How to Fix a Serpentine Belt

Most of us know how to add fluids to the appropriate tanks in our vehicles, especially since they usually have handy pictures on the caps, but if you’ve never taken the time to learn about the inner workings of your car, chances are you get a little jumpy when it comes to replacing belts. Fixing the serpentine belt in your car is easier than you may think.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

1. Find the manual that came with your vehicle. If you do not have a manual, consult the Internet for an online version of the manual, or go buy one from your local auto parts store. Consult the serpentine belt diagram in the manual relevant to the make and model of your car. Be sure to purchase a replacement belt that corresponds to the car.

2. Locate the serpentine belt using the diagram. The serpentine belt will look like a long, grooved, rubber band that wraps around different pulleys under the hood. Once the serpentine is found, look for the tensioner. This will look like the other pulleys the serpentine belt is around, but this one will not be attached to any accessories and will have a large nut on the front of it.

3. Use a wrench to turn the nut on the tensioner away from the belt itself and hold it in place. With your free hand, pull the serpentine belt off of the nearest pulley to free the serpentine belt. Release the tensioner with care.

4. Release the tensioner and use the manual to properly replace the serpentine belt on all pulleys according to the diagram and instructions for your particular make and model. Double check that the serpentine belt is wrapped around all belts properly.

5. Turn the tensioner the same way as before, this time wrapping the serpentine belt around the tensioner pulley, making sure it is wrapped around correctly. Release when the belt is properly in place.

6. Check the belt again. If this is the first time replacing a serpentine belt, use a flash light to inspect each pulley that the belt is wrapped around. The belt should be completely taut when replaced properly. If the belt is slack at all, repeat these steps. Double check to make sure you are using the correct belt for your car if the belt will not wrap around the pulleys properly.

Tips & Warnings

• If your serpentine belt is shredded, be sure to use a flashlight to make sure all pieces of the serpentine belt are removed.

[TonyG]

on 10/19/2008 I need to change a serpentine belt on a 98 impala, and there is a mount bracket that needs to be removed first. Will the engine need to be blocked up?