🔧 Murano - Serpentine Belt Replacement

Your Murano’s serpentine belt drives accessories like the alternator and A/C. Replacing it is mostly about releasing the automatic tensioner (a spring-loaded arm that keeps the belt tight), swapping the belt, and verifying the routing is correct.

Difficulty Level: Intermediate | Estimated Time: 0.5-1.5 hours

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⚠️ Safety & Precautions

• ⚠️ Work on a cool engine; keep hands away from hot parts.
• ⚠️ Key out of range and engine OFF while your hands are near the belt.
• ⚠️ Keep fingers clear of the tensioner/pulleys; the tensioner spring can snap back.
• ⚠️ If you raise the vehicle, support it with jack stands—never rely on a jack alone.
• Battery disconnect is not required for a belt-only replacement, but don’t bump the start button.

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🔧 Required Tools

You'll need the following tools for this repair:

• Safety glasses
• Mechanic gloves
• Flashlight
• Serpentine belt tool (specialty)
• 3/8" drive ratchet
• 3/8" drive breaker bar
• 3/8" drive extension set
• 14mm socket
• 15mm socket
• Trim clip removal tool
• Floor jack (rated 3-ton minimum)
• Jack stands (rated 3-ton minimum)
• Wheel chocks

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🔩 Required Parts

HowToo sells all the parts you need for this repair:

• Serpentine belt - Qty: 1
• Underbody splash shield clips - Qty: 1 set

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📋 Before You Begin

• Park on level ground, shift to Park, and set the parking brake.
• Open the hood and find the belt routing diagram sticker; if it’s missing, take a clear photo of the current routing before removal.
• If access is tight from the top, plan to access through the passenger-side front wheel well: chock wheels, lift the front passenger corner with a floor jack, and support with jack stands.

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🔨 Step-by-Step Instructions

Follow these steps in order:

Step 1: Confirm belt routing

• Use a flashlight to locate the under-hood belt routing diagram.
• If there’s no sticker, use your phone to take a picture of the belt around every pulley. Photos prevent misrouting.

Step 2: Create access to the belt (top or wheel-well)

• Top access: Use a flashlight and position yourself at the front of the engine bay to reach the tensioner.
• Wheel-well access (if needed): Use wheel chocks, a floor jack (rated 3-ton minimum), and jack stands (rated 3-ton minimum) to safely support the vehicle.
• If a splash shield or liner is in the way, remove clips with a trim clip removal tool. Set clips aside in a tray.

Step 3: Release belt tension (automatic tensioner)

• Locate the belt tensioner (the spring-loaded arm with a pulley).
• Install a 14mm socket on a 3/8" drive breaker bar (or use a 15mm socket if that fits your tensioner’s hex).
• Rotate the tensioner smoothly to relieve belt tension (it will feel springy). Move slowly—don’t let it snap.

Step 4: Remove the old belt

• While holding the tensioner released with the breaker bar, slide the belt off the easiest-to-reach top pulley.
• Slowly return the tensioner to its resting position (do not let it snap back).
• Pull the belt out from around the remaining pulleys by hand.

Step 5: Inspect pulleys and tensioner

• Spin each accessible pulley by hand and listen/feel for grinding, roughness, or wobble.
• Check the tensioner pulley surface for cracks/chips and the tensioner arm for weak/snaggy movement.
• If anything feels rough or loose, stop and tell me what you found—I’ll guide the next step.

Step 6: Install the new belt (route it correctly)

• Route the new belt around the pulleys to match the diagram/photo, leaving the easiest top pulley for last.
• Make sure the ribbed side of the belt sits in ribbed pulleys, and the smooth side rides on smooth pulleys.
• Use a flashlight to confirm the belt ribs are fully seated in every pulley groove. One rib off can shred the belt.

Step 7: Apply tension and final-check alignment

• Use the breaker bar with the 14mm socket (or 15mm socket) to rotate the tensioner again.
• Slip the belt onto the last pulley, then slowly release the tensioner.
• Re-check every pulley: the belt should run straight and centered.
• Torque specs: No fasteners are normally removed for a belt-only replacement on your Murano; if you removed shields/liners, reinstall all clips securely.

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✅ After Repair

• Start the engine and let it idle for 30–60 seconds while you watch the belt track (keep hands and clothing clear).
• Listen for squeal, chirp, or slapping sounds; shut off immediately if the belt walks off a pulley.
• Recheck belt seating one more time after shutting the engine off.

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💰 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 0.7-1.2 hours.

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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.