How to Replace the Serpentine Belt in a Nissan Altima
by Editorial TeamThe serpentine belt is important on all vehicles. It drives multiple accessories and "snakes" around under the hood. For the 2.5L Nissan Altima, the type of serpentine belt system depends on the engine type. For the standard 2.5L, there is one true serpentine belt, a ribbed belt, driving the various accessories, and it has an auto tensioner to make replacement of the belt easy.
Step 1
Find the auto-adjusting belt tensioner. You can use your owner's documentation or a belt routing diagram under the hood--if provided--to find out where the tensioner pulley is located.
Step 2
Rotate the belt tensioner bolt with your wrench or belt tool to release tension on the belt. Bolt size may vary on different models.
Step 3
Remove the old serpentine belt.
Step 4
Use your own memory or refer to the routing belt diagram again to install the new serpentine belt, fitting it around all of the pulleys. Make sure the belt is seated correctly on all the pulley and that the ribs fit into the pulley grooves.
Step 5
Rotate the tensioner again to allow the belt to be installed on all pulleys, then release it to regain tension.
Tips
- Nissan recommends a belt check every 7,500 miles or every 6 months to see if belts need to be replaced due to wear.
Things You'll Need
- Wrench set or serpentine belt tool
- Ribbed serpentine belt
Warnings
- The process described related to the standard 2.5L engine model. For other engines, it may be necessary to work with a system of bolts to loosen the tensioner and replace the belt.
- This guide relates to a limited number of model years from 1993 to 2004. Take a look at the owner's documentation for other model years to make sure the methods, tools, and belt type are specific to your Nissan Altima model year.
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