So, my '09 Pontiac Vibe is at about 101k, and I've been on a mission to do all the maintenance I need to do before I take a big trip in January. (Along with some neglected things the previous owner failed to do...)
I've noticed that there seems to be a belt squeal when I start up the car, and when the engine is running, there seems to be a kind of chattering/chittering noise that appears to be coming from the serpentine belt. There is also some vibration, even when idling.
I did some research, and I think it's probably about time to replace the serpentine belt. In fact, it's probably overdue... I think I'm up to the task of doing it myself, but I have a few questions for the GenVibe hive mind. :>
1. Should I replace the belt tensioner at the same time? Google seems to have mixed feelings about this, and I'm not sure I have the experience to know whether it really needs to be replaced or not. Some people say to go ahead and replace it every time you change the belt, others say wait for symptoms. What do you guys think?
2. Any advice for things to watch out for? I've been doing pretty extensive research before attempting any of these jobs, but I'm still a newbie to doing my own maintenance. Do you know of any big, common errors that newbies often make doing this job themselves? Or is it pretty straightforward as long as I do my research?
3. I know the new belts are expected to last 60-100k miles... But I haven't seen anything that gives a timeline in terms of how long you can expect the rubber to hold out if you aren't putting a lot of miles on it. Obviously, this one lasted at least 7 years without a catastrophic failure, but it's also clearly overdue to be replaced. I'm likely going to put fewer miles on it than the previous owner did, so should I aim to replace it every 5 years, regardless of mileage? Or should I just wait until I notice symptoms, and replace it then?