Spotted a cracked serpentine belt in a junkyard, saved me $80

Last weekend I was at Pull-A-Part in Phoenix grabbing a window motor for my old Civic. While waiting, I walked past a wrecked Accord and noticed the belt on the exposed engine had deep cracks and missing chunks. That got me thinking about my own car, so I checked mine with a flashlight right there. Sure enough, I saw the same wear pattern starting on the ribs. I ordered a $28 belt online and swapped it out in my driveway, took about 40 minutes with a standard ratchet. Has anyone else found junkyard cars as a free inspection guide for their own maintenance? What do you look for when you're there?

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nancy9291mo agoTop Commenter

My buddy Marcus found a busted alternator on a similar model at the yard and it saved him a whole weekend of guessing. He compared the mounting bolts and bracket shape right there, then ordered the same part for his own car. That place is basically a free DIY clinic if you bring a flashlight.