Serpentine Belts: What's the Point?

[scarslasher]

Self-explanitory title.
I find them more trouble and haven't seen a single advantage over the ones in my dad's '68 Chevy truck.

Just curious why automakers use systems that are so hard to work with.

 

[ZohsixGT5]

How are serpentine belts hard to work on? I can replace mine in about 3 minutes?

 

[Keef]

They're a lot more space-efficient than old-style belts. My car has an air pump, power steering pump, alternator, and air conditioning pump, all on separate belts. The crank pulley is nearly 6 inches long. A serpentine belt system is about 2 inches deep, allowing an extra 4 inches to pack the engine in as tight as they can get it.

 

[Perfect Balance]

From my experience, (working on a few thousand cars) it's more common to see the multiple belt setup on newer cars, and older ones usually have the single serpentine belt.

EDIT: Although I do also wonder why auto makers make systems that are so hard to work with. This is particularly why I have a constantly growing dislike for domestic vehicles. Generaly a pain in the ass to work on and particularly piss poor engineering.

 

[Dennisch]

EDIT: Although I do also wonder why auto makers make systems that are so hard to work with.

Designer : Here is the car body.

Technician : It's to small to fit my designed engine.

Designer : Make it fit.

Technician :

 

[Perfect Balance]

Designer : Make it fit.

And sometimes, they actually redesign some things to make it all work, and other times they just literally "make it fit" and leave it all halfassed.

EDIT: Also space constraints is hardly ever the kind of thing I'm referring to. I'm referring to stupid things like a plastic cover under the car with the hole for the drain plug put just enough off to the side that the oil completely spills all over the cover and you've got to remove it and clean it during every oil change, or something like a brake line bracket that interferes with your ability to get to a caliper bolt because it's like 3mm in the way of getting a socket properly on the bolt.

 

[savage388]

From my experience, (working on a few thousand cars) it's more common to see the multiple belt setup on newer cars, and older ones usually have the single serpentine belt.

EDIT: Although I do also wonder why auto makers make systems that are so hard to work with. This is particularly why I have a constantly growing dislike for domestic vehicles. Generaly a pain in the ass to work on and particularly piss poor engineering.

i think you have that backwards? Older vehicles used v belts and now they use a serp setup.
Serpentine setups are way nicer and take up less space as well as lasting longer. They're pretty easy to change so its a win win on most cars.
Edit: Yes anything new takes no consideration into actually fixing something its all about plastic covers and just fitting everything around everything else, I really hate working with newer stuff.

 

[W3H5]

One thing I know from spending my late teens mechanic-ing is that cars are are not designed to be easy to fix. The simple truth is that repairs are generally an after thought and the designers aren't keeping in mind that some poor chap will have to be a gymnast/ double jointed/ whatever to get a small part of for replacing.

 

[Perfect Balance]

i think you have that backwards? Older vehicles used v belts and now they use a serp setup.
Serpentine setups are way nicer and take up less space as well as lasting longer. They're pretty easy to change so its a win win on most cars.

Not backwards. They aren't v-belts anymore, they are still ribbed belts, just a few of them instead of one. I generally work on new cars and Its been months since I've had to replace a single serp belt, and I think it was on a 90's ford the last time I did.

 

[Dennisch]

Not backwards. They aren't v-belts anymore, they are still ribbed belts, just a few of them instead of one. I generally work on new cars and Its been months since I've had to replace a single serp belt, and I think it was on a 90's ford the last time I did.

The multiple ribbed belts is because the single belt became way too long with new engines, they stretched too much for the tensioner to keep up...

 

[scarslasher]

How are serpentine belts hard to work on? I can replace mine in about 3 minutes?

Well it probably depends on the car. With a Malibu, you have to take parts off like the engine mounts just to get a new one on.
Getting it off is easy of course, just cut the darn thing, but getting a new one on can be a bear to do.

 

[Perfect Balance]

The multiple ribbed belts is because the single belt became way too long with new engines, they stretched too much for the tensioner to keep up...

What makes you say that? They still drive an alternator, power steering pump, a/c compressor, and water pump just like they always have. That's not why. Most likely it's so the car is still driveable if one of them breaks.

 

[Slash]

I run a v-belt on my truck, dropped alternator bracket down, water pump, power steering and crank pulley. Rest of my cars use serpentines


This is how I run it, old skewl style. My power steerin is a bit lower though since I use a 2 use bracket

 

[stumpydino]

My Astra, take off wheel, remove all trim, kill self. It was a total doddle on my firebird, with all the accessories though it was nearly 8ft long!

 

[Dennisch]

What makes you say that? They still drive an alternator, power steering pump, a/c compressor, and water pump just like they always have. That's not why. Most likely it's so the car is still driveable if one of them breaks.

I'm talking about the 7-8 foot long belts... They are being replaced by multiple shorter ones. At least from what I have seen.

 

[Crisp]

And sometimes, they actually redesign some things to make it all work, and other times they just literally "make it fit" and leave it all halfassed.

I know exactly what your talking about, Audi S5 for example, well not the '13 but to fit the 4.2 they put the drive pulleys on the back of the engine to make it fit Hard to work on, not fun.

 

[savage388]

Not backwards. They aren't v-belts anymore, they are still ribbed belts, just a few of them instead of one. I generally work on new cars and Its been months since I've had to replace a single serp belt, and I think it was on a 90's ford the last time I did.

Any good pictures? I havent seen any of these im really curious when they started doing this as i dont usually see anything newer than 2010.
I do feel old school for still using v belts.