Ask Tire Warehouse Depot: What Happens When a Serpentine Belt Breaks?
May 26, 2019
The serpentine belt is aptly named since it snakes around under your hood. It may lack its namesake's fangs, but it sure packs a wallop when it breaks.
The serpentine belt powers a lot of engine systems. It runs the alternator, which charges the battery; the water pump (on some vehicles), which cools the engine; the air conditioning, which cools the driver and passengers; and the power steering pump, which allows for easier steering. When the belt breaks, all of these systems shut down.
Okay, so maybe you can live without air conditioning and power steering for a while, but your battery can't live very long without an alternator, and when the cooling system goes down, your vehicle engine will overheat. That's why Lake Orion drivers should never wait to get a serpentine belt replaced.
Serpentine belts are fairly inexpensive at Tire Warehouse Depot in Lake Orion. And they look downright cheap when you compare them to the cost of an overheated vehicle engine, a tow truck, time lost on the road, inconvenience, and the potential safety consequences of being stranded.
Good car care means never putting off preventive maintenance. Do yourself a favor. Ask your friendly and knowledgeable Tire Warehouse Depot technician to glance under your hood and give that serpentine belt a quick look-over.
Tire Warehouse Depot
250 N. Lapeer Rd.
Lake Orion, Michigan 48362
248-929-0699
Need Service?
More articles from Tire Warehouse Depot
A Most Important Part (Serpentine Belt Replacement)
March 8, 2026
Your vehicles engine is an engineering work of wonder with many complex parts working in harmony to get you down the road. One of those simple but important components is called a serpentine belt. It is driven by a pulley on the engine and transfers that power to many of your engines most importa... More
Stop! And See Us (Brake Pad Replacement)
March 1, 2026
If youve ever driven a bicycle with hand brakes, youll probably understand how the brake pads on your vehicle work. Bicycle brakes use a system that squeezes the bike wheels rim with a pair of cushioned pads activated by your hand squeezing the hand brakes on your handlebars. The friction of tho... More
Steer Clear (Power Steering Pump Replacement)
February 22, 2026
When it comes to ease and precision of steering, todays vehicles are engineering marvels. One of the keys to just how good steering is lies in the refinement of power-assisted steering which we know simply as power steering. At the heart of the system is an electrically or belt-driven power ste... More