How many kilometers can a car drive after the belt breaks?
2 Answers
It is not advisable to continue driving. There are two belts in a car: the timing belt and the accessory belt. If the timing belt breaks, it can cause the engine to malfunction at best or severely damage the engine at worst, leading to serious consequences. Although the accessory belt breaking won't affect other components, it still poses safety hazards while driving. Below is a detailed introduction: Timing Belt: The timing belt is a crucial part of the engine's valve system. It connects to the crankshaft and ensures accurate intake and exhaust timing through a specific transmission ratio. Accessory Belt: It is mainly installed between the car engine's crankshaft and components like the water pump, generator, air conditioning compressor, and power steering pump.
As an automotive enthusiast who frequently deals with car issues, I must say whether you can drive a few kilometers after a belt breaks depends on which belt it is. If the timing belt breaks, you absolutely cannot drive—starting the engine may immediately damage the pistons and valves, leading to repair costs in the tens of thousands. Driving even zero kilometers would be disastrous. A broken serpentine belt (accessory drive belt) is slightly less critical—it powers the alternator, water pump, and AC. If you insist on driving, you might limp a very short distance (e.g., 2–3 km), but with the alternator disabled, the battery will quickly drain, and without the water pump circulating coolant, the engine will overheat and potentially warp the cylinder head—still extremely risky. Once, while helping a friend inspect his car, we found his serpentine belt had snapped. He barely made it under 2 km to the repair shop, only to spend thousands fixing the cooling system—hardly worth it. My strong advice: if any belt fails, pull over immediately, turn off the engine, activate hazard lights, place warning triangles, and call for a tow truck—never gamble by driving. Regularly inspect belts for wear or cracks, and replace them preventatively every ~80,000 km.
