Can You Start A Car With A Broken Serpentine Belt?

If you are unlucky enough to have your serpentine belt break you may be wondering will a car start with a broken serpentine belt?  You may also be wondering if starting your car with a broken serpentine belt can damage your car or engine, both are good questions.

The short answer is yes, a car can start with a broken serpentine belt.  Your serpentine belt is responsible for powering the accessories in your car so if your serpentine belt is broken or disconnected it would not prevent your car from starting.

But is it a good idea to start up your car if you have a broken serpentine belt?  And how long can a car run with a broken serpentine belt?

Is It Bad To Start Your Car If Your Serpentine Belt Is Broken?

While your car will start if your serpentine belt is broken it may not be a good idea.  Let me explain.  The job of your serpentine belt is to power the accessories of your car this includes things like your air conditioner, power steering pump, alternator, water pump, etc.

Without a serpentine belt connected to drive these accessories your car will barely be able to function.  You won’t have any power steering while driving, your alternator won’t be charging your battery, and your water pump won’t pump water throughout your cooling system.

While not having a serpentine belt connected won’t cause issues in the short term it can be a problem the longer you need to run your car without a serpentine belt connected.

Car Battery Can’t Charge

Without an alternator providing power to your car’s battery your battery will slowly lose voltage until it eventually dies. It’s never good to run a car’s battery until it has lost all charge as this can damage the battery.

No Power Steering

Also without a serpentine belt connected you won’t have power steering while driving around.  While this may not be that big of a problem (most cars before the ’70s didn’t have power steering) it can be a problem while driving at low speeds as that is mainly when your power steering is needed.  At high speeds, your power steering isn’t needed as much.

No Coolant Flow

Another problem which is the most concerning is that without a serpentine belt your water pump won’t be circulating coolant throughout your car’s engine.  Without coolant circulating throughout your engine, it will heat up very quickly which can cause damage to your car’s engine.

What To Do If Your Serpentine Belt Has Broken

If you notice that your serpentine belt has broken you can drive your car for a short distance but you want to bring your car to the closest mechanic or friend/family member that can replace your serpentine belt for you if you don’t know how to do it yourself.

While driving with a broken serpentine belt you will want to pay close attention to the coolant temperature gauge on your dash.  If you see it climbing rapidly you will want to pull over to allow your engine to cool off and then try driving again. But how long can a car run without a serpentine belt?

How Long Can A Car Run Without A Serpentine Belt?

Like I mentioned previously without a serpentine belt to power the accessories of your car the car will start but you won’t be able to drive it that far.  I’ve luckily never had this happen to me but I’d estimate that you would be able to drive for a few miles (3-5) before your car’s engine will start to overheat.

If you are driving at high speeds the air can also help cool your engine to a certain degree but it won’t be able to keep your engine cool enough to keep driving.  Eventually, you will need to pull to the side of the road and turn off your car to allow your engine to cool down.

The next problem you will run into will be getting your car started again.  As you drive you will drain your car’s battery until it eventually won’t be able to start your car again.  If you plan to drive without a serpentine belt you’d better have a set of jumper cables in your car in case you need a jump.  Even better would be a portable jump starter battery pack that you can use to jump-start your car yourself.

Can A Broken Serpentine Belt Cause A Check Engine Light?

If your serpentine belt is broken it won’t be driving the accessories of your car which your car will detect and can cause a check engine light to pop up on your dashboard.

Depending on how many sensors (and how old your car is) you have equipped in your car will determine how many lights you see on your dash accompanying the check engine light.

You may also see a battery light indicating there is something wrong with the charging system.  If your car is equipped with a power steering fault indicator that light will also be illuminated on your dash.  As your engine’s temperatures start to climb you may also see a warning light indicating that the temperature of the engine has climbed to unsafe levels, if you see this light you should pull over as soon as possible.

What Can Cause A Serpentine Belt To Break?

A serpentine belt is made from rubber so over time it will be susceptible to cracking and braking.  Your engine bay is exposed to the elements (heat, water, cold) which can also accelerate the wear of your car’s serpentine belt.  That’s why it’s important to inspect the serpentine belt of your car occasionally from time to time for signs of cracks or wear. If you notice tiny cracks or the rubber looks old and worn you may want to have it replaced.

A qualified mechanic can tell you if you need to replace your serpentine belt or if you can still keep driving with the same one.  Since we now know that serpentine belts are made from rubber and need to be replaced from time to time, how long should a serpentine belt last?

How Many Years Should A Serpentine Belt Last?

Most new serpentine belts should last up to 100,000 miles under ideal conditions from when they are first installed.  The average US driver logs about 12,000-14,000 miles a year so a new serpentine belt should last about 7 years before needing to be replaced.  Depending on where you take your car for service they may inspect it before the 100,000-mile mark (which is something that I would recommend) to determine if it needs to be replaced before then.

The key to the 100,000-mile mark for serpentine belts is “under ideal conditions”.  If you live in an area with very high temperatures or in an area where the humidity is high you may need to replace your serpentine belt more often.  It really just depends on where you live and what conditions your serpentine belt is subjected to.

How Much Does It Cost To Replace A Serpentine Belt?

It can cost anywhere from $50-150 to replace a serpentine belt.  The belt it’self will be pretty cheap anywhere from $20-45.  The more expensive cost will be the price of labor at your local mechanic which can vary depending on the shop and what area you live in.  If you plan on replacing your serpentine belt yourself then you would only be out the $20-45 for the belt.

Is A Timing Belt The Same Thing As A Serpentine Belt?

No, a timing belt is not the same thing as a serpentine belt.  A timing belt is used to synchronize the moving parts of your crankshaft and camshaft.  Your serpentine belt as we previously discussed is used to drive the accessories of your car.  So if your serpentine belt brakes your timing belt will be unaffected and your car can still run.  However, if your timing belt breaks you are going to have a bad day as this can lead to catastrophic engine failure.

It’s best to have your serpentine belt and timing belt periodically checked for wear to make sure that neither of them is close to cracking and breaking.