Insert the 3/8 inch drive ratchet into the tensioner. Turn the tensioner clockwise to loosen the belt. Pull the belt off the alternator. Release the tensioner. Pull the belt off by hand. step 2 :Reinstalling the Serpentine Belt. 1:42. Familiarize yourself with the route of the serpentine belt. Stretch the belt by hand. Most cars provide a common 3/8-in.-sq hole in the tensioner's arm to release the tensioner. Simply use a ratchet to loosen the belt, and unthread it from the pulleys. Step 4. Loosen the bottom lock nut. Tighten the belt using the adjusting bolt, and re-tighten the lock nut. This is where thing are a little tight and using the stubby wrench and offset wrench came in very handy. Tighten everything back up and double check the belt tension. Step 5. Feb 6, 2014. #3. x2 you probably want to do the alternator pulley and put in a new belt. Its an easy job maybe an hour start to finish. If you are gonna do the alternator pulley you will need a special tool. One bit stops the alternator from spinning while the other bit removes the threaded alternator pulley. I got one from Metalnerd. The belt failure can damage all these other systems, raising your repair bill exponentially. Modern cars generally use a tensioner to keep your serpentine in place and eases the replacement procedure for most models. Replacing a bent tensioner or broken pulley at the same time as the belt is always recommended to extend the life of your car. Step 1. Disconnect the negative battery cable with a ratchet and socket, and locate the serpentine belt system near the front of the engine. Some automobiles will have the belt system on one side of the engine, and will therefore require removal of one of the front tires. If this is the case with your vehicle, you will need to lift the front of 1zSkX. If there is a change in the position, replace the auto-tensioner. See Fig. 2 . Check for abnormal noise from the tensioner pulley. If abnormal noise is heard, replace the tensioner pulley. Remove the drive belt. See DRIVE BELT . Move the auto-tensioner within its limit with the belt tension release tool in the direction shown. See Fig. 14 . In this video I cover a serpentine belt installation and how to overcome the spring tension of the belt tensioner. Remove front right tire. Remove 4 plastic fasteners holding the splash guard (approx. 12"x 16") near the bottom front of the wheel well. Remove the splash guard. Route the belt around all pulleys by working through the wheel well and from the top of the motor. Gather up all the excess slack near the tensioner. At the 1:54 mark you can see the alternator. Since it is the 2.0L engine, it doesn't have the tensioner bracket that is on top of the alternator, with the long bolt, which is used to relieve tension and replace the belt on the 1.6. With visual inspection, and a review of the service manual, I see four pulleys: 1. Crankshaft, 2. The replacement cost of a drive belt is only going to be between $100 and $200 in most cases. The belt itself will cost between $30 and $90 while the labor costs will probably be between $150 and $200. The ease of accessing the serpentine belt will determine how much the labor costs are. Step 4 – Inspect belt operation. With the belt in place and properly aligned on all pulleys, proceed to start the vehicle. With the engine idling, inspect the belt to make sure it is running true. If the belt looks to be partially off of a pulley, shut the engine off and re-position the belt as outlined above.

how to tension a serpentine belt