How do you fix an 1989 98 Oldsmobile serpentine belt?

Answer 1

This is much simpler than you'd think. What you need for this job:

• a new serpentine belt

• the tire iron from the trunk

• about five minutes, give or take

• this photo album in another tab: http://imageshack.us/g/1/9782704/

In the engine compartment you should see a diagram that shows the "accessory belt routing". If yours is worn off or missing, here's a link to the image (you'll have to cut and paste the image links into a new tab or window).

http://imageshack.us/a/img196/4894/img1485vz.jpg

The second circle from the left is your key; you'll see a bolt holding it on that will fit with the tire iron from your trunk.

http://imageshack.us/a/img844/6232/img1490bv.jpg

To get to it though, you first have to take off the radiator over-flow container.

http://desmond.imageshack.us/Himg198/scaled.php?server=198&filename=img1484zt.jpg&res=landing

There should be a plastic loop attaching the fill port on the over-flow container to the windshield wiper fluid container; take the lid off the over-flow and remove the ring, then replace the lid. Now you can gently lift the over-flow container straight up, being careful not to detach the hose at the bottom, and set it aside.

http://imageshack.us/a/img109/2020/img1489hk.jpg

Before you bother with that tire-iron, go ahead and put the belt on every pulley but the alternator (the one on the top).

http://imageshack.us/a/img543/514/img1492ij.jpg

Now you're ready for the tire iron. Hold the belt up as close to the Alternator pulley as you can,

http://imageshack.us/a/img577/4828/img1494j.jpg

place the tire iron on that bolt with the end facing the front of the car, then lift the iron. This will draw that tension pulley up towards the alternator giving you the slack to put it on. It'll take some work (as the belt is grooved on the inside, it will want to catch grooves on the outside edge of the pulley), but just keep that tension on the tire-iron and you should have little trouble. When you're through it should look like this.

http://imageshack.us/a/img38/7954/img1496zg.jpg

Almost done, you just need to put that radiator over-flow back on. Notice the indentation on the side of the container?

http://imageshack.us/a/img411/7296/img1497a.jpg

That just slides down over the protrusion on the side of the wiper fluid container.

http://imageshack.us/a/img267/2313/img1498f.jpg

Don't forget to put that loop back on over the fill spout (if yours is still intact).

Hope this is a little more helpful for the amateurs like me; I have Asperger's Syndrome and an aversion to filth, but I also didn't have the $80-$150 a garage would charge me to replace that belt, so I figured it out by myself.