Alright, I took my car for an oil change last week and they told me I need (well within the next 3 months) a new alternator belt - I think its alternator anyways - its the one with no cover and in front of and to the left of the timing belt - its the really visible belt under the engine bay. Anyways, how hard is this belt to replace or should I just take it to the dealership? I've done mechanical stuff to my car before just wondering what the process involves to replace this belt? Anyone got a belt number for a good belt (I have air, that matters right?)?

Thanks.

It's fairly easy and I think important enough that most people should know how. Since it's only an alternator belt, don't stress the finding the best belt money can buy. Just get whichever one you can find. Most of the time, belts are all made by the same factory anyways.

I recommend using the Chiltons for the job. It has great pictures and a good step-by-step procedure. It's probably a bit slow going your first time not knowing your way around, but it'll go much quicker each time after that. (Sorta like other things we do ;-) )

You might as well get a new Power steering/ A/C belt at the same time. It's cheap enough to get both and worthwhile since you'll be removing it anyways.

You have a car that looks like that and you are asking this question.... man. You must be rich or somthing.

What the FUCK kind of comment is that ......you asshole.

Sorry, I've never replaced a belt before dickhead....I was just asking hard it is to do or if I shouldn't even bother.

I was expecting a helpful reply like Jasons, not your stubborn ass one.

chiltons=the bible

ok...here you go, but please try to be nice, there are a few cynical people on this board (myself included)...dont take everything so personally.;)

for your power steering/ac belt:


1) from the front of the car, look directly to the left of the heat shield in front of the engine, right behind the headlight. youll see the power steering pump on top, right below it is a small tensioner, and well below that is the a/c compressor.
2) to the left of the belt is the coolent overflow bottle. remove this by sliding it off of the bracket it sits on. disconnect the electrical connector.
3) all adjustments to remove and install the belt occur on the tensioner. first, loosen the bolt that runs perpendicular with the length of the car and runs through the middle of the tensioner pully and into the bracket. it doesnt need to be taken out, just loosened.
4) next, locate the bolt on the tensioner bracket that runs parallel with the length of the car. the head of the bolt is located on the back end of the bracket. loosen this bolt. youll see the tensioner assembly begain to move to the rear of the car, relieving the belt of tension. when the bracket is loose enough (dont let it fall out), the belt should be easily removable. you might have to get under the car and pull it off of the a/c compressor and the crankshaft pully (thats the big one under there).
5) installation is he reverse of the above steps. tighten the belt untill it deflects no more than 1/2 inch at the longest interval between pullies (this is under the car between the crankshaft and a/c compressor). retighten after a couple days, as the belt will need to stretch a bit. if you hear any "squeling", the belt needs to be tightened.

alternator belt:

this ones a bit harder, as you have to reach your hands in a tighter space, but its not to terribly hard. the same type of tensioner bracket is incorperated into the alternator to tighten/loosen the belt.

1) jack up the car, and remove the passengers side wheel (if neccisarry, i have no prob doing it with the wheel on there, but it will be a bit easier with the wheel off).
2) from underneath the car, you will see a bolt running through the bottom of the alternator and attached to a bracket on the engine. loosen this bolt (it will require two wrenches).
3) from the top of the car, locate the bolt running perpendicular to the length of the car through the top bracket. loosen it.
4) as with the p/s belt bracket, the bolt to loosen or tighten the alternator is parallel to the car on the same bracket as the bolt in step 3. when you loosen this bolt youll see the alternator begain to move toward the engine, and the belt will loose tension. remove belt.
5) reverse steps to install new belt, and take the same precausions with the p/s belt.

throughout the process, i believe the only tools requierd are a 10, 12, and possibly a 14mm sockets and wrenches. the only exception to this is one of the bolts on the lower alternator bracket, which is somthing strange like 3/4" or somthing close to it.

good luck! it shouldnt take more than a couple hours to do all this yourself, and youll save a good bit of money by doing it that way. its one of the easier things to do on the car, and will really get you "aquanted" with the layout of our engines.:)