🔧 Escape - Serpentine Belt Replacement

This job replaces the long inner serpentine belt on your Escape. The important catch is that the 2.0L EcoBoost uses two belts: a long inner belt and a short outer A/C stretch belt. The outer belt must come off first and shouldn’t be reused. Ford confirms the long belt runs closest to the engine and the short belt runs in the outer pulley grooves. fordservicecontent.com

Difficulty Level: Intermediate | Estimated Time: 1.5–2.5 hours

Assumption: These steps cover replacement of the long belt and the required short A/C stretch belt.

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⚠️ Safety & Precautions

• ⚠️ Let the engine cool completely before touching the belt drive.
• ⚠️ Keep the ignition off and the key away from the vehicle.
• ⚠️ Support your Escape with a jack stand. Never work under a vehicle supported only by a jack.
• ⚠️ The automatic tensioner is spring-loaded. Keep your fingers outside the belt path and release it slowly.
• ⚠️ Rotate the engine clockwise only when installing the stretch belt.
• ⚠️ Never pry, roll, or force the new stretch belt on with a screwdriver. That can damage the belt and pulley.
• ⚠️ Disconnecting the battery isn’t normally required because no electrical connections are disturbed.

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🔧 Required Tools

You'll need the following tools for this repair:

• Floor jack (rated 2-ton minimum)
• Jack stand (rated 2-ton minimum)
• Wheel chocks
• 1/2-inch drive breaker bar
• 1/2-inch drive torque wrench (20–150 ft-lbs)
• 19mm socket
• 18mm socket
• 15mm socket
• 8mm socket
• 7mm socket
• 3/8-inch drive ratchet
• 3/8-inch drive extension (3-inch)
• Serpentine belt tool (specialty)
• Stretch belt removal and installation tool (specialty)
• Trim clip removal pliers (specialty)
• Medium flathead screwdriver
• LED work light
• Mechanic’s gloves
• Safety glasses

A stretch belt tool guides the tight A/C belt onto and off the pulley while you turn the engine by hand.

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🔩 Required Parts

HowToo sells all the parts you need for this repair:

• Long inner serpentine belt - Qty: 1
• Short outer A/C stretch belt - Qty: 1
• Right wheel-well splash shield clips - Qty: As needed
• Accessory belt tensioner assembly - Qty: 1 only if weak, noisy, or binding
• Accessory idler pulley - Qty: 1 only if rough, noisy, or loose

Replace the short stretch belt rather than reinstalling it. This is one of those “cheap belt, expensive redo” situations.

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📋 Before You Begin

• Park your Escape on firm, level ground and apply the parking brake.
• Place wheel chocks behind both rear wheels.
• Open the hood and photograph the belt routing before removing anything.
• Ford identifies the long belt as the inner belt and the short belt as the outer belt. fordservicecontent.com
• Verify that both replacement belts match the old belts in rib count and approximate length.
• Keep the engine off. No infotainment setting, scan tool command, or battery registration is required.

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🔨 Step-by-Step Instructions

Follow these steps in order:

Step 1: Raise the right front corner

• Use the 19mm socket and 1/2-inch drive breaker bar to loosen the right-front wheel nuts about one turn.
• Use the floor jack at the approved right-front jacking point to raise the vehicle.
• Position the jack stand beneath the reinforced pinch-weld support point, then lower the vehicle securely onto it.
• Use the 19mm socket to remove the wheel nuts and wheel.

Step 2: Remove the wheel-well access shield

• Use the trim clip removal pliers to remove the plastic retainers from the front section of the right wheel-well liner.
• Use the 7mm socket or 8mm socket with the 3/8-inch drive ratchet to remove the liner screws.
• Move the liner aside until the crankshaft pulley and belts are visible.
• Keep every fastener organized by location.

Step 3: Record the belt layout

• Use the LED work light to inspect both belts and photograph their routing from the wheel opening.
• Identify the short outer A/C stretch belt and the long inner serpentine belt.
• Confirm that the replacement long belt will sit in the pulley grooves closest to the engine. fordservicecontent.com

Step 4: Remove the short A/C stretch belt

• Fit the stretch belt removal and installation tool onto the A/C compressor pulley according to the tool’s marked removal direction.
• Place the 18mm socket and 1/2-inch drive breaker bar on the crankshaft pulley bolt.
• Turn the crankshaft slowly clockwise only while the tool guides the short belt off the pulley.
• Stop immediately if the tool slips or the belt starts climbing toward the engine.
• Remove and discard the old short belt.
• Never use the starter to rotate it.

Step 5: Release the long-belt tensioner

• Use the serpentine belt tool with the correct tensioner attachment. Depending on the installed tensioner, use its square-drive opening or the 15mm socket.
• Rotate the tensioner only far enough to create slack in the long belt.
• Hold the tool firmly and slide the belt off an accessible smooth pulley.
• Slowly return the tensioner to its resting position. Don’t let it snap back.

Step 6: Remove and inspect the long belt

• Remove the long belt from the remaining pulleys by hand.
• Compare the new and old belts for rib count, width, and approximate length.
• Heavy cracking, missing rubber chunks, exposed cords, or contamination confirms replacement is necessary. Ford considers missing chunks or cracking down to the belt cord unacceptable. fordescape4.com

Step 7: Inspect the tensioner and pulleys

• Wear mechanic’s gloves and spin each accessible idler and tensioner pulley by hand.
• Replace a pulley that grinds, wobbles, binds, or has noticeable side-to-side play.
• Use the serpentine belt tool to move the tensioner through its travel. It should move smoothly and return firmly.
• Correct any oil or coolant leak before installing the belts. Fluid contamination can quickly ruin new rubber.

Step 8: Route the new long belt

• Use your photograph and Ford’s routing diagram to place the long belt around the inner pulley grooves.
• Seat the ribbed side in every grooved pulley and the smooth back against every smooth pulley.
• Leave one easy-to-reach smooth pulley for last.
• Use the LED work light to verify that no rib is hanging over a pulley edge.

Step 9: Tension the long belt

• Use the serpentine belt tool and applicable 15mm socket to rotate the tensioner.
• Slip the belt over the final pulley without placing your fingers between the belt and pulley.
• Release the tensioner slowly.
• Inspect every pulley from above and through the wheel opening. Incorrect groove engagement can cause belt noise or throw the belt. fordescape4.com

Step 10: Install the new short A/C stretch belt

• Place the new short belt around the crankshaft pulley’s outer grooves and against the A/C compressor pulley.
• Attach the stretch belt removal and installation tool in its installation position.
• Use the 18mm socket and 1/2-inch drive breaker bar to rotate the crankshaft slowly clockwise only.
• Guide the belt until it walks completely onto the A/C pulley.
• Remove the installation tool and rotate the crankshaft clockwise another full turn.
• Use the LED work light to confirm that both belts remain centered in their separate grooves.

Step 11: Reinstall the liner and wheel

• Position the wheel-well liner and install its screws with the 7mm socket or 8mm socket. Tighten them gently by hand.
• Use the trim clip removal pliers or your fingers to reinstall the plastic clips.
• Mount the wheel and start all wheel nuts by hand.
• Use the 19mm socket to snug the nuts in a crossing pattern.
• Raise the vehicle with the floor jack, remove the jack stand, and lower the vehicle.
• Use the 19mm socket and 1/2-inch drive torque wrench to tighten the wheel nuts in a crossing pattern: Torque to 135 Nm (100 ft-lbs).

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✅ After Repair

• Remove every tool from the engine bay and wheel area before starting the engine.
• Start the engine and observe the belts from a safe distance. Don’t reach into the engine compartment.
• Turn the A/C on and confirm that both belts track smoothly without squealing, fluttering, or walking sideways.
• Switch the engine off immediately if a belt rides against a pulley flange or hangs outside a groove.
• After a short drive, switch the engine off and perform one final visual alignment check.
• No belt adjustment or scan-tool reset is needed. The long-belt tensioner is automatic, and the short belt is self-tensioning.

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💰 DIY vs Shop Cost

Shop Cost: $220–$450 (parts + labor)

DIY Cost: $55–$140 (parts only)

You Save: $165–$310 by doing it yourself!

Shop labor rates vary but typically run $100–$150/hour. This repair takes a shop approximately 1–1.5 hours.

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🎯 Ready to get started?

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