How to Replace Serpentine Belt 1996-99 Buick LeSabre
Created on: 2013-07-02
Change that squeaky belt before it breaks! Learn how by watching this 1A Auto video that will guide you through the process.
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step 1 :Removing the Wheel
- Familiarize yourself with the belt routing diagram
- Pry off the center cap with a flat blade screwdriver
- Loosen the lug nuts with the vehicle on the ground
- Raise the vehicle with a floor jack
- Secure the vehicle on jack stands
- Remove the lug nuts
- Pull off the wheel
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step 2 :Removing the Motor Mount Stud
- Support the engine with a jack and a block of wood
- Remove the three plastic rivets from the splash shield
- Pull the splash shield aside
- Remove the 18mm nut and stud from the motor mount
- Remove the motor mount stud sleeve
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step 3 :Removing the Serpentine Belt
- Attach a 15mm socket and ratchet to the serpentine belt tensioner
- Turn the tensioner to loosen the belt
- Pull the belt off the alternator pulley
- Pull the belt off the remaining pulleys
- Pull the belt up and out
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step 4 :Installing the New Serpentine Belt
- Loop the belt around the A/C compressor pulley
- Bring it around the crankshaft pulley
- Bring it around the water pump pulley
- Bring it around the idler pulley
- Bring it around the power steering pulley
- Attach a 15mm socket and ratchet to the serpentine belt tensioner
- Turn the tensioner to loosen the belt
- Pull the belt onto the alternator pulley
- Release the tensioner
- Check that the belt is routed correctly
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step 5 :Reinstalling the Motor Mount Stud
- Slide the motor mount stud sleeve into place
- Start the motor mount stud into place
- Tighten the motor mount stud and nut
- Put the splash shield into place
- Insert the three plastic rivets into the splash shield
- Lower the jack
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step 6 :Reattaching the Wheel
- Slide the wheel into place
- Start the lug nuts by hand
- Tighten the lug nuts preliminarily
- Lower the vehicle to the ground
- Tighten the lug nuts to the manufacturer's recommend torque in a crossing or star pattern
- Reattach the center cap
Tools needed
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Flat Blade Screwdriver
15mm Socket
Jack Stands
18mm Socket
19mm Socket
Ratchet
Floor Jack
Needle nose pliers
Block of Wood
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Hi, I'm Don from 1A Auto. I hope this how-to video helps you out, and next time you need parts for your vehicle, think of 1AAuto.com. Thanks.
In this video I'm going to show you how to replace a serpentine belt on a '97 Buick LeSabre. It should be the same operation for a 97-99 LeSabre with a 3.8 liter engine. The items you're going to need are a 15mm, 18mm, and 19 mm socket and socket wrench; a flat pocket screwdriver; pliers; a floor jack; and a new belt from 1A Auto.
Before taking your belt off, reference this diagram, and that's what you're going to need to remember when you go to put the belt back on. Using a flat blade screwdriver in the notch, pry off your cover. With 19mm socket and air gun, remove your wheels.
Now, with the tire off, I'm going to support underneath the engine with the floor jack, and I've got some wood between the floor jack and the oil pans so it doesn't damage it, and we just want to support that as we're taking out a bolt from the motor mount. Inside the wheel well you're going to find one, two, and then three, plastic rivets. I'm using a flat head screwdriver and a pair of pliers. I'm going to pry out the center portion of the plastic rivet and give a tug with my pliers. Pull out the rivet. Do that for all three. In this case, this vehicle is missing the one that's up inside. Just pull down your splash pan.
Inside the wheel well, locate the 18mm nut on the lower portion of the motor mount bracket. Using an 18 mm socket, extension, and socket wrench, remove the 18 mm nut. You'll see, when I pull it out, that it's actually a nut with a stud attached to it, and you want to just pull them both out.
Now, back on top of the engine, standing on the passenger's side, looking down, you're going to notice the sleeve that the bolt went around is still in there, right down here. You just need to pull that out.
The belt tensioner pulley is right below the alternator. The alternator being here, here being the belt tensioner, and I'm going to use a 15mm socket and socket wrench to loosen up the tension on the belt. Once I've got that, I'll slide it off the alternator pulley, and the rest of the pulleys. Snake the belt back up through the top.
We've got our old belt, and we've got our new belt from 1A Auto, an exact replacement fit. Take the new belt. I'm going to snake it in, inside of the motor mount and through the space where the bar was that we took out. I'm going to put it over the A/C compressor, bring it around to the crank pulley. I'm going to bring it up over the water pump, up to the idler, down to the power steering. Here you can see that the belt is down on the A/C compressor, around the crank, up to the water pump, up over the tensioner, down to the power steering pulley, and back up around to here. Now, when I put the pressure on the tensioner, to release it, I should be able to snake the belt right over the alternator pulley. Put your 15mm on the tensioner and get ready to move counter clockwise. Have the belt in your other hand, and put it on. Here you see the belt up over the alternator, tensioner pulley, water pump, crank, AC compressor, and power steering pump.
We hope this video helps you out. Brought to you by www.1AAuto.com, your source for quality replacement parts and the best service on the Internet. Please feel free to call us toll-free, 888-844-3393. We're the company that's here for you on the Internet and in person.
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