Avandacar – Most car owners miss checking their car's serpentine belt. The truth is that this belt has an important role in keeping the performance of your car. The better the serpentine belt, the better the traction and torque transfer process of the vehicle.
Indeed, you should know how to replace a car's serpentine belt in case it is needed. Check also how to choose the right car seat covers if you love DIY automotive projects.
Prepare Your Vehicle for This Replacing Serpentine Belt Project
Ensure that your vehicle is ready and safe enough before replacing the serpentine belt. First, you must turn your vehicle off and take off the key. Second, move out of the car and open the hood that covers the engine of the vehicle.
Check the temperature of the engine before continuing to the next step. Ensure that you are working when the engine temperature is cool down. Wait for a few hours if the engine is still hot. Replacing the serpentine belt in a hot engine temperature will be dangerous.
Check the Belt Routing
Say your vehicle is ready for the replacement of the serpentine belt project. If so, the next thing to check is the belt routing. Some vehicle brands include the routing on the vehicle and some of them are not.
Read the vehicle manual if you can't find the belt routing on the vehicle. The function of checking the belt routing is to indicate where the tensioner is located.
Relieve the Tension on the Belt
Continue the process by relieving the tension on the belt. You need a ratchet and its socket to do this procedure. Then, gently rotate the belt tensioner to relieve the tension on the belt.
You also must do this process to slip the belt off of the pulleys. The next step is to remove the rachet from the tensioner. After that, remove the belt and take it out of the vehicle.
Remove the Tensioner
The next step is removing the tensioner. All you have to do is remove the bolt and bolt securing first. Prepare a specific bowl to keep the small parts, including the bolts during the process. As a result, it will be easy to find them in case you need them.
Install a New Tensioner
You will also learn how to install a new tensioner while learning how to replace a car's serpentine belt. All you have to do is bolt the new tensioner in the place where you replaced the old tensioner.
Ensure that you install the tensioner correctly before installing the new serpentine belt. Tighten the tensioner with the bolts. First, you can do it with your hand and tighten it with a tool.
Clean the Pulley
Remember to check the condition of the pullet before installing a new belt. Ensure that it is clean enough from greasy. Installing a new belt in a greasy pulley will reduce the performance and quality of the belt.
Prepare a small bowl of water and soap. Then, clean the dirt on the pulley with this mixture. Use a clean towel to accomplish it.
Take and Install a New Serpentine Belt
Take the new serpentine belt once the pulley is clean. Install the belt from the bottom and ensure that it loops onto all pulleys. Ensure that you are correctly installing the belt on the pulleys.
Read the manual book if you are not sure about the installation. Take a ratchet once the belt is ready. Use this tool to turn the belt tensioner back. Remove the ratchet when everything is done.
Test Your Vehicle before Close the Hood
You have replaced the serpentine belt in this phase, yet it is better not to close the hood first. The last thing you should do is test the vehicle first. All you have to do is turn the vehicle on and take a look at the performance from a safe distance.
Ensure that the new belt stays and runs as it is while the vehicle is on. Let the process for a few minutes to ensure that there is no problem at all.
Close the Hood of the Vehicle and You are Ready to Go
Close the hood of the vehicle if there is no problem anymore. It means that you are successfully replacing the serpentine belt by yourself. Now, your vehicle is ready and you can drive it anywhere you want. Remember! Checking and replacing the serpentine belt regularly is critical to maintaining the performance of your vehicle.
The most important thing is that learning how to replace a car's serpentine belt is not as complicated as it is seen. All you have to do is follow all the steps above correctly. Pay attention to details, such as the temperature of the engine, the bolts, and other smart parts during the project.
These small details ensure that you are safely replacing the belt. Indeed, you are successfully replacing the belt by yourself without help from a technician.