warranty.
• Replace the brake fluid every 3 years Independent of the maintenance messages in the information display
• Inspect idle speed every 160,000 miles.
• Adjust the valves during services A, B, 1, 2 or 3 if they are noisy.
No disrespect to anyone but when in doubt always follow the manufacturer’s recommended maintenance section of the owners manual. Normally belts last 60,000 miles on a vehicle. If you wish to push it beyond that its your personal preference. Every vehicle manufacturer is different, if Ford wants to say don’t need to replace it, then is up to them to assume the risk. All I know is that cracking in a belt will eventually cause it to break. It can happen now or it could happen 100,000 miles from now.
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175 Posts
These belts are not just rubber, but the load bearing part of the belt is the polyaramide cord.
The strength of this cord allows such belts to be used for final drives on heavyweight H-D motorcycles, which makes the serp belt's load minuscule by comparison.
Polyaramide is used to make those bullet proof vests bullet proof.
There is a belt stretch indicator on our HRVs, and if that is stable, the belt is stable.
The strength of this cord allows such belts to be used for final drives on heavyweight H-D motorcycles, which makes the serp belt's load minuscule by comparison.
Polyaramide is used to make those bullet proof vests bullet proof.
There is a belt stretch indicator on our HRVs, and if that is stable, the belt is stable.
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775 Posts
I've never seen a serpentine belt fail that wasn't caused by a failure of the belt tensioner or a belt driven rotating device.
But hey, a belt is cheap and super easy to replace on the HRV. Keep the old belt in your HRV as an emergency spare.
If you have a CVT transmission, I would spend more time checking and changing the fluid in it, rather than worrying about the serpentine belt.
But hey, a belt is cheap and super easy to replace on the HRV. Keep the old belt in your HRV as an emergency spare.
If you have a CVT transmission, I would spend more time checking and changing the fluid in it, rather than worrying about the serpentine belt.
Of course anyone that can profit will recommend replacement at the first sign of a crack or even just at a certain mileage. If you feel better doing so, by all means do it.
Durability of these belts is much better then the V-belts used years ago. In my many years of in the automotive service field, I've seen many cars running happily down the road with not only cracks in the belt but chunks of rubber missing. Of course I wouldn't recommend running it that far, replace it if there is any rubber missing. Most times I've came across a belt failure, it was caused by failure of another part...A/C clutch, idler pulley, water pump, alternator etc. As others have said, the strength of the belt is not in the rubber, but in the fiber belts.
Durability of these belts is much better then the V-belts used years ago. In my many years of in the automotive service field, I've seen many cars running happily down the road with not only cracks in the belt but chunks of rubber missing. Of course I wouldn't recommend running it that far, replace it if there is any rubber missing. Most times I've came across a belt failure, it was caused by failure of another part...A/C clutch, idler pulley, water pump, alternator etc. As others have said, the strength of the belt is not in the rubber, but in the fiber belts.
This is an advertisement from a particular Ford dealer trying to drum up business, not from Ford corporate engineers that sent out the TSB years ago, that I refereed too. However, I would agree that the worn belt they show in the pic is due for replacement. The pic of the OP's belt looks nothing like this one and has many good miles left in it.
I got the belt from Honda $80
Replaced it myself. I had alternator fail at 74,000 miles so that’s when I did the belt. It had minor cracks but could likely easily go to 100,000 miles. The way I see it if you feel uncomfortable change it. It should be fine a lilttle while longer but like someone implied. You never know. Don’t want to get stuck.
I must say it’s a pain in the ass to change due to the routing which honda does not put a diagram of under the hood. Take or draw a picture
Also the belt tensioner pulley is hard to hold in the position to apply the belt.Would be better with 2 people one to hold the tensioner and one to apply belt. I did it alone. If you have 2 wheel drive like I do you will need to remove bottom aero shield to get access to crank pulley. Also take belt out of its cardboard wrapping and lay it out in house for a while So it looses the folded up shape. This made routing around the pulleys difficult as it retained the memory of being folded
up. Good luck if you do it your self wich I recommend so you learn how to work on your own vehicles. It’s good knowledge to have
Replaced it myself. I had alternator fail at 74,000 miles so that’s when I did the belt. It had minor cracks but could likely easily go to 100,000 miles. The way I see it if you feel uncomfortable change it. It should be fine a lilttle while longer but like someone implied. You never know. Don’t want to get stuck.
I must say it’s a pain in the ass to change due to the routing which honda does not put a diagram of under the hood. Take or draw a picture
Also the belt tensioner pulley is hard to hold in the position to apply the belt.Would be better with 2 people one to hold the tensioner and one to apply belt. I did it alone. If you have 2 wheel drive like I do you will need to remove bottom aero shield to get access to crank pulley. Also take belt out of its cardboard wrapping and lay it out in house for a while So it looses the folded up shape. This made routing around the pulleys difficult as it retained the memory of being folded
up. Good luck if you do it your self wich I recommend so you learn how to work on your own vehicles. It’s good knowledge to have
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538 Posts
They can be had for much less than that. I got a Goodyear brand belt for $17 on Amazon.
Yea , I know. I had no choice. No local people had it. Had to go to a dealer and it had to be done on that day due to alternator failure. I could not shop around, So I got stuck with dealer prices however I did not do OEM alternator which was , based on my recollection mid to high 500 dollars. Got a new alt from autozone fir $ 250. I am an OEM only guy but Let’s hope. I took a chance.
so far so good
so far so good
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