Not to mention potentially overheating.

Lmfao - can we say Gatorbacks. lol. your belts are looking like my gatorbacks.
for safe measure I would just replace them with new gatorbacks which will last you a life time.

I have a 97 SE */C and a belt went out and took out three pulleys. Not fun. Of coarse this was before I joined this club. I didnt know any better. Watch it close and be prepaired to do it. It sucks having to replace pulleys!!!!!

PS. Expecialy the one that has the coolant line going through it. Goodness that was hard.

After reading this post earlier today, It motivated me to get mine done. I had the shop do it when I bought the car with 75,000 miles on it about 4 years ago. Now that I'm back in tune with my car, I noticed it being cracked again. By your pictures I would say that my belt was a little worse than yours. I didn't hesitate one bit. I would hate like h*ll to be stuck on the side of the road for a 30.00 part and 45 min worth of work. nuff said. Good luck with repair.

Here'* GM'* service bulleting regarding it.

Engine - Serpentine Drive Belt Wear Information

Bulletin No.: 04-06-01-013

Date: April 29, 2004

INFORMATION
Subject:
Information on Serpentine Belt Wear

Models:
2004 and Prior Passenger Cars and Trucks
2003-2004 and Prior HUMMER H2

All current GM vehicles designed and manufactured in North America were assembled with serpentine belts that are made with an EPDM material and should last the life of the vehicle. It is extremely rare to observe any cracks in EPDM belts and it is not expected that they will require maintenance before 10 years or 240,000 km (150,000 mi) of use.

Older style belts, which were manufactured with a chloroprene compound, may exhibit cracks depending on age. However, the onset of cracking typically signals that the belt is only about halfway through its usable life.

A good rule of thumb for chloroprene-based belts is that if cracks are observed 3 mm (1/8 in) apart, ALL AROUND THE BELT, the belt may be reaching the end of its serviceable life and should be considered a candidate for changing. Small cracks spaced at greater intervals should not be considered as indicative that the belt needs changing.

Any belt that exhibits chunking should be replaced.

That is interesting reading. I replaced my original belt at 60K or so with another GM belt. Now it has cracks but not nearly as many as the pictures here. But the rubber still is flexible. If you rubber gets more brittle then I'll start to worry. The main part of the belt isn't cracked through.

I'll watch mine now that I've read the post. If it was a matter of just switching the belt I'd probably do it as routine; but it'* one where I have to remove the spacer to remove the belt so it'* more of a job than normal.

Maybe I am paranoid, but given the relative difficulty of changing the accessory belt (don't know how they route the SC belt on SSEI'*), I don't take chances with questionable belts. Unlike a lot of cars, this is not a belt you can just swap out on the side of the road with a ratchet and 5 minutes. That motor mount that has to be disconnected makes this a shop/garage job with access to some kind of support for the engine. I want to club the jackass who dreamed up that design.

I second that motion. Belt maintenance is one of few things a low level do-it-youselfer can do-until this setup.

This is exactly the reason why I don't push it. I agree that it is a little more difficult. This is just another reason why you go ahead and do it while your Bonnie is at home in your garage. Do it when you have the chance and give yourself that piece of mind.

Ounce of prevention - pound of cure Sorry bout that old cliche'