Why Is the Accessory Drive Belt in Your Land Rover Failing?

Land Rovers are distinct vehicles in their own category in the automotive industry; they’re both functional and luxurious, which makes them one of the most special vehicles on the market today. Land Rovers are a utilitarian option for those of us who enjoy the finer things in life, but they have to be maintained just like every other automobile and engineered machine. Land Rovers are prone to encountering specific issues that should theoretically be addressed preventively. One such issue is premature accessory drive belt failure.

The accessory drive belt in your Land Rover plays a critical role to your car’s functioning and daily performance; in fact, without a properly working accessory drive belt your Land Rover wouldn’t run at all. This is why adequate, specialized maintenance and preventive care is essential for all Land Rover drivers. If you’re unsure of what the accessory drive belt is or does for your car, then you’re not alone – most drivers are uncertain of such details. In this article, we’ll go over some basic information about your Land Rover’s accessory drive belt, including how to prevent premature wear or failure from occurring.

What does the accessory drive belt do?

As we mentioned before, the accessory drive belt is critical to your Land Rover’s performance and reliability. The accessory drive belt is made up of various components that must all work collaboratively in order to produce the desired effect, which is to provide enough power to the rest of the vehicle, including the engine components. As the drive belt and its parts turn, it generates power that is essential to the basic movement of your car. Therefore, as you might imagine, if the drive belt fails then you’ll be in a world of trouble – likely stuck somewhere on the side of the road.

Some possible avenues for drive belt failure

There are a few different issues that could eventually to premature accessory drive belt failure, and in Land Rovers it’s likely that the problem can be traced back to an engineering, design, or manufacturing fault in your particular model Rover, such as inadequate part materials that are highly susceptible to drastic temperature changes. Here are a few ways that the drive belt can be worn more quickly:

• Individual driving habits – usually quick, rough acceleration over time causes excessive strain to the drive belt and its components
• Frequent driving conditions – driving up hills or carrying larger loads adds more stress to the drive belt
• Frequent short-distance drives or driving in heavy stop-and-go traffic on a daily basis

While each of these conditions speeds up the aging process of the drive belt and its components, these conditions alone may not be reason enough for the belt to fail.

Warning signs of accessory drive belt failure

It’s critical to make sure your accessory drive belt remains in good working condition for the life of your vehicle. When an accessory drive belt begins to wear excessively, it can lead to complete failure, which often involves a snapped belt – this can cause significant damage to your engine, so it’s important to remain vigilant of any warning signs leading up to failure. Here are just a few to keep an eye out for:

Steering difficulties

One great thing about cars these days, especially luxury cars, is that they’re programed and designed to prevent serious damage from occurring when a significant component or part fails. For instance, when your drive belt fails the car senses that there’s a function issue and goes into limp mode, disengaging the power steering function temporarily to prevent further damage. If you encounter this problem, it’s critical to have your car towed to the nearest, most trusted Land Rover specialist.

An overheated engine

Although engine overheating can occur because of several different issues, failure of the accessory drive belt can also lead to engine overheating. Since the drive belt helps power your Land Rover’s cooling system, if the belt fails or begins malfunctioning then the engine won’t be able to adequately cool itself.

Concerning sounds coming from the engine

The most common reason for odd noises to be associated with your drive belt functioning is improper alignment of the part. If the belt is not lined up precisely in the correct position, it can lead to premature damage and performance problems.

The Land Rover experts here at Cerrone’s European serve a range of clients from the areas of Redwood City, Atherton, Palo Alto, and San Carlos, CA. Our background and skill working with Land Rovers allows us to properly attend to the unique accessory drive belt issues that these vehicles are often susceptible to. To learn more about our shop or our services, or to schedule an appointment, please contact us directly.