Inspect, Repair or Replace Your Vehicle's Fan Belt Yourself

Is your vehicle in need of a new belt?

The classic signs of a worn fan belt have you roaring down the highway, only to notice that the car, truck, or SUV seems to lose power with each passing mile. Your temperature gauge may slide up and your battery light may come on - in the middle of your trip - as you press the accelerator farther and farther down just to achieve a reasonable speed. You are scared to stop the car for lights or stop signs because you fear the vehicle will stall, and it will. Getting it started again may be no easy task. In fact, unless you replace a bad fan belt, you may end up stuck and in need of a tow truck plus a decent-sized repair bill.

But you don't have to wait until the fan belt goes that far. You should check your fan belt, one of the parts of a car, truck, or SUV that is most apt to fail over the course of a lifetime, on a regular basis as part of basic vehicle repair. You don't need to be a professional mechanic to check the fan belt or even to replace it, if needed. All you need is your hands, your eyes, and a tool or two along with a replacement fan belt, which you need to match to your make and model of vehicle. Your local auto parts shop will help you find it. The cost to replace a fan belt can run anywhere from $15 to $40, depending on your make and model. If you have a mechanic do it, you not only have the cost of the belt, but anywhere between a quarter hour to a full hour in labor fees.

Other indicators of a bad fan belt include a real, piercing squeal - sometimes referred to as a deafening screech - as you start the vehicle and sometimes, as you operate it. Low power, even if it is not as serious as what you read earlier, may be a sign as well. So can rising engine temperature even when you check the radiator and coolant to find it all appears fine.

The vehicle must be off to work on this or just about any other repair. Open your hood, preferably with the engine cool enough to work. You should be able to spot the fan belt fairly quickly. Your owner's manual may specify this component so check the manual if you have trouble locating it.