How do you replace a serpentine belt on a 1999 Ford Escort?

Answer 1

If you have a 1.9 liter engine: If you look down at the belt area, you will see a pully toward the front of the car that looks like it's attached to an arm. That is the tensioner pully. The tensioner is spring loaded. If you look at the arm of the tensioner there should be a square hole in it to insert a socket wrench or a breaker bar/pull handle to use as a lever to remove the tension from the belt. If there is no hle, then use a wrench(possibly 15mm) on the bolt head of the pully itself as your lever. As you hold the tensioner out of the way, unloop the old belt. Pay attention to the routing, so you can reinstall the new one correctly. Then, you route the new one in and again use your lever to move the tensioner so you can get the belt over the last pully. I usually put it over the alternator last. Use a light to make sure the belt is fully on all 5 grooves of every single pulley before you start the car.