The belts under the hood of your vehicle are critical components, but are rarely anyone's primary focus. It's easy to forget about these belts until they fail and cause your engine to stop running. The best practice as a car owner is to regularly perform visual inspections of the hoses to check for obvious damage and wear. You can also listen for certain sounds that signal trouble. Here are examples of warning signs to watch and listen for concerning the belts on your vehicle. 

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  V-Belts or Serpentine Belt
  

​Many components of your vehicle, including the alternator, cooling fans, water pump and power steering, are controlled by a belt, or a series of belts. Depending on the make and model of your vehicle, you may have a serpentine belt that winds around your engine, or a series of V-belts performing the same jobs. When these belts breakdown, it generally leads to costly repairs. Your best option is to either keep a close eye on them, or plan to have them repaired at the manufacturer's recommended intervals. When you pop the hood to inspect them, look for cracks or splits in the belts and see if there are signs of wear and tear along the edges. If belts look greasy or glazed, that could also signal a problem. When your car is running, listen for a high-pitched squealing noise when you accelerate. This could mean the belt is slipping and not performing efficiently. 

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  ​Timing belts
  

​To keep the camshaft and crank shaft in sync, your vehicle relies on a toothed or ribbed belt called a timing belt. Major engine damage often occurs when the timing belt fails so, similar to the other belts in your vehicle, it's important to keep an eye on them. Again, these belts will naturally wear out over time, so it's also a good idea to replace them at recommended intervals. Look at the teeth on the belt for signs of wear, and look for cracks along the back of the belt. Inspect the edges for wear, as well. A worn timing belt could be the reason your vehicle is difficult to start, so be sure to check this belt in that situation. A similar high-pitched squealing will occur with a worn timing belt as on V-belts, but this will usually occur when starting your car or when your engine is idling. 

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  Belt tensioners
  

​The belt tensioner has the job its name suggests. It's a pulley designed to maintain the necessary torque and tension on other belts. Obviously, if a belt tensioner fails, the belts it supports fail and the other components relying on those belts fails. Make sure the surface of the pulley is smooth and free from cracks and chips. If the surface is grooved, be sure the high points of the grooves remain consistent and aren't worn down. You can also look for rust and cracks in the metal tensioner piece itself. When these components begin to fail, you'll often notice a squealing or rattling sound coming from the timing cover area. 

It's a good idea to have belts, hoses and other essential components of your vehicle regularly inspected. For tune-ups, preventative maintenance and fixes, trust your BMW, Mercedes or Hummer H1 to the expert technicians at Benzin Motor Works.