The Accessory drive belt may not look like a cooling-system component, but on many vehicles, it plays a critical role in keeping the engine alive. If that belt drives water pump, a broken or failed belt can stoop coolant circulation almost instantly-and the engine can go from running normally to catastrophic overheating in a very short time.

So how long should you keep that belt. in service? Until it breaks? Until you hear it squealing? Until you can see cracks?

I wouldn't recommend pushing it that far.👍😂

If your vehicle is one you plan on keeping for the long haul, preventative maintenance is your best insurance. A relatively inexpensive belt can be a whole lot cheaper than replacing an engine damaged by a severe overheat.

We've covered nearly every component in the cooling system during this revival se ...