For the air conditioning system in your car to work properly, it has to pressurize refrigerant. That is the function of the AC compressor. The compressor itself gets a signal from the AC relay and is operated by a belt that is powered by your engine’s crankshaft – the AC compressor belt. In some GM cars, the AC compressor belt is separate from the serpentine belt system.
Belts of any kind have a limited life. Usually, you can expect your AC belt to last between 30,000 and 40,000 miles. If the belt is exposed to contaminants, its life will be reduced. If you are an infrequent driver, the life may be more effectively measured in terms of years – usually, a belt will last between three and four years, even if it does not become contaminated.
Beyond that point, the likelihood of failure will increase. So, your AC compressor belt will inevitably wear, and if you own your vehicle for longenough, it will inevitably have to be replaced.
Tips:
- Check the air conditioner belt pulley before installing
Wheel wells should be in good condition and should not have scratches or sharp steps. All dimensions should be standard. Dirty or rusted sheaves can reduce drive efficiency and damage the belt, resulting in premature belt failure.
- Check the parallelism of the pulley sheave before installing
Before installation, the parallelism of the shaft and the sheave should be calibrated.
Generally, a deviation of more than 20 in parallelism will seriously affect the life of the belt. Non-parallel sheaves will cause uneven wear of the belt, causing the belt to squeeze out of the sheaves and all the load applied to the belt stretches and breaks the belt line on that side.