🔧 Tucson - Serpentine Belt Replacement

The serpentine belt drives important accessories like the alternator, A/C compressor, power steering, and water pump area accessories depending on belt routing. On your Tucson, the belt is removed by rotating the automatic belt tensioner, slipping the old belt off, then routing the new belt exactly the same way.

Difficulty Level: Beginner | Estimated Time: 0.5-1 hour

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⚠️ Safety & Precautions

• ⚠️ Work only with the engine completely off and cool.
• ⚠️ Keep hands, hair, sleeves, and tools away from the belt path and pulleys.
• ⚠️ Disconnect the negative battery cable before working near the belt to prevent accidental starting.
• ⚠️ Do not pry against plastic pulleys or accessories.
• ⚠️ If the belt is shredded or missing, inspect every pulley before installing the new belt.

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🔧 Required Tools

You'll need the following tools for this repair:

• 10mm wrench
• 14mm serpentine belt tool
• 14mm socket
• 3/8-inch drive ratchet
• Serpentine belt routing tool (specialty)
• Flashlight
• Mechanic gloves
• Safety glasses

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🔩 Required Parts

HowToo sells all the parts you need for this repair:

• Serpentine drive belt - Qty: 1

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📋 Before You Begin

• Park your Tucson on level ground.
• Shift to Park and set the parking brake.
• Let the engine cool for at least 30 minutes.
• Open the hood and support it securely.
• Take a clear photo of the belt routing before removal. This is your backup map.
• The automatic belt tensioner is a spring-loaded arm that keeps the belt tight. You rotate it to release belt tension.

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🔨 Step-by-Step Instructions

Follow these steps in order:

Step 1: Disconnect the Battery

• Use a 10mm wrench to loosen the negative battery terminal clamp.
• Move the negative cable aside so it cannot spring back onto the battery post.
• Negative terminal is marked with minus.

Step 2: Locate the Belt and Tensioner

• Use a flashlight to look at the passenger side of the engine bay where the belt and pulleys are located.
• Find the automatic tensioner pulley. It is the smooth or grooved pulley mounted on a spring-loaded arm.
• Look for the 14mm hex area on the tensioner arm or tensioner pulley bolt used to rotate the tensioner.

Step 3: Record the Belt Routing

• Use your phone and flashlight to take a clear picture of how the belt wraps around each pulley.
• If the belt routing decal is present under the hood, compare it to the belt before removal.
• Do not rely on memory.

Step 4: Release Belt Tension

• Install the 14mm serpentine belt tool or 14mm socket with 3/8-inch drive ratchet onto the tensioner hex.
• Slowly rotate the tensioner to relieve tension from the belt.
• Hold the tensioner steady while you slide the belt off the easiest upper pulley.
• Do not let the tensioner snap back. Slowly guide it back to its resting position.

Step 5: Remove the Old Belt

• Use your hands with mechanic gloves to pull the old belt out from around the remaining pulleys.
• If access is tight, use the serpentine belt routing tool (specialty) to guide the belt around lower pulleys.
• Compare the old belt length and rib count to the new belt before installation.

Step 6: Inspect the Pulleys

• Use your hand to spin each accessible pulley.
• Each pulley should spin smoothly without grinding, wobble, or rough spots.
• Use a flashlight to check for oil leaks, cracked pulleys, or belt debris.
• If a pulley is noisy or loose, replace that failed part before installing the new belt.

Step 7: Route the New Belt

• Use your routing photo and serpentine belt routing tool (specialty) to place the new belt around the pulleys.
• Make sure the ribbed side of the belt sits on grooved pulleys.
• Make sure the smooth side of the belt sits on smooth pulleys.
• Leave one easy-to-reach upper pulley for last.

Step 8: Slip the Belt Over the Final Pulley

• Use the 14mm serpentine belt tool or 14mm socket with 3/8-inch drive ratchet to rotate the tensioner again.
• Slide the belt over the final pulley by hand.
• Slowly release the tensioner until it applies tension to the new belt.
• No mounting bolts are removed for normal belt replacement, so no torque spec is required.

Step 9: Verify Belt Seating

• Use a flashlight to inspect every pulley.
• Confirm the belt ribs are fully seated in the pulley grooves.
• The belt must not hang over the edge of any pulley.
• One missed rib can shred the belt.

Step 10: Reconnect the Battery

• Place the negative battery cable back onto the battery post.
• Use a 10mm wrench to tighten the terminal clamp snugly.
• Do not overtighten the clamp.

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✅ After Repair

• Start the engine and watch the belt for 20-30 seconds.
• The belt should run straight and smooth with no chirping, flapping, or wobbling.
• Turn the steering wheel slightly and switch the A/C on to confirm the accessories operate normally.
• Shut the engine off and recheck belt seating with a flashlight.
• If the belt walks off-center, squeals, or shakes, stop the engine immediately and inspect the pulleys and routing.

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💰 DIY vs Shop Cost

Shop Cost: $120-$220 (parts + labor)

DIY Cost: $25-$60 (parts only)

You Save: $95-$160 by doing it yourself!

Shop labor rates vary but typically run $100-$150/hour. This repair takes a shop approximately 0.5-1 hour.

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🎯 Ready to get started?

HowToo makes it easy: same-day/2-day shipping on every part, plus all the tools and specialty tools you need! Check out the parts and tools sections below to add everything to your cart.