Replacing Serpentine Belt?

[MadJoe]

Hello All:

How difficult is it to replace the belt on an 03 Base? Thanks.

Also the 03 I recently bought still has the original upper and lower radiator hoses on it. Wouldn't you go ahead and replace them before it's too late?

[kumquat]

I haven't done it, but Alldata says it's a half hour job. Looks pretty straightforward. Use a wrench (not sure what size) to rotate the belt tensioner clockwise to loosen the belt, slip it off, then slip a new one on.

The tensioner pulley is mounted on a spring. There's a bolt above and to the rear of the car from the pulley itself. If you turn that bolt clockwise, it'll rotate the pulley against the spring and give you some slack.

Can't hurt to replace the hoses. Might as well do a full cooling system service. Replace the hoses and the thermostat. All 3 parts will be under $50.

[MadJoe]

Kumquat: Thank you for your reply.

[ColonelPanic]

There are some youtube videos on the subject, it doesn't look too bad.

Need it done on the Mrs.' '03, has the original belt at 88k. But I'm too chicken to tackle the job myself.

[lannvouivre]

It's not too bad, but it can be a pain to get the belt around all of the pulleys. You'll have to put the belt around the alternator last, when you pull on the tensioner to get enough slack. Usually you put it over a slick pulley last, because it's easier, but it's not really doable on a Vibe. You may end up needing two people, because the belt doesn't want to stay where you need it.

[Chiadog]

Not hard at all, if you're mechanically inclined. Make certain you get the correct replacement belt. Make a diagram of the belt routing around the pulleys to refer to. Read the several procedures here and on YouTube. Remove the old belt and Match it to the new belt to ensure correct size. Definitely replace the cooling system hoses and change the anti-freeze. Thermostat change might be a coin toss, how many miles? My 05 has its original thermostat at 150K. I personally have never witnessed a thermostat failure, so I wouldn't change it!

[petervivian]

I saw a video on YouTube in which a teenage girl changed the serpentine belt for a corolla. So it's definitely not hard.

[lannvouivre]

I saw a video on YouTube in which a teenage girl changed the serpentine belt for a corolla. So it's definitely not hard.

I was in this boat the first time I did mine, although Dad helped because the belt doesn't like to stay on the pulleys at all. I had to do it the other day again and even with the belt being about a year old, I had to have someone hold the belt on one of the slick pulleys. It's embarrassing to have trouble with a silly little belt after having done several harder jobs.

[runningslow]

Replacing the belt isn't so bad. I've done it at least twice on our Corolla... same engine, same procedure.

Replacing the tensioner... that's another story.