Exposure to heat, vibration and contamination makes belts and hoses wear out faster than any other components in your car. That's why regular inspections are so important. Here are the belt and hose types in your car, along with their applications.

Accessory Drive Belts

While some accessories in your car are electrically powered by the charging system, others use the engine itself as their power source. The power for these accessories is delivered by a system of pulleys and belts. Examples of these accessories are:

• Alternator
• Water Pump for engine cooling
• Power Steering Pump
• Air Conditioning Compressor
• Radiator Cooling Fan

Many late model cars use a single serpentine belt in place of individual belts to drive these accessories.

Hoses

The hoses that convey your car's fluids are made of two rubber layers with a layer of fabric in between. Typical hoses include:

• Radiator and Heater Hoses-These hoses convey coolant to the engine and heater core.
• Fuel Hose- As the name implies, this hose transports gasoline from the tank to the engine.
• Power Steering Hose-It connects the power steering pump to the steering gear.

Belts and hoses are extremely important to your vehicle. If they fail, your vehicle could break down. To help prevent this, make sure your belts and hoses are checked at regular intervals. An easy way to remember is to have them checked every 3,000 miles or with every oil change with us at Riverside Tire Center.

During belt inspection, our technicians will check each belt for:

• Glazing, cracking, peeling and softening.
• Proper tensioning.
• Proper drive pulley alignment.

During a hose inspection, our technicians:

• Check for leaks.
• Check for hardening, cracking and softening.
• Perform a cooling system pressure test to help check for leaks.