I used Bando belts. I like them better than Gates.

 

I've got some vehicles with Bando. No complaints, yet. I won't be buying this Gates again.

 

Included with both of the timing belt jobs performed by the dealer on my Pilot, the replacement accessory drive belts they installed were made by Mitsuboshi.

 

I know I've never installed any other timing belt in a Honda that wasn't Mitsuboshi. 👍

 

I've used the goodyear gatorback with no problems.

Looking forward to sumitomo making them

 

Honda belts by far last the longest and stretch the least.

 

No doubt, that is a high quality belt. One of the best if not the best.

 

All my belts are Bando. That’s what my mechanic uses for serpentine belts.

 

At least if your serpentine belt breaks it won't have the dire engine consequences of if your timing belt breaks, although I'd hate to have power steering go out in the middle of a high speed curve.

Come to think of it, we've read about a few incidences on this forum of timing belts failing, but I don't remember anyone mentioning a serpentine belt failing. Has it happened to anyone?

For two good reasons, I've abandoned keeping a spare set of women's nylons in my glove compartment to replace a broken fan belt.

1. It doesn't work anymore on modern cars.
2. It just takes too long to explain to the wife.

 

At least if your serpentine belt breaks it won't have the dire engine consequences of if your timing belt breaks,

I have a family member who had their serpentine belt break on an Accord. It got wound up behind the crankshaft pulley and caused the timing belt to break. $4,000 💸 🙁
So, we might not want to go to cheap on our serp belt.

 

Just a word of caution on this subject. If you ever perform work on your engine, that requires the belt to be removed, be sure it's reinstalled turning the same direction as it was originally.
It's my phobia. Probably not written anywhere.

 

Just a word of caution on this subject.
If you ever perform work on your engine, that requires the belt to be removed, be sure it's reinstalled turning the same direction as it was originally.
It's my phobia. Probably not written anywhere.

Or, if you ever perform work on your engine that requires the belt to be removed, reusing the old drive belt might not be the best place to economize.
Instead, use some of the money you're saving from the DIY repairs and spend ~$30 for a new Mitsuboshi belt.

 

We all have our car demons, Nail.

 

To summarize so far for those of you just tuning in, the Honda OEM serpentine belt (aka accessory belt) is a Mistuboshi.

Bando can be good, too. Gates, not so much.

 

Going to test a Continental.

 

 

Best Serpentine Belts 2024: Connect Your Engine

A serpentine belt is one of those critical parts of your car that often...

autoquarterly.com

 

So, I haven't done the pilot serpentine yet but I will soon as it chirps a bit on starts now. That being said I went to get one last night for the Yaris. Went to CT who said they had one Continental which I've used in the past and liked but they couldn't find it when I got there so I went to Napa and grabbed one there. Holy crap garbage. It's a Gates belt Napa branded and it didn't fit. I put it on 4 times and got it singing tight the last try and it came off all 4 times! I was about to lose my shit thinking I am a dumb ass and can't put a belt on when I grabbed the old belt and compared them. The Napa/gates was just ever so slightly wider and so was not going into the crank pulley far enough to stay on. Put the old belt back on and it stayed fine. Taking the shit belt back and I ordered a Continental from another store arriving tomorrow. Napa stuff has gone way down hill. last few times I got parts they were sub par and poor fit but it was emergency and had to bite the bullet.

 

Though some responsibility lies with Napa, I would blame Gates more. They have cheaped out in recent years.

 

Agreed there. Gates used to be go to. I have used their belts 2-3 times in my 79 GL1000 bike. It gets new ones every 4 years or 50K whichever comes first. The other items I was not happy with were a muffler for the Yaris. It doesn't fit right and clangs againts the suspension on bumps, had to grab it as the old broke off and I needed the care drivable same day. other bits were sway bar links etc.

 

Not to mention the Gates timing belt kit water pump fiasco.

PSA!!! Don't buy Gates Water Pumps

Well this was a close one. Wife had been complaining of a weird sound coming from the engine bay, as well as poor gas mileage. The only suspect part I had in the engine bay was the cheap Chinese-made Gates brand water pump I installed 40k miles prior (3-4 years ago). It was included in their...

www.piloteers.org

 

Don't tell me this. I used the Gates kit from Rockauto before I joined here. I may have to swap that pump.

 

I went to check, yep I ordered the Gates kit car had 80K miles(134K KM) on the clock then, It has 111K miles (185K KM) now. No noises etc but I feel I should pull the cover and take a look inside this week and if the pump looks at all sketchy I'll replace it

 

Just to update, I ended up going to the closest to my work auto parts store and grabbed a belt for the yaris, ended up being a gates rebranded as well only this one fit fine. QC is out the window at the Gates factory I guess. Silver lining to the whole thing is when I pulled the wheel on the Yaris to do the belt, grease was everywhere. sometime between the first and second belt install my outer CV boor tore and because I caught it now a new boot and grease should be all I need to save it. If the first belt fit I'd have ended up ruining that axle as I had already put the winter tires on and would have had no reason to look at that area of the car until the axle made noise from no grease left and by then it would be new axle time.

 

Let the Continental drive belt test begin. It may out last this vehicle.

 

Hope it fares better than these Continental tires.

Continental Tire Recall - Tire Defects Attorney - Willis Law Firm


If not, you now know where you can...

 

Hope it fares better than these Continental tires.

Continental Tire Recall - Tire Defects Attorney - Willis Law Firm


If not, you now know where you can...

White wall tires. Lol
Must be a really old law suit.

 

 

View attachment 141496

Definitely wrong size and wrong belt.

 

I've been waiting a few days until my RockAuto order came in with my new Made in the USA Bando Serpentine belt...

I was looking at my serp belt a few days ago and discovered that the stitching was beginning to fray. So I ordered a new one, knowing I was going to have the fenderwell liner off, looking for my windshield washer fluid leak. After removing the old belt, I found a 2nd stitching frayed. This is not what I call a quality OEM belt at all.

Made in Indonesia
Smaller belt on the 3rd Gen apparently wears faster. It makes more revolutions than its previous larger predecessor.

 

I've been waiting a few days until my RockAuto order came in with my new Made in the USA Bando Serpentine belt...
View attachment 141805
View attachment 141806
I was looking at my serp belt a few days ago and discovered that the stitching was beginning to fray. So I ordered a new one, knowing I was going to have the fenderwell liner off, looking for my windshield washer fluid leak. After removing the old belt, I found a 2nd stitching frayed. This is not what I call a quality OEM belt at all.
View attachment 141813
View attachment 141814 View attachment 141815 Made in Indonesia
Smaller belt on the 3rd Gen apparently wears faster. It makes more revolutions than its previous larger predecessor.

No 3rd Gen owners are bothered by this? Lol, Guess there were more exciting things to talk about yesterday. This belt is at almost 30k miles.

 

I also wanted to post a recent experience discovered by a family member while getting parts for an Acura TL. Let the pictures do the talking.

 

I've never had any issues with goodyear gatorback belts

 

Not knocking it, just never heard of it.

 

Looks like they are now continental elite belts after a merger. Put them on all my cars when it was time to replace the factory belts

 

If only Sumitomo made belts. Their performance belt would have stiffer side ribs to hold onto the curves of the pulleys. Better than some touring belt made by Continental. 😁

 

I own a Continental garden hose that I highly recommend.

I do have 1 vehicle with a set of Continental tires. It is the last set of tires I overpaid for.