A
serpentine belt (also known as a multi-vee or multi-rib belt) is a single, continuous
beltA belt is a looped strip of flexible material, used to mechanically link two or more rotating shafts. They may be used as a source of motion, to efficiently transmit power, or to track relative movement. Belts are looped over pulleys...
used to drive multiple peripheral devices in an automotive engine, such as an
alternatorAn alternator is an electromechanical device that converts mechanical energy to alternating current electrical energy. Most alternators use a rotating magnetic field but linear alternators are occasionally used...
,
power steeringPower steering , assists the driver of an automobile in steering by directing a portion of the vehicle's power to traverse the axis of one or more of the roadwheels. On road going vehicles there has to be a mechanical linkage as a fail safe...
pump,
water pumpWater Pump is one of the neighbourhoods of Gulberg Town in Karachi, Sindh, Pakistan. It is near main Water Pump that supplies fresh water to the city of Karachi....
,
A/CAn air conditioner is a home appliance, system, or mechanism designed to dehumidify and extract heat from an area, or provide heat to an area. The cooling is done using a simple refrigeration cycle...
compressorA gas compressor is a mechanical device that increases the pressure of a gas by reducing its volume.Compressors are similar to pumps: both increase the pressure on a fluid and both can transport the fluid through a pipe. As gases are compressible, the compressor also reduces the volume of a gas...
, air pump, etc. The belt may also be guided by an idler pulley and/or a belt tensioner (which may be spring loaded, hydraulic, or manual). The serpentine belt was invented and patented by DAYCO PRODUCTS and first used by
Ford Motor CompanyThe Ford Motor Company is an American multinational corporation based in Dearborn, Michigan, a suburb of Detroit. The automaker was founded by Henry Ford and incorporated on June 16, 1903. In addition to the Ford, Lincoln, and Mercury brands, Ford also owns Volvo Cars of Sweden, and a small stake...
for the 1979 Mustang.
It is more efficient than the older multiple belt system and may consume less underhood space.
A
serpentine belt (also known as a multi-vee or multi-rib belt) is a single, continuous
beltA belt is a looped strip of flexible material, used to mechanically link two or more rotating shafts. They may be used as a source of motion, to efficiently transmit power, or to track relative movement. Belts are looped over pulleys...
used to drive multiple peripheral devices in an automotive engine, such as an
alternatorAn alternator is an electromechanical device that converts mechanical energy to alternating current electrical energy. Most alternators use a rotating magnetic field but linear alternators are occasionally used...
,
power steeringPower steering , assists the driver of an automobile in steering by directing a portion of the vehicle's power to traverse the axis of one or more of the roadwheels. On road going vehicles there has to be a mechanical linkage as a fail safe...
pump,
water pumpWater Pump is one of the neighbourhoods of Gulberg Town in Karachi, Sindh, Pakistan. It is near main Water Pump that supplies fresh water to the city of Karachi....
,
A/CAn air conditioner is a home appliance, system, or mechanism designed to dehumidify and extract heat from an area, or provide heat to an area. The cooling is done using a simple refrigeration cycle...
compressorA gas compressor is a mechanical device that increases the pressure of a gas by reducing its volume.Compressors are similar to pumps: both increase the pressure on a fluid and both can transport the fluid through a pipe. As gases are compressible, the compressor also reduces the volume of a gas...
, air pump, etc. The belt may also be guided by an idler pulley and/or a belt tensioner (which may be spring loaded, hydraulic, or manual). The serpentine belt was invented and patented by DAYCO PRODUCTS and first used by
Ford Motor CompanyThe Ford Motor Company is an American multinational corporation based in Dearborn, Michigan, a suburb of Detroit. The automaker was founded by Henry Ford and incorporated on June 16, 1903. In addition to the Ford, Lincoln, and Mercury brands, Ford also owns Volvo Cars of Sweden, and a small stake...
for the 1979 Mustang.
It is more efficient than the older multiple belt system and may consume less underhood space. By using a single, wider belt instead of multiple, thinner belts, the belt may be put under increased tension without stretching. Higher tension reduces slip, which increases belt life and
mechanical efficiencyIn physics, mechanical efficiency is the effectiveness of a machine and is defined asMechanical Efficiency is the ratio of work input to work output. It is often expressed as a percentage...
. Reduced slip can allow the use of lower-ratio pulleys; this reduces the load on the engine, increasing fuel economy and available power. The tendency for V-belts to "flip over" in the pulley groove (at high RPM) is eliminated. A serpentine belt also is much easier to maintain and replace, since there is no need to remove multiple belts in order to replace one of them.
The drawback of this single belt is that if the belt breaks, the vehicle loses all of its peripheral devices; however, the belt typically gives ample visual warning of impending failure, sometimes even totally shedding several grooves (ribs) while still continuing to function normally. Some vehicles use two serpentine belts for their system, such as the Manual Transaxle equipped
Ford Taurus SHOThe Ford Taurus SHO is a mid size performance sedan trim level on the Ford Taurus that was originally produced by the Ford Motor Company from 1989 until 1999, and will return starting in the 2010 model year....
, 95–99 DOHC
Nissan MaximaFor the car known as the Nissan Maxima in Australia, see Nissan TeanaThe Nissan Maxima is a line of mid-size car/full-size car manufactured by Nissan, marketed as the "four-door sports car". The Maxima debuted in 1976 as an upscale version of the Bluebird and was spun into its own line in 1980,...
and many BMWs.