Check your belts

At the front of your engine there will be a series of rubber drive belts that loop around various pulleys, driving everything from the alternator to the a/c compressor. Rubber perishes, more so in extreme conditions like those found in an operating engine bay. Get your timing belt and accessory drive belt checked every 50,000 kms, preferably replacing it every 100,000 kms. See the Fuel and Engine bible for information on interference engines and why checking your timing belts is a necessity, not a luxury.