July 30, 2022
All Lake In The Hills service advisors know that without the alternator, the battery will go dead in a few miles.
The serpentine belt may also run the pumps for both the power steering and power brakes. And on many vehicles, the serpentine belt powers the water pump. The water pump circulates coolant through the engine to keep it within normal operating temperatures. (On some vehicles, the water pump is powered by the timing belt instead of the serpentine belt.)
So you can see the serpentine belt does a lot of work. And it if breaks, it affects a lot of systems. That's why your vehicle manufacturer and your service advisor at Tuffy Lake In The Hills have recommended that it be changed every so often so that it doesn't fail.
Your friendly and knowledgeable Tuffy Lake In The Hills service advisor can perform a visual inspection of the belt to see if it has any cracks that signal the belt could fail soon and will measure the amount of belt material to make sure there is enough.
Your serpentine belt works in tandem with a spring loaded pulley attached to the engine called the tensioner pulley. Its job is to make sure there's a constant tension on the serpentine belt so that it doesn't slip. The spring can become worn and no longer provide the necessary pressure to keep the belt tight. At Tuffy Lake In The Hills in Lake In The Hills, we recommend that the tensioner be replaced at the same time as the serpentine belt.
Tuffy Lake In The Hills
59 West Acorn Lane
Lake In The Hills, Illinois 60156
847-854-9850

March 29, 2026
You may have heard about an important part of your vehicle's engine called a timing belt, and many know that if that belt breaks, it can cause some very serious engine problems. Not all vehicles have them, and the ones that do generally have smaller engines. The timing belt keeps the engine sy... More

March 22, 2026
When your vehicles battery is dead, it leaves you with that horrible, helpless feeling. A dead battery means it wont hold a charge, and there are several reasons it wont. One is age. Batteries have chemical and electrical systems in them that create power, and as time goes by, they wont work we... More

March 15, 2026
When you push on your brake pedal, you should find your vehicle easy to stop. But at some point, you might notice stopping takes much more pressure on the pedal than it used to. When it gets to that point it becomes a safety issue, and you should bring your vehicle in so we can track down whats... More