Belts and Hoses

 

One really common reason your car could stop running properly (or efficiently!) could be because of a belt or hose failure. It's really important to maintain these small parts, if you don't you could have some expensive repairs on your hands, down the road!

 

There are 2 main types of hoses: Coolant Hoses & Heater Hoses. The purpose of these tubes are to transport collant from the engine to the radiator and back again. The cycle goes like this: The engine puts out the hot coolant through a hose to be cooled in the radiator. When it's cooled, the coolant is then sent back into the engine, which helps regulate the heat!

 

In order for the cycle to work properly, each hose must not be damaged. Hoses should be inspected by a professional after 3 years of use. It's known that the higher hoses are likely to wear quicker than the lower hoses, but it's a good idea to replace all hoses at once.

 

If there are signs of wear that indicate problems, like cracks, swells or soft spots (from electrochemical degradation) we can install new hoses, along with new radiator clamps, and also perform a coolant flush to ensure your radiator is running smoothly!

 

There are many belts in your car that help enable the accessories for your car. For instance the timing belt (which is inside the engine) synchronizes the camshaft movement. Serpentine (V-Belts), used to rotate a number of working components; these belts need to be inspected to catch wear, and prevent breakdowns that could seriously damage your engine!

 

What type of belts does your car have? It will depend on how old it is! Almost all cars & trucks today have a single multi-grooved serpentine belt which operates the alternator, water pump, air-conditioning compressor, and power-steering pump. Older vehicles may have separate v-belts that drive the accessories. A V-belt will last about 4 years or 50,000 km before needing replaced, compared to a serpentine belt, that can last closer to 80,000km. For the timing belt, contact us for that service or replacement interval, and have it replaced before that interval. This is one service that is a really good idea to be proactive with and invest in!

 

When we inspect your belts, we'll check each one of the belts for cracks, splits, fraying, glazing or separating. If there's an issue with tension we can get that tightened or replace the belt. We can also inspect and maintain or replace the belt tensioner if needed!