I believe it is time for a discussion on serpentine belts. I know many of you cringe at the thought but they are not that scary. Serpentine belts came about so an engine could be installed transversely and the old belt system took up to much space at the front of the engine. True on some of the newer vehicles they are almost impossible to install in fact on a few newer vehicles they are hard to see. One trick is to either buy or rent one of the new ratcheting belt tools and a belt installer, which is only a rod with a fork on the end. They are both a knuckle saver. Serpentine belts are one of the most oversold items in the quick lube bays, behind transmission flushes. If no one has ever tried to sell you one check yours because you probably need one, as they didn’t want to sell you one as it was to difficult to install.In over 30+ years I have only seen 2 or 3 belts actually fail, usually they fail because of a driven component locking up and destroying the belt. It is surprising how cracked a belt can be and still perform and usually they will make noise before failing I think this is why we see few actually fail as the noise they make is unbearable.A good rule of thumb is if you have cracks that are starting to line up across the belt or more than 4 or 5 in an inch then replace the belt. Or if the edges look frayed or the belt has become stiff replacement is in order. If the edges are frayed check the alignment of the pulleys, as they may be a problem. One again they are not that scary just take it off and install a new one.