Can you tell if a car belt is worn from one photo?
Visual inspection from a single photo cannot determine the structural condition or internal wear of an older vehicle's belt. Without knowing the actual service history or being able to feel the depth of the grooves in person, buyers are left guessing whether surface marks are superficial or indicate an immediate risk of failure.
What people tried
Every workaround mentioned in the threads below. We haven’t tested any of them — and nobody here is claiming they worked.
- 1Inspecting service history documents
- 2Relying on past MOT advisory notes
- 3Consulting online mechanic forums for photo evaluations
- 4Checking with a fingernail to see if it sits in the groove
- 5Inspecting for impressions versus actual cracks
In their words
Unedited, most upvoted first, each linked to the thread it came from.
“However being that it's a 16, nearly 17 year old vehicle is like some advice on the state of this belt.”source ↗
“The service history does not mention the belt being replaced”source ↗
“Any thoughts on the condition? Apologies, this is the only photo I've been able to attain from the seller.”source ↗
Where this came up
People with this problem also raised
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