The serpentine belt, which is also known as the 'S'- belt is a better alternative to the 'V'-belt. In order to understand how to replace a serpentine belt, it is first necessary to know a little bit about what is a replacement belt.
What is a Serpentine Belt?
It is a belt used in automotive engines for driving the peripheral devices like power steering pump, alternator, A/C compressor, water pump, air pump, etc. There may be a problem of wearing down of the tensioner mechanism or pulley bearing noise.
The pulleys should be checked for dust/debris accumulated in the grooves. One might also have to remove the splash shields before pulling the belt off the assembly.
Coolant pump should be checked for leakage. Removal
Before you start disengaging the serpentine belt, service manual for that particular automobile should be referred. The labor charge for replacing this belt is around $50. The belt can be safely removed after releasing the tension. All the necessary precautions mentioned for the removal process should be followed. This could also result into the tool slipping off and causing an injury. A serpentine belt can bear tension and therefore, possesses high mechanical efficiency in comparison to the 'V'-belt. Generally, a leakage is responsible for causing noise or bad hearing.
The fan clutch should be inspected for fluid leakage or any other damage.
The tensioner should also be inspected. Let us now get into the details of serpentine belt replacement through the procedure given below.
Cost of Replacing a Serpentine Belt
The cost of a serpentine belt is $30-$50. Procedure for the same is given below.
The process of replacing serpentine belt is quite easy, provided that the necessary precautions and steps are undertaken by the installer. The cracks observed along ribs of the serpentine belt indicate that it has reached the stage of replacement. The belt should be inspected in order to carry out any replacement activity. Try to sketch the routing diagram for your convenience. Following the precautions mentioned in the article should help in carrying out the activity in a safe manner.
Once the serpentine belt is removed, the instructions provided below should be followed.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CS--UwoxFkk
Replacing Serpentine Belt
The serpentine belt should be replaced every 4 years or after the vehicle has covered a distance of 30,000 to 50,000 miles. It is necessary to keep in mind that the belt tensioners are tightly sprung. One should always go with the specifications of the manufacturer. This belt is also referred to as a poly-v or multi-vee. A belt tensioner, idler pulley or both are required to guide the movement of belt. The position at which this tool is mounted should be checked properly. Jim Vance invented the system that makes use of a single serpentine belt instead of number of belts. One should thus, avoid any kind of 'slips', which may cause a serious injury. Another benefit of using the serpentine belt is that it needs lesser space to fit inside the engine compartment in comparison to the multiple belt system.
import parts make contact with the tensioner, belt or any of the pulleys.
Reinstalling a Serpentine Belt
In the process of reinstallation of serpentine belt, the order which is opposite to that of the belt removal must be followed. Although, it may seem a futile activity, sketching the diagram on your own enhances your understanding of the placement of belt. If the arrow in the scale is on the 'tight' side i.e. The above mentioned process of replacing the serpentine belt helps the users in removal and reinstallation. Locating the exact problem apart from that of wear and tear proves to be helpful in the process of replacement or in making the new belt last longer. A damaged serpentine belt produces noise which indicates whether any repairing or replacement is needed. Care must be taken to see that ribs of the belt are accurately set in the pulley grooves. It must be replaced if it shows any cracks, cuts, deterioration of the edges or turns noisy. The tensioner should ideally be resting on the internal 'stop'. The belt should be routed in an order which is reverse to that of removal
