Examination
1. The accessory drive belts are located on the front of the engine and play a vital role in the operation of the entire vehicle. The functions performed and the material of the belts determine the need for their periodic inspection. tension adjustments, and perhaps even replacements.
2. The number of belts installed on a specific car model depends on the number of units requiring drive. These units include: generator, power steering pump, water pump and air conditioning compressor. In some cases, several units can be driven by one belt.
3. Stop the engine, open the hood and inspect the accessory drive belts on the front of the engine. If necessary, use a portable lamp. Feel the belts along their entire length with your hands, looking for cracks and delamination. Inspect the belts for burn marks and shiny spots (figure 12.3). Inspect both surfaces of the belt, rotating it as necessary.
4. To check the tension of each belt, press firmly with your thumb between the pulleys and see how much it deflects (figure 12.4). As a rule, if the distance between pulley centers is between 180 and 280 mm, the belt deflection should be approximately 6.5 mm. If the distance between pulleys is 300 to 400 mm, the belt deflection can reach 12 mm.
Tension adjustment
5. On 4-cylinder engine models, the power steering pump and air conditioning compressor are driven by a single belt. To adjust its tension, loosen the gyro booster pump clamp bolt and the regulator lock bolt. Then turn the adjuster bolt in one direction or another to tighten or loosen the belt. To adjust the alternator and water pump drive belt, loosen the alternator support bolts and turn the tension adjuster nut.
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On V6 models, to adjust the alternator drive belt and air conditioning compressor, loosen the tensioner pulley lock nut and turn the adjusting bolt (figure 12.5,a). The drive belt of the water pump and the power steering pump is adjusted in the same way (fig. 12.5,b).
6. After adjusting the tension, measure the sag again and repeat the tensioning procedure if necessary.
Replacement
7. Loosen the belt as described above and remove the belt from the pulleys. Since belts usually wear out more or less equally, it is best to replace all belts at the same time. On most models you will find a belt routing diagram under the hood (figure 12.7).
8. When you go to buy new belts, take the old ones with you to make sure that the belts are the same. Keep in mind that the old belt may have stretched and the new belt may be slightly shorter. When installing a new belt, make sure that all of its ridges fall into the grooves intended for them on the pulleys.
(The text of the article is taken from the website mazbook)
9. Install the belt in the reverse order of removal. Tighten the belt as directed above in this paragraph.