There are several advantages to the new style of serpentine belts. A single belt, winding its way through a forest of pulleys, can now drive every single engine accessory at the same time. A single belt only an inch or so wide saves 3 or 4 in. of engine room real estate. Better still: Most of the serpentine-belt installations use a spring-loaded tensioner pulley that keeps a constant preload on the belt, eliminating the need to adjust the tension. If you’ve ever needed three hands and a tire iron to pry an alternator away from the block while simultaneously tightening the adjustment bolt-and-nut combo, you’ll appreciate what a giant leap forward that is.

There’s one last, very compelling advantage to serpentine belts: They don’t wear out, at least not for a really long time. A fresh belt will probably last 150,000 miles without any maintenance at all. Contrast that with the expected 40,000- to 50,000-mile life span of a heavily loaded V-belt.