Changing a Car Serpentine Belt

Time An hour or lessComplexityBeginnerCost$51–100Introduction Automatic belt tensioners, standard in most cars now, make changing a serpentine belt a simple DIY repair. Follow the clear photos and step-by-step instructions and you'll be done in 15 minutes.Overview: Fan belt replacementIf you’re old enough to remember the good old days when you changed your own fan belts, then you can also remember the bruised knuckles and cursing that went along with it. And to make matters worse, there were often two or three belts to change.Now, instead of separate belts for each component, most cars today use a single wider, multigrooved “serpentine” belt (aka as serp belt), named for the way it snakes around multiple pulleys.Serpentine belt replacement is easy because today’s automatic drive belt tensioners eliminate the need to loosen bolts or pry components into position for retensioning. Just rotate the tensioner, remove the old belt and install a new one. When the belt ribs are seated into the...