Can a serpentine belt be replaced without going to the shop?
It’s a crucial part of the engine assembly—here are step-by-step instructions for replacing your serpentine belt without bringing your car to the shop. This belt, obviously past its prime, ran for 115,000 miles, and it was still within the tension limits specified. It’s toast, regardless.
Where do I find the serpentine belt routing diagram?
Find the serpentine belt routing diagram. Many cars come with a sticker in the engine bay that shows exactly how the serpentine belt is supposed to be routed through the various pulleys on the engine. If your vehicle does not have a sticker, you will need to find another way to remember how the belt should be run.
How is the tension set on a serpentine belt?
Depending on the application, your serpentine belt will either have tension placed on it using a movable bracket or an auto tensioner pulley. This pulley uses an internal spring to apply consistent pressure to the belt at all times. If your vehicle does not have a tensioner pulley, the alternator bracket is likely how tension is set on the belt.
What causes a serpentine belt to misroute?
It’s easy to misroute a serpentine belt if you can’t remember how it was positioned before it was removed. A sure sign of misrouting is if the belt seems to be too long or too short for the application, or if it won’t slip over the last pulley, or it is loose after it has been installed.
It’s a crucial part of the engine assembly—here are step-by-step instructions for replacing your serpentine belt without bringing your car to the shop. This belt, obviously past its prime, ran for 115,000 miles, and it was still within the tension limits specified. It’s toast, regardless.
Find the serpentine belt routing diagram. Many cars come with a sticker in the engine bay that shows exactly how the serpentine belt is supposed to be routed through the various pulleys on the engine. If your vehicle does not have a sticker, you will need to find another way to remember how the belt should be run.
Depending on the application, your serpentine belt will either have tension placed on it using a movable bracket or an auto tensioner pulley. This pulley uses an internal spring to apply consistent pressure to the belt at all times. If your vehicle does not have a tensioner pulley, the alternator bracket is likely how tension is set on the belt.
How can I tell if my serpentine belt is slipping?
Belt noises can be diagnosed with a spray bottle of water. With the engine running and the sound audible, lightly mist the grooved side of the belt with water. If the noise disappears or lessens, but then shortly returns, the problem is probably a misaligned pulley. If the noise immediately increases after the belt is misted, the belt is slipping.