🔧 Fusion - Serpentine Belt Replacement

Your Fusion’s serpentine (accessory drive) belt transfers engine rotation to belt-driven accessories. Replacing a worn or cracked belt prevents squealing, slipping, and a sudden loss of accessory operation.

Difficulty Level: Intermediate | Estimated Time: 1.0-2.0 hours

---

⚠️ Safety & Precautions

• ⚠️ Hybrid safety: the engine can auto-start—disable it before working near the belt.
• ⚠️ Keep hands/tools away from orange high-voltage cables and connectors.
• ⚠️ Work on a cool engine; hot pulleys can burn you.
• ⚠️ Support the car on jack stands; never rely on a jack alone.
• ⚠️ Battery disconnect is recommended: disconnect the 12V negative terminal to prevent unexpected starting.

---

🔧 Required Tools

You'll need the following tools for this repair:

• Floor jack (rated 2-ton minimum)
• Jack stands (rated 2-ton minimum)
• Wheel chocks
• Lug nut socket (19mm)
• Breaker bar (1/2")
• Ratchet (3/8")
• Socket set (8mm, 10mm, 13mm, 15mm)
• Serpentine belt tool (specialty)
• Trim clip removal tool
• Flat-blade screwdriver
• Torque wrench (10–150 ft-lbs)
• Work light
• Mechanic gloves
• Safety glasses

---

🔩 Required Parts

HowToo sells all the parts you need for this repair:

• Serpentine (accessory drive) belt - Qty: 1
• Plastic splash shield clips - Qty: 4-10

---

📋 Before You Begin

• Park on level ground, shift to Park, and set the parking brake.
• Power down the hybrid system: turn the car OFF and keep the key fob at least 10 feet away.
• Open the hood and disconnect the 12V battery negative terminal using a 10mm socket. This prevents unexpected engine starts.
• Take a quick photo of the belt routing under the hood if a routing sticker is present.

---

🔨 Step-by-Step Instructions

Follow these steps in order:

Step 1: Raise the right-front of the car

• Place wheel chocks behind the rear wheels.
• Use a floor jack to lift the right-front jacking point.
• Set the vehicle securely on jack stands.

Step 2: Remove the right-front wheel

• Use a 19mm lug nut socket with a breaker bar to loosen and remove the lug nuts.
• Remove the wheel and set it aside.
• When reinstalling later: Torque to 135 Nm (100 ft-lbs) using a torque wrench.

Step 3: Remove the right-front inner splash shield

• Use a trim clip removal tool and flat-blade screwdriver to remove plastic clips/push pins.
• Use an 8mm socket or 10mm socket (whichever your fasteners use) with a 3/8" ratchet to remove any small bolts.
• Pull the shield back to expose the crank pulley area and belt path.

Step 4: Identify which belt system your Fusion has

• Look for an automatic belt tensioner (a spring-loaded arm with a pulley). This type is released with a 15mm socket or a serpentine belt tool.
• If there is NO movable tensioner and the belt looks very tight with minimal slack, it may be a “stretch-fit” style belt. A serpentine belt tool (specialty) is used to roll it on/off.
• Not sure which you have? Tell me if you see a spring-loaded tensioner pulley, and I’ll confirm your exact path.

Step 5A: Remove the belt (automatic tensioner type)

• Place a 15mm socket on the tensioner bolt (or use a serpentine belt tool on the tensioner).
• Rotate the tensioner to relieve belt tension.
• While holding tension released, slide the belt off the nearest easy pulley.
• Slowly let the tensioner return to its stop (do not let it snap back).

Step 5B: Remove the belt (stretch-fit type)

• Position the serpentine belt tool (specialty) at the crank pulley as designed to “walk” the belt off.
• Rotate the crank pulley by hand using a breaker bar (1/2") and the correct socket on the crank bolt (if access allows), while guiding the belt off with the tool.
• If the crank bolt is not safely accessible, stop here and tell me what you can access from the wheel well, and I’ll route you correctly.

Step 6: Inspect pulleys before installing the new belt

• Spin each exposed pulley by hand and listen/feel for grinding or wobble.
• Check the tensioner pulley (if equipped) for noise or looseness.
• Wipe pulley grooves clean using a dry shop towel (no oil).

Step 7A: Install the new belt (automatic tensioner type)

• Route the new belt exactly like your photo/diagram, leaving the easiest pulley for last.
• Use a 15mm socket and 3/8" ratchet (or serpentine belt tool) to rotate the tensioner and create slack.
• Slip the belt onto the final pulley and confirm every rib is seated in every pulley groove.

Step 7B: Install the new belt (stretch-fit type)

• Start the belt on all pulleys except the crank pulley (follow the routing you observed).
• Use the serpentine belt tool (specialty) to “walk” the belt onto the crank pulley while slowly rotating with a breaker bar (1/2") if accessible.
• Confirm the belt is fully seated and not hanging off any ribbed pulley.

Step 8: Reinstall the splash shield and wheel

• Reinstall the inner splash shield using the trim clip removal tool (to align clips) and 8mm socket/10mm socket with a 3/8" ratchet.
• Reinstall the wheel using a 19mm lug nut socket.
• Lower the vehicle off the jack stands with the floor jack.
• Tighten lug nuts in a star pattern: Torque to 135 Nm (100 ft-lbs).

Step 9: Restore power

• Reconnect the 12V battery negative terminal using a 10mm socket.
• Make sure no tools are left in the engine bay or wheel well.

---

✅ After Repair

• Start your Fusion and let it idle while you watch the belt for 30–60 seconds (it should run centered and smooth).
• Listen for squealing, chirping, or slapping noises.
• Take a short test drive, then recheck belt seating through the wheel well.
• If you replaced splash shield clips, recheck them after the drive.

---

💰 DIY vs Shop Cost

Shop Cost: $180-$350 (parts + labor)

DIY Cost: $35-$90 (parts only)

You Save: $145-$260 by doing it yourself!

Shop labor rates vary but typically run $100-$150/hour. This repair takes a shop approximately 1.0-1.5 hours.

---

🎯 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.