Depending on your engine, the serpentine belt replacement cost is between $100 and $200. Most vehicles do not need a special serpentine belt tool, but rather a 1/2" breaker bar and a socket on the serpentine belt tensioner to relieve the tension from the belt. Check out our parts page for coupons on new belts for your RX300!
If twisted more, the belt is loose, and if twisted less, the belt is too tight. How tight should a serpentine belt be on a car? For most vehicles, the belt should not be able to be pressed down more than ½ inch. If it can be pressed lower, then the belt is too loose.
Pinch that point between your index finger and thumb and move it back and forth. The belt should have about a half an inch of play when at the appropriate tightness. If there is less than a half an inch, the belt will need to be loosened, if there is more, it will need to be tightened.
Most late-model engines have serpentine belt drives for the engine-driven accessories, and most people know that belts are a maintenance item that eventually has to be replaced. However, many people don't know the spring-loaded automatic tensioner that keeps a serpentine belt tight is also a wear item. Consequently, the automatic tensioner may also have to be replaced when the time comes to
Step 4 - Replace belt. Pull the belt from the pulleys and route the new one according to the diagrams below. Have a stretched-out coat hanger handy to pull the belt up and over some of the upper pulleys if necessary. When finished, twist the tensioner counter-clockwise and remove the 5mm hex wrench.
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how tight should a serpentine belt be
