Auto Parts/Replace serpentine belt on 1999 Dodge Intrepid

Expert: Mike Evans - 12/14/2009

Question
Looking to save some money, need to bad. How do I go about replacing the serpentine belt on my 1999 Dodge Intrepid?

Answer
If you look around under the hood, you'll see a diagram of the belt's routing around the pulleys. One of the pulleys is a spring-loaded idler. String the new belt into place, making sure that it is in its groove on each pulley. Some of the smooth pulleys will have little raised edges to keep the belt in place, but some of them don't. You can check yourself by making sure that the grooved side of the belt is always on grooved pulleys and the smooth side always on smooth pulleys. There are no exceptions to this rule. When the belt is strung, take a wrench with a fairly long handle and pry back the spring-loaded idler until the belt can be slipped in place. Double check everything, then start the engine and make sure that everything works properly. And, you're done. It's really not at all complicated, it just looks so. The diagram of the pulleys is important if the belt came off on its own, but all cars have one under the hood somewhere.

Questioner's Rating

Rating(1-10)	Knowledgeability = 10	Clarity of Response = 10	Politeness = 10
Comment	Thanks again. I needed that extra bit of advice. I'm still trying figure out how the heck your suppose to move the jack bolt under the top wheel. About the only thing I didn't have off and out of the vehicle was the radiator. That would have made it easier to get to but otherwise I don't see with all the congestion in that part of the engine how you could ever get anything in their to be able to turn that darn jack bolt. I finally gave up and cut both the AC and serpentine belts to get the old ones off and then part sideways mounted the top wheel back on top of the belt and got it in the hole and got it up vertical and started wiggling it on into where I could put the washer on and then get the nut started and then I just used the nut to slide the wheel back into place. Fortunately, that idea worked. I was running out of ideas quickly. Started the car and it was running smoothly and as I figured the belt moved itself right back into position centered under the wheel. THANKFULLY!