🔧 Palisade - Serpentine Belt Replacement

The serpentine belt (also called the drive belt) spins key accessories like the alternator and A/C. On your Palisade, you release the automatic belt tensioner, route the new belt correctly, then verify it’s seated in every pulley groove.

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

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⚠️ Safety & Precautions

• ⚠️ Work on a cool engine; keep hands clear of pulleys and fans.
• ⚠️ Support the Palisade on jack stands; never rely on a floor jack.
• ⚠️ Keep fingers out of pinch points when rotating the tensioner (it’s spring-loaded).
• Battery disconnect is not required for this job.

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🔧 Required Tools

You'll need the following tools for this repair:

• Safety glasses
• Mechanic gloves
• Wheel chocks
• Floor jack (rated 3-ton minimum)
• Jack stands (rated 3-ton minimum)
• 21mm socket
• 1/2" breaker bar
• 1/2" drive ratchet
• 14mm socket
• 10mm socket
• Torque wrench (10-150 ft-lbs range)
• Trim clip removal tool
• Flashlight

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🔩 Required Parts

HowToo sells all the parts you need for this repair:

• Serpentine belt - Qty: 1
• Accessory drive belt tensioner - Qty: 1 (optional if noisy/weak)
• Idler pulley - Qty: 1 (optional if noisy)

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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 (usually on the radiator support/under-hood label). If it’s missing, take a clear photo of the belt routing before removal.
• Tip: Draw a quick sketch of the routing.

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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 3-ton minimum) to lift at the front-right jacking point.
• Set the vehicle onto jack stands (rated 3-ton minimum) and confirm it’s stable.

Step 2: Remove the front-right wheel

• Use a 21mm socket and 1/2" breaker bar to loosen the lug nuts, then remove them.
• Remove the wheel and set it aside.
• Reinstall later and Torque to 115 Nm (85 ft-lbs) using a torque wrench.

Step 3: Remove the right-side splash shield for access

• Use a trim clip removal tool to pop out the plastic push-clips.
• Use a 10mm socket and 1/2" drive ratchet to remove any 10mm bolts holding the shield.
• Pull the splash shield back enough to clearly see the belt and tensioner.
• Tip: Keep clips/bolts in a small cup.

Step 4: Relieve belt tension (automatic tensioner)

• Locate the belt tensioner (spring-loaded arm with a pulley). A “tensioner” is a part that keeps the belt tight automatically.
• Put a 14mm socket on the tensioner’s hex drive and attach the 1/2" drive ratchet (or 1/2" breaker bar for more leverage).
• Rotate the tensioner to relieve tension (smooth, steady force) and hold it there.
• While holding the tensioner, slide the belt off the easiest-to-reach smooth pulley.

Step 5: Remove the old belt and compare length

• Release the tensioner slowly back to its resting position.
• Pull the old belt out of the pulley system.
• Lay the old belt next to the new one to confirm similar length and rib count.

Step 6: Route the new belt correctly

• Route the new belt following the under-hood routing diagram.
• Make sure the ribbed side sits fully in the ribbed pulley grooves, and the smooth side rides on smooth pulleys.
• Use a flashlight to confirm the belt is centered on every pulley.

Step 7: Re-apply tension and seat the belt

• Use the 14mm socket with the 1/2" drive ratchet to rotate the tensioner again.
• Slip the belt over the final pulley, then slowly release the tensioner.
• Recheck every pulley: the belt must be fully seated with no ribs “hanging off.”
• Tip: Misrouting is the #1 beginner mistake.

Step 8: Reinstall splash shield and wheel

• Reposition the splash shield and reinstall fasteners using a 10mm socket and 1/2" drive ratchet.
• Reinstall the wheel and hand-start lug nuts.
• Lower the Palisade off the jack stands using the floor jack (rated 3-ton minimum).
• Use a torque wrench with a 21mm socket to Torque to 115 Nm (85 ft-lbs) in a star pattern.

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✅ After Repair

• Start the engine and let it idle for 30-60 seconds while you watch the belt (from a safe distance).
• Listen for squealing, chirping, or knocking (could indicate misalignment or a worn pulley/tensioner).
• Turn A/C on and off once; confirm the belt runs smoothly with no wandering.
• After a short test drive, do a quick re-check for proper belt seating.

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💰 DIY vs Shop Cost

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

DIY Cost: $35-$80 (parts only)

You Save: $100-$270 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.

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🎯 Ready to get started?

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