How do you change the drive belt or serpentine belt and tighten the auto tensioner on a 2005 Suzuki Forenza?

Answer 1

Important note:

Since you have to work from above and underneath as well, make sure to lift and put the car on jack-stands securely. Disconnect the negative battery cable.

[My experience with 2007 Forenza: Remove the right front wheel (or turn the wheel to the left) and remove the splash-shield to get access to the area from underneath. Remove air filter box. When you put the new belt on, one person will need to put the belt on the alternator pulley and the other person turn the idler pulley from underneath. Otherwise I couldn't get enough idler movement to get the belt over a pulley. As long as you have two people, the alternator pulley last worked great for me. - TheByhalian]

Make a sketch about the belt routing. If you missed to do that,here is a reminder:With the grooved side in the belt goes from the crank around the A/C,the P/S and alternator and going around the idler/tensioner pulley and finally arriving back to the crank pulley.Obviously,on the tensioner the belt goes with its flat side. All the accessories are fixed.Only the tensioner is movable.The tensioner housing is pivoting around and inside the housing there is a strong spring forcing its pulley against the belt.Putting a wrench on the pulley bolt you can turn the whole assembly either direction.Find the way to make the belt loose.I think it was anti-clockwise ,but you can find it out easily.It does not need a really big force,however,make sure the wrench is firmly on the bolt head. After you removed the belt from at least one pulley do not let the tensioner to jump,just release it slowly.Remove the old belt.Compare it to the new one.Also,it is time to check all the accessories:Spinning the pulleys with your hand feel if they can rotate freely,without noise.The tensioner's,too.See if there is any sign of rust around the housing.A rusted spring will break soon and let your new serpentine belt go off.If OK,starting from above put the new belt on.Be careful to fit those grooves on the pulleys.From underneath follow to drive the belt around. (Another earlier opinion: Keep in mind that the last pulley should be a larger one,this way much easier to put on any belt or chain. So the alternator should not be the last one!) Turn the tensioner to get under the belt.With the belt properly on all the pulleys slowly release the arm of the tensioner and you made it. Final check,then put back everything,splash-shield,wheel,etc. The tools you need are basic metric size wrenches,screwdrivers,nothing special.Thanks.