Serpentine Belt Replacement

 

How To Replace Serpentine Belt

Made of reinforced synthetic and/or hard rubber, belts are usually v-channeled or ribbed serpentine They're used to drive accessories including the alternator, water pump, AC compressor, power steering, air pump, vacuum pump and injector pump. They're usually driven by the engine's crankshaft pulley and are fully adjustable by tensioners or idlers that follow or track the surface of the belt.

PARTS

Tools and Supplies Needed

Socket set and ratchet

Serpentine Belt

Protective eyewear and gloves.

Flashlight

Accessory Belt Idler Pulley
Accessory Belt Tensioner
Screwdriver .

Before you begin place your car on a flat surface with the engine "off" in park with the parking brake on. Wear protective clothing, eyewear and gloves to avoid injury.

Safety Tip:
Always wear safety glasses when working on your vehicle. Wear other personal protective equipment (PPE) when necessary, for example latex gloves or closed toe shoes.

1

Open your hood and locate your vehicle's serpentine belt.

2

Locate the serpentine belt routing diagram in the engine compartment, in the vehicle owners manual, or under the hood.

3

Locate the serpentine belt tensioner.
Photo may not be specific to your vehicle

4

Move tensioner to loosen the belt.

5

Remove the serpentine belt.

6

Install the new serpentine belt making sure the belt is routed the same way as before.
Photo may not be specific to your vehicle

7

Check the belt tension. Push down in the middle of a section of the belt. It should not move more than a half inch.

8

Start the engine and allow the car to run for a few minutes to ensure proper belt installation.

9

Turn the engine off and recheck the serpentine belt tension. Adjust tension if needed. May require belt tensioner replacement.

Step 1 - Remove engine covers, shrouds or plastic guards that may cover the work area. (Needed to access to the front of the engine.)

Removing Air Filter Housing

Step 2 - Locate the belt tensioner which is under spring tension to hold pressure on the belt which keeps it secure.

Locating Belt Tensioner

Step 3 - Using a wrench push the tensioner in the opposite direction of the spring tension to release the tensioner.

Releasing Belt Tensioner

Step 4 - Once the tensioner is released move the belt off the nearest pulley.

Removing Serpentine Belt

Step 5 - Belt is now ready for removal

Belt Ready for Removal

Step 6 - Remove the belt from the bottom pulley and all idler pulleys and accessories.

Removing Serpentine Belt From Pulleys

Step 7 - Once the belt has been removed compare the old belt to the replacement belt. They should be a exact match in both length and width.

Belt Comparison

Step 8 - Once the new belt has been checked install the new serpentine belt onto the pulleys.

Installing New Serpentine Belt

Step 9 - Once the belt is on the engine pulleys activate the belt tensioner to complete the belt installation

Activate Tensioner Install Belt

Step 10 - Once the belt has been installed use a flashlight to inspect the belt location on the pulleys are aligned with the grooves of the belt.

Checking Belt Alignment

The is no adjustment is necessary to a serpentine belt, the tension is automatically maintained by spring tension.

MORE BELT REPLACE DETAILS AND DIAGRAMS:----

To replace a worn belt, locate the idler or generator pulley.

Loosen the hold-down fastener for the idler or generator pulley.

Pry the idler or generator pulley inward to release the belt tension and remove the belt.

Match the old belt up for size with the new replacement belt.

Observe the belt routing diagram in the engine compartment.

Install the new belt over each of the drive pulleys. Often the manufacturer recommends a sequence for feeding the belt around the pulleys.

Art courtesy of Delmar - Thomson Learning.

Pry out the idler or generator pulley to put tension on the belt.

MORE DETAILS ABOUT SERPENTINE BELT:---

A serpentine belt drives engine accessories such as the air conditioner compressor, power steering pump and alternator. Over time serpentine belts can crack and fail. If the serpentine belt breaks the operation of some accessories will stop. Steering will be difficult but not impossible to turn because the power assist will be non-operational and eventually the car battery will lose its charge. Belt routing can be confusing, make sure to take a picture or draw a routing diagram before removing the old belt.

Check the belt tension, if the belt is loose it can cause a chirping noise due to the lack of pressure needed for the belt to operate properly. Visit - Serpentine belt tensioner replacement.

Best Practices


Use a wire brush to clean the belt pulley grooves.
Always use the right size belt to maintain the proper amount of tension.
Do not use "belt dressing" or anti noise sprays. This is a temporary fix and will cause the replacement belt to fail prematurely because of contaminates on the pulley system.
With the belt removed, spin all the pulleys to make sure the bearings are good. When bearings fails they can squeal before they lock up and throw the belt off.