🔧 Forte - Serpentine Belt Replacement

The serpentine belt drives key accessories like the alternator and A/C. Replacing it is mostly about safely accessing the belt and rotating the automatic tensioner to slip the belt off and on.

Difficulty Level: Intermediate | Estimated Time: 0.8-1.5 hours

Assumption: stock accessory drive with A/C (most EX models).

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⚠️ Safety & Precautions

• 🧤 Work on a cool engine; hot pulleys and radiator fans can injure you.
• 🧯 Keep hands/clothes clear of the belt path at all times.
• 🛑 Support the car with jack stands; never rely only on a floor jack.
• 🔋 Battery disconnect is not required, but keep the key off and do not start the engine during the job.

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🔧 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 wrench or 21mm socket
• Ratchet (3/8")
• Socket set (8mm, 10mm, 12mm, 14mm, 17mm)
• Serpentine belt tool or breaker bar (specialty)
• Trim clip remover
• Flathead screwdriver
• Torque wrench (10-150 ft-lbs)
• Work light
• Safety glasses
• Mechanic gloves

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🔩 Required Parts

HowToo sells all the parts you need for this repair:

• Serpentine belt - Qty: 1
• Plastic splash shield clips (assorted) - Qty: 1 set

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📋 Before You Begin

• 🅿️ Park on level ground, shift to Park, and set the parking brake.
• 🧱 Place wheel chocks behind the rear wheels.
• 📸 Find the belt routing diagram (often on a label under the hood). If you don’t see one, take a clear photo of the current belt routing before removal.
• 💡 Set up a work light at the passenger-side wheel well for visibility.

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🔨 Step-by-Step Instructions

Follow these steps in order:

Step 1: Lift the front-right corner safely

• Place wheel chocks behind the rear wheels.
• Use a floor jack (rated 2-ton minimum) on the proper front jacking point and raise the passenger-front corner.
• Set the car down onto jack stands (rated 2-ton minimum).

Step 2: Remove the front-right wheel

• Use a lug wrench or 21mm socket to remove the lug nuts and remove the wheel.
• When reinstalling later: Torque to 90-110 Nm (66-81 ft-lbs).

Step 3: Remove the passenger-side splash shield (inner fender)

• Use a trim clip remover and flathead screwdriver to remove plastic clips.
• Use an 8mm socket or 10mm socket (as equipped) to remove any small bolts/screws.
• Pull the splash shield back to expose the belt, crank pulley, and tensioner.
• A clip remover prevents breaking fasteners.

Step 4: Relieve belt tension using the automatic tensioner

• Locate the belt tensioner. It’s a spring-loaded arm with a pulley.
• Put a 14mm socket (or 17mm socket, whichever fits your tensioner) on the tensioner’s hex/bolt head.
• Use a serpentine belt tool or breaker bar (specialty) to rotate the tensioner and relieve tension. (A breaker bar is a long-handled bar that gives you extra leverage.)
• While holding the tensioner rotated, slide the belt off the easiest-to-reach smooth pulley (often the tensioner or idler).

Step 5: Remove the old belt and compare lengths

• Slowly release the tensioner back to its resting position using the serpentine belt tool or breaker bar (specialty).
• Pull the belt out through the wheel-well opening.
• Lay the old and new belt side-by-side to confirm the length and rib count match.
• If it’s not the same, don’t force it.

Step 6: Route the new belt correctly

• Route the new belt following the under-hood diagram (or your photo).
• Make sure the belt ribs sit fully in the grooves of ribbed pulleys (like the alternator). Smooth pulleys ride on the flat back of the belt.
• Leave the belt off one easy pulley last (usually the tensioner or a top idler) so you can slip it on after rotating the tensioner.

Step 7: Apply tension and seat the belt

• Rotate the tensioner again using the 14mm socket or 17mm socket with the serpentine belt tool or breaker bar (specialty).
• Slip the belt onto the last pulley, then slowly release the tensioner.
• Visually check every pulley: the belt must be centered and fully seated in grooves.

Step 8: Reinstall splash shield and wheel

• Reposition the splash shield and reinstall fasteners using an 8mm socket or 10mm socket.
• Reinstall clips using the trim clip remover (to line them up) and press them in by hand.
• Reinstall the wheel using a lug wrench or 21mm socket.
• Lower the car using the floor jack (rated 2-ton minimum) and remove the jack stands (rated 2-ton minimum).
• Final-tighten lug nuts with a torque wrench (10-150 ft-lbs): Torque to 90-110 Nm (66-81 ft-lbs).

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✅ After Repair

• 👀 Before starting, do a final visual sweep to confirm the belt is on every pulley and not riding on an edge.
• 🔊 Start the engine and watch the belt for 30-60 seconds. It should run smooth with no wandering, squeal, or flapping.
• 🛑 If you hear squealing or see the belt walking off a pulley, shut the engine off immediately and re-check routing and seating.

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💰 DIY vs Shop Cost

Shop Cost: $150-$300 (parts + labor)

DIY Cost: $25-$70 (parts only)

You Save: $125-$230 by doing it yourself!

Shop labor rates vary but typically run $100-$150/hour. This repair takes a shop approximately 0.8-1.3 hours.

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🎯 Ready to get started?

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