How much does it cost to replace a fan belt?
According to Fixter data, the fan belt replacement cost (UK) usually ranges between £52 and £126.
The average fan belt replacement cost works out at approximately £89, including parts and labour.
What are the fan belt replacement costs at dealerships compared to Fixter garages?
|
Operation |
Vehicle |
Dealership Price |
Fixter Price Estimate |
Average Saving |
|
Fan Belt Replacement |
Audi Q5 |
£94 |
£73–£90 |
£13 |
|
Fan Belt Replacement |
Fiat Grande Punto |
£80 |
£57–£69 |
£16 |
|
Fan Belt Replacement |
Audi A5 Cabriolet |
£90 |
£71–£87 |
£10 |
|
Fan Belt Replacement |
Tesla Model X |
£128 |
£103–£126 |
£14 |
|
Fan Belt Replacement |
Mercedes CLC-Class |
£94 |
£73–£90 |
£13 |
|
Fan Belt Replacement |
Seat Cordoba |
£99 |
£75–£92 |
£15 |
|
Fan Belt Replacement |
Toyota PowerVan |
£80 |
£65–£80 |
£7 |
|
Fan Belt Replacement |
BMW 6 Series |
£105 |
£75–£115 |
£11 |
|
Fan Belt Replacement |
Vauxhall Signum |
£99 |
£75–£92 |
£15 |
|
Fan Belt Replacement |
Kia Soul |
£68 |
£52–£64 |
£10 |
If you replace your fan belt with Fixter, on average, we save our customers around 30% against dealership prices. Not only do you save money, but you also benefit from our superb collection and delivery service.
It’s the most convenient way to carry out car repairs, upgrades, services, and MOTs you’ll find. Who else collects your car and delivers it back to you when the work is complete?
What additional factors could affect fan belt replacement?
Once a car engine is running, your fan belt is too. And that’s not all. Pulleys, tensioners, idlers, dampers, and gears all play their part in transferring energy from the crankshaft to various other components and operations under the bonnet—but primarily the alternator and cooling fan.
When a fan belt breaks, you might not be able to drive your car as it powers many vital operations. However, with enough charge in the battery, your car could still drive for quite a while without powering the alternator. That said, there is always the chance of it causing additional damage to its connected components if it snaps completely.
Watching out for wear and being vigilant is all part of maintaining its ideal performance and avoiding unnecessary damages and expenditure.
What are the costs of fan belt replacement parts?
Prices for new fan belts vary for each make and model of car. Let’s take a look at some typical prices of Eurocarparts fan belts for a selection of popular vehicles.
In our search, we took the average for standard 2020 models.
|
Car Make |
Car Model |
Fan Belt Prices |
|
Ford |
Fiesta |
£15 |
|
Fiat |
500 |
£20 |
|
Volkswagen |
Golf |
£14 |
|
Mercedes |
C Class |
£14 |
|
Audi |
A4 |
£15 |
|
BMW |
5 Series |
£17 |
|
Land Rover |
Range Rover |
£25 |
|
Volkswagen |
Tiguan |
£15 |
|
Audi |
Q5 |
£15 |
What are the labour times and rates for fan belt replacement?
Fan belt replacement can take as little as 15 minutes, but usually takes between 30 minutes and an hour.
Fan belt replacement costs vary across the country according to each garage and dealership. We examined our records to calculate the average hourly rate.
We found for garages within the London area, the average rate came out at £78 per hour. For the garages throughout the rest of the country, the price was a little lower, as you’d expect, at £72 per hour.
Can I carry out a fan belt replacement myself?
If you’re not completely confident that you can remove and replace all the associated components, reset and retention all the parts and pulleys required for optimum operation, then this is a job better performed by a professional mechanic.
If the fan belt is even slightly too loose or too tight, it can affect the belt’s performance, as well as encouraging excessive and accelerated wear on the brand new belt you’ve just paid for.
Can you drive with a broken fan belt?
Despite driving a lot of your car’s other components, you may still be able to drive with a broken fan belt, although it’s not a good idea. How far you’ll get is debatable, as without your alternator delivering electrical power to your system, your battery will drain, leaving you stranded.
How long does a fan belt last?
The average lifespan of a fan belt—according to manufacturers—is between 60k and 100k miles—roughly around four or five years of driving for the typical driver.
When should a fan belt be replaced?
A fan belt should be replaced the minute it shows signs of wear or damage. Unfortunately, there are plenty of ways a fan belt can deteriorate: cracking across the ribs, chunks of rubber breaking off, ribs working free of the base, abrasion on the underside of the belt, fraying and damage to the belt edges, tearing or a total split. Each option dictates that it’s time for a replacement, assuring you of optimum performance.
What are the signs of a bad fan belt?
- Squeaking and whining noises from the front of the car when you start the engine.
- Visible signs of wear and tear, damage and deterioration.
- The engine overheating regularly—as the fan belt operates the water pump.
- Trouble starting the car—failing to power your alternator could mean there isn’t enough energy to turn your engine.
- Lights flash or flicker—again, without efficient alternator performance, electrical components will be affected.
- The steering feels heavy—a slipping belt can fail to power the power steering pump.
What happens if a fan belt breaks while driving?
If the car doesn’t stall, it could soon overheat. You might lose your power steering, and your lights will suffer. These are all highly unadvisable dangerous events for you, your passengers, pedestrians and other road users.
If you think it’s time for a new fan belt, or if any other unusual squeaks and whines are coming from under your bonnet, why not let one of our experts take a look and identify the problem for you? We’re always ready and waiting to help.
Choose Fixter – Get an instant quote for your fan belt replacement and save up to 30%
About Fixter
Fixter is revolutionising the car maintenance industry, one repair at a time. Fixter was founded to make car maintenance as easy as booking a taxi. Digital, transparent and stress-free, with world-class customer service. Since launching in Manchester in 2017, Fixter has expanded to more than 100 towns and cities across the UK and provided thousands of car owners with honest, convenient and affordable car repair services.