Serpentine Belts
Most newer cars are using the serpentine belt exclusively as it adds the convenience of allowing one belt to drive all the accessories. This setup uses a series of pull
eys both grooved and flat. The belt has grooves on the inside of it and a flat surface on the back side. the pulleys are arranged so accessories that pull the most load are driven from the grooved side to avoid belt slipping and premature wear. The tensioner pulley is in most cases spring loaded and keeps the belt at a preset tightness throughout the life of the belt. a good indication that a serpentine belt is headed for trouble are small cracks in the material to the inside of the belt (the grooved side).Most cars using this system have an installation diagram located under the hood to help assist in re-routing the new belt. Usually all that is needed to change one of these belts is the proper size wrench or socket to release the pressure from the tensioner while the new belt is installed.
V Belts
The V belt has been around for ages and until recently it was the primary design used on automobiles. One of the drawbacks of this system is a seperate belt is needed to drive each accessory on the car and each belt has to be tensioned indiviually. Another 
drawback is if the back belt needs replacing all belts will have to be removed to get to it. One good advantage of this system is sometimes one belt breaking will not leave you stranded. As long as the water pump is still being driven you can "limp " the car to a repair shop. These types of belts actually load from the sides of the V and sometimes are hard to determine that they are worn past usability. as the sides become worn they ride deeper into the groove of the pulley to the point that they are riding on the bottom flat of the pulley and the belt ,at that point they are not making sufficiant contact to drive the accessory. This is eveident by the bottom of the pulley becoming "shiny" as the belt is rubbing against it. Another tell tell sign is the inner edges of the belt cracking. This is from the belt overheating as it is slipping in the groove of the pulley. It is a good practice to replace all the belts at the same time unless one broke because of an accessory failing and otherwise all the other belts are good.
drawback is if the back belt needs replacing all belts will have to be removed to get to it. One good advantage of this system is sometimes one belt breaking will not leave you stranded. As long as the water pump is still being driven you can "limp " the car to a repair shop. These types of belts actually load from the sides of the V and sometimes are hard to determine that they are worn past usability. as the sides become worn they ride deeper into the groove of the pulley to the point that they are riding on the bottom flat of the pulley and the belt ,at that point they are not making sufficiant contact to drive the accessory. This is eveident by the bottom of the pulley becoming "shiny" as the belt is rubbing against it. Another tell tell sign is the inner edges of the belt cracking. This is from the belt overheating as it is slipping in the groove of the pulley. It is a good practice to replace all the belts at the same time unless one broke because of an accessory failing and otherwise all the other belts are good.Coolant And Heater Hoses
It's a good idea to at least visually inspect radiator and heater hoses at least once a month.
With the engine cool squeeze the hoses with your hands and look for signs of cracking. the hoses should be firm but not soft, if they feel brittle when squeezing them it is a good sign to replace them. Check the hoses for chaffing as rubbing against other objects can lead to a worn area that is weakened and may blow out when pressure is built up. Also note any spots where fluids have came into contact with the hoses as they can become soft when exposed to oils, grease, or brake fluid. When the engine is hot and pressure is built up on the cooling system look for bulges, especially at each end of the hoses where they attach to the radiator and the engine, this is a common spot for fatigue. a busted radiator or heater hose can leak all the coolant out of the engine rapidly and cause the engine to overheat. This can lead to a very expensive repair. Do not try to "limp" an over heated engine to the next stop unless it is an emergency.
With the engine cool squeeze the hoses with your hands and look for signs of cracking. the hoses should be firm but not soft, if they feel brittle when squeezing them it is a good sign to replace them. Check the hoses for chaffing as rubbing against other objects can lead to a worn area that is weakened and may blow out when pressure is built up. Also note any spots where fluids have came into contact with the hoses as they can become soft when exposed to oils, grease, or brake fluid. When the engine is hot and pressure is built up on the cooling system look for bulges, especially at each end of the hoses where they attach to the radiator and the engine, this is a common spot for fatigue. a busted radiator or heater hose can leak all the coolant out of the engine rapidly and cause the engine to overheat. This can lead to a very expensive repair. Do not try to "limp" an over heated engine to the next stop unless it is an emergency.
Thanks for sharing these kind of information. hope this will usefull to so many people who all are reading this blog. Keep posting like this... thanks once again...
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Thanks for sharing these kind of information. hope this will usefull to so many people who all are reading this blog. Keep posting like this... thanks once again...
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