Back to all

Ask Tuffy Auto Service Center Cincinatti: What Happens When a Serpentine Belt Breaks?

September 28, 2016


The serpentine belt is aptly named since it snakes around under your hood. It may lack its namesake's fangs, but it sure packs a wallop when it breaks.

The serpentine belt powers a lot of engine systems. It runs the alternator, which charges the battery; the water pump (on some vehicles), which cools the engine; the air conditioning, which cools the driver and passengers; and the power steering pump, which allows for easier steering. When the belt breaks, all of these systems shut down.

Okay, so maybe you can live without air conditioning and power steering for a while, but your battery can't live very long without an alternator, and when the cooling system goes down, your vehicle engine will overheat. That's why Cincinnati drivers should never wait to get a serpentine belt replaced.

Serpentine belts are fairly inexpensive at Tuffy Auto Service Center Cincinatti in Cincinnati. And they look downright cheap when you compare them to the cost of an overheated vehicle engine, a tow truck, time lost on the road, inconvenience, and the potential safety consequences of being stranded.

Good car care means never putting off preventive maintenance. Do yourself a favor. Ask your friendly and knowledgeable Tuffy Auto Service Center Cincinatti  technician to glance under your hood and give that serpentine belt a quick look-over.

Tuffy Auto Service Center Cincinatti
9401 Fields-Ertel
Cincinnati, Ohio 45249
513-683-5060

More articles from Tuffy Fields-Ertel Cincinnati

Let Tuffy Cincinnati (Fields-Ertel) Help You Extend the Life of Your Car

March 15, 2026

If you haven't shopped in the Cincinnati area for a new vehicle recently, you're likely to experience some sticker shock. It seems everything is costing more these days. And when you consider the price of auto financing in Cincinnati, and insurance, the idea of hanging on to your old vehicle for ... More

Getting Off to a Running Start (Starter Replacement)

March 8, 2026

When you start your vehicles engine, theres another motor that makes that whole process possible. Its called the starter, and its a small electric motor that gets your vehicle running. As you can imagine, its quite a chore for a little electric motor to turn over the big engine that powers you... More

Steer Clear (Power Steering Pump Replacement)

March 1, 2026

When it comes to ease and precision of steering, todays vehicles are engineering marvels. One of the keys to just how good steering is lies in the refinement of power-assisted steering which we know simply as power steering. At the heart of the system is an electrically or belt-driven power ste... More