Serpentine belt question

[kruuth]

Just got the 2009 coupe back from the NTB tire change and they told me my serpentine belt has some very small cracks in the inside. They wanted almost $200 to change it, which is outrageous but it got me thinking, when should I change it? I've got about 65k miles on the car.

[pbaker609]

if it has cracks you should change it and not risk it breaking and leaving you're car stranded. I just changed mine for the first time 2 weeks ago at 80k miles ( I think Nissan recommends to change it every 30 or 45k miles) and it only took about 20 minutes and the belt only costs about $30.

[kruuth]

There a howto on the site somewhere?

[pbaker609]

I dont think there is a how-to. just take off the front passenger wheel than take off the part of the wheel cover that is right behind the motor. right there you can use a 14mm or 1/4inch hex bolt to loosen and tighten the tensioner and take off the existing belt and put the new one on but you have to remember exactly how the belt was placed. there might be a diagram for the serpentine belt placement somewhere on this site.

[kruuth]

I see. How do I relieve tension on the belt?

[pbaker609]

there is a bolt that you can turn with a 14mm socket wrench. its hard to explain it without a diagram. but once you take off the part of the wheel well thats covering it you cant miss it

[alphapig]

I changed mine after about 70k miles.

It was DISGUSTING. Inside had many cracks.

Do it yourself. Same general DIY a all cars. 14mm wrench for the tensioner bolt. Turn it towards the firewall. Remove belt. Put on new belt (belt pattern is exactly the same as older QR25).

$200 just for labor is outrageous. I payed about $50 for a belt, and it was the nicer brand.

Good luck, just get under your car and screw around with it

[kruuth]

My main concern is just getting tension correct. How do I kn ow that I've tensioned it correctly? Does that bolt just unlock tension or something like that?

[pbaker609]

you cant get the tension wrong. you have to pull and hold it in the unlock position to take the belt off and once the new one is on you just let it go. you cant really mess it up as long as the belt is on correctly

[kruuth]

Ok so what's with the bolt thing now? sorry I've never changed over of these before

[kruuth]

Oh, is this in the service manual and where?

[alphapig]

Ok so what's with the bolt thing now? sorry I've never changed over of these before

Search on the internet for serpentine belt DIY, they are all largely the same... or buy beer for a knowledgeable friend

Good luck

[twista]

Oh, is this in the service manual and where?

Kruuth are you still on this forum? Please tell me you are!

I need your help with your indash system you have. please let me know. I dunno why I cannot pm anyone

[vm_boy]

I just got done doing this repair. I just wanted to add a little word of advice that I never saw in any write-ups. I had a really tough time moving the tensioner with just a wrench. I didn't have one long enough to really move it and then hold it. I certainly didn't have a free hand to slide the belt around it. After calling a local mechanic, I learned that Autozone has tool called a "Serpentine Belt Tool". You can rent it for about $30 (fully refundable deposit!). It's essentially a really long, thin wrench that allows you to snap on/off different size heads. You'll need the 14mm for Altima 4-cyl. Once you get that head on the bolt right, it should rotate clockwise with only one hand, and then you'll be able slide the belt over the tensioner with the other.

Have fun!