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Full Answer
What is the drive belts in a Nissan Altima?
Your Nissans Serpentine Belt is a strong, continuous belt that transfers power to the power steering pump, alternators, A/C compressors, and, in some models, the water pump. Some refer to the Serpentine Belt as the accessory or fan belt because it powers your Nissans peripheral devices.
What is a Nissan drive belt?
Your Nissans Serpentine Belt is a strong, continuous belt that transmits power through and to the A/C compressor, power steering pump, alternator, and, in some cases, water pump. Some people refer to the Serpentine Belt as a fan or accessory belt because it engages your Nissan engines peripheral devices.
How often should the drive belt be replaced for a Nissan Altima?
Generally, this replacement interval is between 50,000 and 100,000 miles.
What happens when drive belt goes out?
You'll lose power steering. Once the power steering pump stops turning, you'll lose all hydraulic steering assistance. This makes the steering wheel harder to turn, especially at low speeds. Belt fragments can strike and even wrap themselves around the pulleys and other engine components.
How much is a belt for a Nissan Altima?
Belts themselves aren't that expensive. The real cost is in the labor, because a lot of parts need to be disassembled to get to the belt. Shopping around to get a few quotes is your best bet to get the best deal, but you can expect to pay anywhere from $409 to $919 (including parts and labor).
Can you drive a car with a broken serpentine belt?
Your power steering will not work at all, making it very difficult to turn the wheel. Basically, you should be able to drive it to a safe space where it can be towed or repaired. If the belt is snapped and dangling in the engine compartment, remove it before moving the vehicle to prevent further damage.
How much does it cost to replace a serpentine belt on a Nissan Altima?
The average cost for a Nissan Altima serpentine belt replacement is between $80 and $105. Labor costs are estimated between $39 and $49 while parts are priced between $41 and $56.
How much is to change a serpentine belt in a Nissan?
Typically, a serpentine belt replacement may cost around $100-$195. This includes both labor charges ($75-$120) and spare parts ($25-$75).
How much is a timing chain for a Nissan Altima?
The average cost for Nissan Altima Timing Chain Replacement is $1412.
How much does it cost to replace a drive belt?
A typical serpentine belt start at around $25 and goes up to $75 at most. If you know some car repair basics, you could change the belt yourself, and it may save you paying labor charges somewhere between $75 and $120. All together, you're looking at around $100 to $195 to replace your serpentine belt.
How do I know if my drive belt is bad?
Common signs include a squealing noise from the front of the vehicle, power steering and AC not working, engine overheating, and cracks on the belt.
How do I know if my drive belt needs to be replaced?
Take some time to visually inspect your drive belt if it's in an easy-to-view spot. When you see that the belt is starting to wear out, get it changed immediately. A drive belt can function with pieces missing, but the more that's gone, the more likely it is to give out at any time.
How much does it cost to replace a drive belt?
A typical serpentine belt start at around $25 and goes up to $75 at most. If you know some car repair basics, you could change the belt yourself, and it may save you paying labor charges somewhere between $75 and $120. All together, you're looking at around $100 to $195 to replace your serpentine belt.
Is the drive belt the same as a serpentine belt?
Is a serpentine belt the same as a drive belt? The fact is that the two are often used interchangeably and are easily mistaken for each other. But they are actually separate belts. The serpentine belt is long, thin and intertwining.
Is the drive belt the same as the timing belt?
A timing belt makes sure that the engine's pistons, valves, and crankshaft, and camshaft are in time or operating in sync. On the other hand, the drive belt is responsible for using the engine's revolutions to drive the belt-driven accessories like the alternator, water pump, AC compressor, and power steering pump.
How do I know if my drive belt needs to be replaced?
Take some time to visually inspect your drive belt if it's in an easy-to-view spot. When you see that the belt is starting to wear out, get it changed immediately. A drive belt can function with pieces missing, but the more that's gone, the more likely it is to give out at any time.
What is a serpentine belt?
A serpentine belt is a relatively long, flat, multi-ribbed belt that is driven by the engine’s crankshaft pulley. The belt drives many, and often all, of the engine accessories such as the alternator, air conditioning compressor, power steering pump, water pump, and air pump. The serpentine belt is tensioned by a hydraulic or spring-loaded ...
How to replace serpentine belt?
How do mechanics replace the serpentine belt? 1 Prior to removing the belt, the mechanic must run the engine to determine if the idler pulley and the belt tensioner are noise-free. Those rotating components have grease filled bearings and are subject to wear. In addition, the mechanic will ensure that all pulleys and accessories are turning in the same plane. These steps help make sure your new belt will operate trouble-free for its full-service life. 2 The belt’s routing path through the various components is noted. The belt tensioner is released, usually with a wrench or lever, to release the tension from the belt. With the tension off, the belt slides off the pulleys. 3 All rotating components — that is the alternator, air conditioner compressor, etc. — are checked for smooth operation and no noise. 4 If everything checks out, the new belt is slipped over all of the pulleys while holding the tensioner away from the belt. Once the belt is centered on all pulleys, the tensioner is released and the installation is complete. The engine is run to ensure normal operation.
How long does a serpentine belt last?
On many cars, the expected service life of a serpentine belt is around 90,000 miles. Should the belt fail well prior to that, a very careful inspection should be performed to check for out-of-alignment pulleys, a possibly out-of-position crankshaft harmonic balancer on which the drive pulley is mounted, binding pulleys, or a defective belt tensioner.
Why should attention be given to serpentine belt routing?
Attention should always be given to serpentine belt routing, since proper routing is critical to proper belt tension, and function of the driven components.
How long does it take for a serpentine belt to overheat?
Engine overheating. Often, the serpentine belt drives the water pump. In those applications, if the belt breaks the engine will overheat in seconds to minutes. If the belt is inadequately tensioned, you may notice higher-than-normal engine operating temperature.
How many miles does it take to replace a belt?
Typically, belt manufacturers recommend belt replacement at 90,000 miles. However, the belt must be inspected for wear or damage at regular intervals prior to this high mileage. Squealing noise, belt slippage, visible belt damage.
Is it safe to drive with a serpentine belt problem?
No. Should the belt have visible damage, you risk unexpected and sudden breakage that could potentially leave you stranded. Serpentine belt problems that result in the alternator not charging may cause the battery to discharge, which will result in loss of electrical power to the vehicle. Additionally, if a deteriorated belt breaks and that belt drives the water pump, the engine will overheat in a matter of seconds.
