Audi A6 Serpentine/Drive Belt Replacement Costs

Estimate price near me

Service Location

Customer Ratings

Included for free with this service

Online Booking

Mechanic comes to you

12-month / 12k-mile warranty

Free 50 point safety inspection

Our certified mobile mechanics can come to your home or office 7 days a week between 7 AM and 9 PM.

See availability

Customer Ratings

Serpentine/Drive Belt Replacement Service

How much does a Serpentine/Drive Belt Replacement cost?

On average, the cost for a Audi A6 Serpentine/Drive Belt Replacement is $178 with $38 for parts and $140 for labor. Prices may vary depending on your location.

Car	Service	Estimate	Shop/Dealer Price
2004 Audi A6V6-3.0L	Service typeSerpentine/Drive Belt Replacement	Estimate$478.60	Shop/Dealer Price$517.13 - $597.26
1998 Audi A6V6-2.8L	Service typeSerpentine/Drive Belt Replacement	Estimate$470.10	Shop/Dealer Price$504.40 - $589.25
1995 Audi A6V6-2.8L	Service typeSerpentine/Drive Belt Replacement	Estimate$445.32	Shop/Dealer Price$473.53 - $539.89
2012 Audi A6L4-2.0L Turbo	Service typeSerpentine/Drive Belt Replacement	Estimate$221.95	Shop/Dealer Price$244.19 - $303.60
2003 Audi A6V6-3.0L	Service typeSerpentine/Drive Belt Replacement	Estimate$456.08	Shop/Dealer Price$493.42 - $572.68
1997 Audi A6V6-2.8L	Service typeSerpentine/Drive Belt Replacement	Estimate$470.10	Shop/Dealer Price$505.12 - $590.52
2014 Audi A6L4-2.0L Turbo	Service typeSerpentine/Drive Belt Replacement	Estimate$221.95	Shop/Dealer Price$244.22 - $303.65
1996 Audi A6V6-2.8L	Service typeSerpentine/Drive Belt Replacement	Estimate$445.32	Shop/Dealer Price$473.53 - $539.88

Show example Audi A6 Serpentine/Drive Belt Replacement prices

What is a serpentine belt and how does it work?

A serpentine belt is a relatively long, flat, multi-ribbed belt that is driven by the engine’s crankshaft pulley. The belt drives many, and often all, of the engine accessories such as the alternator, air conditioning compressor, power steering pump, water pump, and air pump. The serpentine belt is tensioned by a hydraulic or spring-loaded automatic tensioner. Some older cars use a serpentine belt to drive most accessories but will also have a shorter v-style belt to drive, for example, the power steering pump.

Belts

When to consider replacing the serpentine belt:

Regularly scheduled maintenance. Typically, belt manufacturers recommend belt replacement at 90,000 miles. However, the belt must be inspected for wear or damage at regular intervals prior to this high mileage.
Squealing noise, belt slippage, visible belt damage. Should the belt fail or wear out prematurely, you may hear noise or you may see visible signs of deterioration such as missing chunks of rubber, excessive cracking, or a shredded appearance on the edge of the belt.
Battery Light. A loose belt, perhaps caused by a defective tensioner, may not drive the alternator at adequate speed and thus the battery may discharge, causing the warning light to illuminate.
Engine overheating. Often, the serpentine belt drives the water pump. In those applications, if the belt breaks the engine will overheat in seconds to minutes. If the belt is inadequately tensioned, you may notice higher-than-normal engine operating temperature.

How do mechanics replace the serpentine belt?

Prior to removing the belt, the mechanic must run the engine to determine if the idler pulley and the belt tensioner are noise-free. Those rotating components have grease filled bearings and are subject to wear. In addition, the mechanic will ensure that all pulleys and accessories are turning in the same plane. These steps help make sure your new belt will operate trouble-free for its full-service life.
The belt’s routing path through the various components is noted. The belt tensioner is released, usually with a wrench or lever, to release the tension from the belt. With the tension off, the belt slides off the pulleys.
All rotating components — that is the alternator, air conditioner compressor, etc. — are checked for smooth operation and no noise.
If everything checks out, the new belt is slipped over all of the pulleys while holding the tensioner away from the belt. Once the belt is centered on all pulleys, the tensioner is released and the installation is complete. The engine is run to ensure normal operation.

Is it safe to drive with a serpentine belt problem?

No. Should the belt have visible damage, you risk unexpected and sudden breakage that could potentially leave you stranded. Serpentine belt problems that result in the alternator not charging may cause the battery to discharge, which will result in loss of electrical power to the vehicle. Additionally, if a deteriorated belt breaks and that belt drives the water pump, the engine will overheat in a matter of seconds.

When replacing the serpentine belt keep in mind:

On many cars, the expected service life of a serpentine belt is around 90,000 miles. Should the belt fail well prior to that, a very careful inspection should be performed to check for out-of-alignment pulleys, a possibly out-of-position crankshaft harmonic balancer on which the drive pulley is mounted, binding pulleys, or a defective belt tensioner.
Attention should always be given to serpentine belt routing, since proper routing is critical to proper belt tension, and function of the driven components.
Sometimes it is difficult to distinguish serpentine belt related noise from other engine noises. In these cases, a mechanic will determine the origin of the noise by momentarily running the engine without the serpentine belt attached.

Fast and easy service at your home or office

Backed by 12-month, 12.000-mile guarantee

Meet some of our expert Audi mechanics

Real customer reviews from Audi owners like you.

Excellent Rating

(68)

Rating Summary

63

1

0

0

4

63

1

0

0

4

SEE REVIEWS NEAR ME

Jerimiah

20 years of experience

328 reviews

Request Jerimiah

Jerimiah

20 years of experience

Request Jerimiah

by Jean

Audi A6 L4-2.0L Turbo - PCV Valve Hose - North Las Vegas, Nevada

Jeremiah is knowledgeable and trustworthy. He takes his time and gives a fair evaluation. Much appreciative of his services

Mark

12 years of experience

349 reviews

Mark

12 years of experience

by Edgar

Audi A6 V6-3.0L - Noise from engine or exhaust Inspection - Redwood City, California

Mark was beyond helpful and even showed up early! Probably the best interaction with a mechanic I've ever had

Nicholas

16 years of experience

28 reviews

Request Nicholas

Nicholas

16 years of experience

Request Nicholas

by Atsunori

Audi A6 V6-3.2L - Pre-purchase Car Inspection - Encinitas, California

He was very nice guy.

Jose

16 years of experience

213 reviews

Jose

16 years of experience

by Hertlice

Audi A6 V6-3.2L - Headlight Bulb Replacement (Driver Side Low Beam) - Marietta, Georgia

Great service, quick.

Excellent Rating

(68)

Rating Summary

63

1

0

0

4

63

1

0

0

4

SEE REVIEWS NEAR ME

Recent articles & questions

A Buyer’s Guide to the 2012 Mitsubishi Outlander Sport

If If you’re looking for an SUV, but don’t need much space or off-road capabilities, the 2012 Mitsubishi Outlander Sport just might be the ticket. With it’s stand-out appearance that is sure to be noticed, it provides the features and...

How to Figure Out the Value of a Classic Car

Determining the value of a classic car will require a different process than determining the value of a typical car. This is because classic cars gain their value based on a different set of criteria. For example, while altering a...

How to Buy a Good Quality Starter

Did Did you know that when automobiles were first invented, you had to crank them to get them started? Fast forward to today, when many vehicles have a key or even a button that is gently pressed or rotated in...

is 2007 Lincoln MKZ a good buy for $1900 with that many miles on it? and will it last till 300,000 miles?

Hello. If you are getting that vehicle for only $1900 then that is a good deal. If the vehicle is well maintained then it should last for quite some time. I have had a lot of these vehicle last over...

2006 chevy impala, car doesnt accelerate past 20 mph only when first starting the car, after it shifts it runs fine, getting worse

The problem is with the internal shift solenoids not shifting the internal valve and you should first try to get transmission serviced and filter replaced. If after servicing the transmission and if it does not fix the problem then will...

The key fob will lock but not unlock on my 2013 Nilsson [frontier](/topics-frontier/). Battery in fob has been replaced.

How can we help?

Our service team is available 7 days a week, Monday - Friday from 6 AM to 5 PM PST, Saturday - Sunday 7 AM - 4 PM PST.

1 (844) 997-3624 · hi@yourmechanic.com