Serpentine Belts

Look at the belt. If it's shows signs of being frayed on the edges, or if it looks dry and cracked by the inner ribs, or if you hear a squeeling sound when you accelerate, or if you have more than a 1/4 inch play (push your finger on the belt), it's time to change your belt.

http://serpentinebeltdiagrams.com/2000-2006-suzuki-vitara-belt-diagram/

still are you looking for this question????3/30/09

Both the accessory belt and supercharger belt are serpentine. The supercharger belt comes off first. The tensioner is under the coils and easy access. Use a 15mm socket and ratchet to release tension on the belt and remove the belt from one of the pulleys. Slowly and carefully release the pressure on the tensioner. I had to remove the radiator reservoir to get access to the accessory tensioner way in the back. Just remove two nuts and lift up. Plug the overflow hole. This accessory tensioner is left handed -turn it (counter clockwise) towards the firewall to release the tension. Using the same socket, relieve pressure on the belt and remove the belt from the alternator or take your pick of pulleys. Carefully thread the new accessory belt on all but the alternator. Use a flash light to verify that the belt is properly aligned on all pulleys. Use the rachet to move the tensioner back to the limit and carefully thread the new belt over the last pulley (alternator?). Let the tension off and use the flash light again to verify alignment. Do not get your finger between the belt and pulley! The tensioner being accidently release at such a time will cause damage to the flesh. Repeat with the supercharger belt. (above courtesy of another posting) (below couresy of www.oqcgp.com) http://www.oqcgp.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=28395 Helpfull tricks: - If you move the underhood fusebox, its a little easier to get your hands down near the crank level (harmonic balancer). - Disconnect the negative terminal before doing the above. - verify the condition of the idler and tensioner pulley bearings(replace if necessary) - Some people will replace all tensioner and idler pulleys when changing the belt because when a bearing fails it will come off and destroy the belt with it. (happened o me 2X and those supercharger belts are $100.) - Hardest to get seated correctly are the belts around the harmonic balancer. - for the S/C belt do all except the parts around the S/C pulley and tensioner. Do the pulley 2nd last and the tensioner last (easiest way to put it on). - Double check each belt pathway and seating 2 times before starting the car especially at the harmonic balancer level. - It helps if you do it in broad daylight or have a strong flashlight handy to see down low. Hope this helps "G"

Belt worn out, or loose.

you start by putting the belt on from left to right.

Check the manual it shows a diagram of the belt routing. If you don't have your manual you can get it here: http://www.managemyhome.com/mmh/lis_pdf/OWNM/L0805481.pdf

yes

If you find cracks in the ribs and a certain audible noise from the AC

I am just now having my serpentine belt replaced, and I bought the car in May of 2003. I have pretty low mileage on the car (under 50,000).

The diagram for its path is often on the Radiator and on the package of a new one. Using a socket and long ratchet wrench on the idler pulley center nut , lever the pulley down enough to slip the belt on to the pulley after having threaded it as per the diagram.

what you need is a ratchet 15mm socket. Losen the idler then slide off the serpentine belt off. There should be a diagram for routing the belt if not draw a diagram before removing it. Replace the serpentine belt crank it 2 or 3 times but don't start the engine. The 4th time start the engine this time the as the engine is idling eyeball the belt agaisnt the tensioner idler and crank pulley make sure the serpentine is algined. That's It. Bill

A Note:

Make sure that you have identified the tensioner pulley as apposed to the idler pulley. With the 15mm socket on the tensioner pulley's bolt, rotate it clockwise and this will release the tension on the belt, or in the case of installing a new serpentine belt, allow you to get it where it belongs. This is the case on my 1997 Dodge Caravan, and probably other year makes. Best of luck- Bryan

1993 Dodge Grand Caravan: Rotating the tensioner pulley's bolt clockwise was the way to replace my belt. By the way, the tensioner pulley in my van was one of the smaller ones in the middle of the whole system, attached to a silver arm coming off the tensioner.

When a serpentine belt is loose it means either the belt has stretched and needs replacing, or the idler tensioner is defective and needs replacing, or both.

Assuming you have a 91 to 02 LX with AC, power steering and alternator the belt starting with the tensioner on top then it goes clockwise to the alternator, power steering, idler pulley, A/C, crankshaft pulley---------back to the tensioner.

For the 3.9L, the official replacement belt with no A/C is 88.5 inches. That won't fit as some of the other pulleys must be a different size if it's manufactured without A/C, though why that would be is beyond me.

In my case, a 90" belt fit great. With a helper and something to stretch the belt, an 89.5" belt might work, but if you are working by yourself, the extra .5" makes all the difference. The tensioner can compensate for the .5" difference with no problem.

We went to our local Autozone and they printed out a diagram for us free of charge.

Follow the pullies and the grooved ones,pull the one with wrench the one with the spring to the left so it will be loose to get the belt on

This would depend on the year model of your car. Older models used several belts to turn various components (alternator, AC compressor, fan, etc) whereas many newer models just use one belt that "surpentines" itself around all of the components at the same time.

even with the tensioner loosened all the way i still cannot get the belt on. Any suggestions on how to get the belt on?

I need a routing diagram for the serpentine belt on a 1998 Jeep Wranger, 4 cylinder, with air conditioning

Midas will do it for about seventy bucks(parts/labor)....thats not extremely cheap but mom and pop auto shops will do it for around the same..

it should have a belt tensioner, use a 3/8 or 1/2 ratchet in the square hole and push to the left or right and pull the old belt off, hold the tensioner after you got belt set to go in place, slide that part of belt under tensioner and let go, alot easier than dealing with v-belts.

Either the belt is worn and need replacing, or the idler wheel is defective, or both. It also might be a bearing in the alternator, power steering pump or water pump.

Find the tensioner and move it to a position to remove the tension from the belt. The belt path is behind a motor mount... So now that the belt is off, I need to figure our how to get it past the motor mount. Stay tuned...