Many essential accessory parts of your Porsche are powered by the car belt, also known as the drive belt. These parts include your power steering pump, coolant water pump, air conditioning system, and alternator. If your drive belt begins to slip, fray, or crack, you’ll experience a variety of problems. Let’s take a look at five signs you should head to your local Porsche dealer for a new drive belt.
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Squeaking From Under Your Hood
The sounds that come from a slipping drive belt are rather unique. You’ll most likely hear a distinct squeaking or squealing noise. When loosened or slipped out of place, this long, winding rubber belt scrapes awkwardly over the various pulleys and shafts, emitting a high-pitched sound. If this happens to you, you might be able to push the belt back into place, or you might need to have a professional do it for you.
Your Engine Won’t Start
Unless you’ve left your headlamps on overnight, or you’ve parked outside during winter, a dead battery usually points to a failed alternator. Your alternator might stop working for a few different reasons, one of which is a slipped, loosened, or snapped drive belt.
Your Engine’s Overheating
The moment you notice any sign of things overheating under your hood, pull over and let it cool down. Few things damage engines quicker than overheating. If this occurs, then your cooling system isn’t doing its job. One cause might be the water pump failing due to a malfunctioning drive belt, which needs to be promptly replaced.
You’re Finding It Hard to Steer
Your Porsche has a sophisticated speed-sensitive power steering system. Not only does it hydraulically assist every nudge of your steering wheel to make steering far easier, but it also adjusts itself to your speed.
When driving more slowly, a Porsche’s power steering becomes looser for easier maneuvering and parking. When driving at speed, it firms up and becomes more precise with each movement. If your drive belt somehow disengages from the power steering, you’ll instantly find it far harder to steer.
Your Cabin’s Overheating
If your air-con breaks down on a hot summer day, look first to your drive belt. It might have slipped, loosened, or snapped altogether.
How a Drive Belt Wears Out
Drive belts last a good long time, but toward the end of their lifespan, they can fail in a few different ways. The grooves which keep a belt notched to the driveshaft and pulleys can begin to wear down, causing the belt to slip off. Alternatively, all that pressure can eventually cause the belt to loosen, which also leads to slippage.
Over enough time, a belt’s highly-durable rubber can begin to fray or crack at the edges, which is usually the first visual sign it needs to be replaced. Eventually, it can even snap altogether. You can expect the drive belt of your Porsche to last from 50,000 to 100,000 miles. But if you notice any of the aforementioned issues, have it repaired or replaced right away, before it leads to a more costly problem.
To have your car serviced by experienced Porsche technicians, pay a visit to Porsche Beachwood. We’re a locally-trusted dealership dedicated to providing a customer experience that matches the exceptional, luxurious quality of the Porsche brand.