Serpentine belt

[attrapereves]

I was changing my oil yesterday (easy task on this car, but the car being so low to the ground made for tight quarters) and was thinking... How does one go about replacing the serpentine belt? It looks like a royal PITA. There is no room for anything and almost everything is covered up.

Has anyone actually had to replace their serpentine belt yet?

 

[Maddmatts]

There are special tools and low-profile sockets for working on serpentine belts and tensioners. But yea, some engines are easier than others. The V6 in my last car required supporting the engine and removing the upper engine mount to replace the belt. That's not really something you can do on the side of the road.

 

[sx sonic]

I just looked at mine. It actually looks pretty easy for a transverse mounted engine.

Probably take 30 mins to change, just gonna have to do some of the work from underneath the car.

 

[RMinNJ]

serpentine belt procedure?

Bumping this.

Were there any instructions for changing the belt? Any idler pulleys with replacement intervals? How does one release the tension? I see a tension spring below the alternator. The alternator seems rather accessible even though it's in the bottom rear.

(reason I ask is I just had to replace the alternator on my other car ..while
I had done the belt and pulleys on it several times I paid someone to do
the alternator.)

 

[Swordsmith]

Have to support the engine and remove the upper motor mount. It could be done side of the road, though, assuming you have a jack that can hold the engine up... one of those tiny hydraulic jacks works fine. You can do all the work from above the car, leaning over the passenger side wheel well.

 

[RMinNJ]

serpentine belt

Have to support the engine and remove the upper motor mount. It could be done side of the road, though, assuming you have a jack that can hold the engine up... one of those tiny hydraulic jacks works fine. You can do all the work from above the car, leaning over the passenger side wheel well.

Yes thanks, I can see the motor mount (which is very large) has to be removed. How does one relieve tension on the belt to get it off? I see a spring by the alternator....is that some type of tensioner that one compresses?

 

[RMinNJ]

video

Found the following video on this for the 1.4 in the Cruze:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mb9DzBnc5e0


Looks like one uses an E14 socket (wonder why they chose that type) to pry forward, compressing the tensioner...

No torque specs though