Buick Skylark 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 Buick Skylark Serpentine/Drive Belt Replacement is $163 with $23 for parts and $140 for labor. Prices may vary depending on your location.

Car	Service	Estimate	Shop/Dealer Price
1993 Buick SkylarkL4-2.3L	Service typeSerpentine/Drive Belt Replacement	Estimate$281.62	Shop/Dealer Price$316.88 - $414.54
1991 Buick SkylarkV6-3.3L	Service typeSerpentine/Drive Belt Replacement	Estimate$260.29	Shop/Dealer Price$290.70 - $377.80
1998 Buick SkylarkV6-3.1L	Service typeSerpentine/Drive Belt Replacement	Estimate$260.59	Shop/Dealer Price$291.10 - $378.44
1991 Buick SkylarkL4-2.3L	Service typeSerpentine/Drive Belt Replacement	Estimate$274.41	Shop/Dealer Price$308.37 - $406.08
1990 Buick SkylarkV6-3.3L	Service typeSerpentine/Drive Belt Replacement	Estimate$260.29	Shop/Dealer Price$292.20 - $380.42
1994 Buick SkylarkV6-3.1L	Service typeSerpentine/Drive Belt Replacement	Estimate$260.59	Shop/Dealer Price$291.24 - $378.69
1992 Buick SkylarkV6-3.3L	Service typeSerpentine/Drive Belt Replacement	Estimate$255.73	Shop/Dealer Price$285.04 - $368.75
1997 Buick SkylarkV6-3.1L	Service typeSerpentine/Drive Belt Replacement	Estimate$260.59	Shop/Dealer Price$291.10 - $378.44

Show example Buick Skylark 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 Buick mechanics

Real customer reviews from Buick owners like you.

Excellent Rating

(26)

Rating Summary

23

2

0

0

1

23

2

0

0

1

SEE REVIEWS NEAR ME

Eduardo

15 years of experience

528 reviews

Request Eduardo

Eduardo

15 years of experience

Request Eduardo

by David C Cobb

Skylark 1995 - Rear lights are not working - Pearland, TX

Showed up a little early and quickly diagnosed the problem. Extremely professional and courteous. Would definitely use again.

John

23 years of experience

879 reviews

John

23 years of experience

by David C Cobb

Skylark 1995 - Turn Signal Switch - Pearland, TX

Dinged him a star for showing up an hour late. Otherwise I am very satisfied with the work he did to help get an old Buick ready to pass inspection. He found a problem the first mechanic missed and repaired that as well. Pleasant and professional. Would use again.

Excellent Rating

(26)

Rating Summary

23

2

0

0

1

23

2

0

0

1

SEE REVIEWS NEAR ME

Recent articles & questions

How Long Does an Axle / CV Shaft Assembly Last?

Axle Axle shafts, or CV (constant velocity) shafts, are essentially long metal poles that connect the wheels of your car to the transmission gears, and allows the wheels to rotate. The transmission works to rotate the axle shafts, which in...

P2711 OBD-II Trouble Code: Unexpected Mechanical Gear Disengagement

P2711 means a malfunction was detected from the output shaft speed sensor due to failing transmission components or electrical issues and/or problems.

How to Get a New Hampshire Driver's Permit

New New Hampshire is one of the few states that does not use a graduated driver’s license program. The DMV in the state does not issue learner’s permits. The state of New Hampshire allows anyone over the age of 15...

Fuel light flashes, check engine light on

Hi there, thanks for writing in about your 1997 Mercedes-Benz S420. The fuel light circuit receives information from the fuel level sending unit (https://www.yourmechanic.com/services/fuel-gauge-sender-replacement) to show the approximate fuel level and give a warning as the level becomes low. There...

odometer

Hello, thank you for writing in. The trip reset button is located at the next to the readout. It is hard to see because they are black on black and hidden out of the way. Some models utilize the set...

Hello, I have a 2011 chevy Cruze that beds the valve cover replaced. I already have the part. Will you please email me a quote for

Hi, I will be glad to help you with this. If you already have a new cover, the required service is valve cover gasket replacement as that service already includes removal and re-installation of the existing valve cover and, in...

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