How to Change the Serpentine Belts on a 2002 Mercury Sable
by William PullmanSerpentine belts were created to replace the V-belt systems of older vehicles. The V-belt system used a series of belts to drive the accessory systems in an automobile, such as the crankshaft and the alternator. The serpentine belt system uses only one belt to drive the same accessory systems. To maintain engine performance, replace the serpentine belt in your 2002 Mercury Sable owners when it wears down.
Step 1
Attach a 15 mm wrench to the bolt in the center of the tensioner pulley. The tensioner pulley is located in the middle of the crankshaft and water pump pulleys.
Step 2
Rotate the wrench to the left to relieve the tension in the serpentine belt, and slide the belt off of the tensioner pulley.
Step 3
Return the tensioner pulley to its original position and remove the belt from the remaining pulleys. The 2002 Mercury Sable has seven pulleys in the serpentine belt system.
Step 4
Wrap the replacement belt around the all of the pulleys except the tensioner pulley. Refer to the serpentine belt diagram located in the engine compartment to correctly route the belt around all of the pulleys. If you do not route the belt correctly the engine will not function normally. See Resources for a link to the serpentine belt diagram.
Step 5
Move the tensioner pulley with the 15 mm wrench, slip the belt onto the tensioner pulley and rotate the tensioner pulley back to its original position.
Step 6
Check the location of the belt on each pulley before starting the engine. The belt should rest in the groove of each pulley.
References
Things You'll Need
- 15 mm wrench
- Replacement serpentine belt
Warnings
- To avoid injury, allow the engine to cool off before replacing the serpentine belt .
- Do not allow the tensioner pulley to spring back into place. This will damage the pulley.
Writer Bio
William Pullman is a freelance writer from New Jersey. He has written for a variety of online and offline media publications, including "The Daily Journal," "Ocular Surgery News," "Endocrine Today," radio, blogs and other various Internet platforms. Pullman holds a Master of Arts degree in Writing from Rowan University.
