CARQUEST Auto Parts

According to the Car Care Council, one out of five vehicles needs a new belt. That’s an astounding fact when you consider there are over 240 million vehicles on the road today.

Since the late 1990s, auto manufacturers have phased out Neoprene belts and begun installing EPDM (Ethylene Propylene Diene Monomer) belts on new models. With this new belt construction comes a new era in diagnosing belt wear.

EPDM is a superior technology with better performance characteristics but, like any wear part, these belts don’t last forever. It can be harder to detect when these new belts are worn, because as EPDM belts age, they don’t show wear the same way as Neoprene where cracks would appear.


                                                        Belt wear after 100,000 miles

To help you accurately diagnose belt wear in EPDM belts, CARQUEST and Gates have developed a Belt Wear Gauge so you can determine the appropriate time for belt replacement.  The gauge is free, and it’s easy to use, as the below video demonstrates:

 

Contact your local CARQUEST/Gates Sales Representative for more EPDM belt information and a demonstration on how to use the free belt wear gauge. To order your free belt wear gauge, and to learn more about EPDM belts, visit http://www.gatesbeltwear.com.