The serpentine belt on your Buick Skylark is the life of your motor. The belt uses power from the crankshaft to control all the major components of your vehicle, including your air conditioning, alternator, water pump and power steering. The pulley on the crankshaft turns the other pulleys by the attached belt. Replacing the belt should only take a few minutes to complete.
Tools Used: Socket set, Socket wrench, Pry bar
Install Serpentine Belt
Open the hood to access the engine compartment. Locate the alternator on the top of the motor to the right.
Observe how the belt runs along the pulley. There is a diagram located next to the hood latch that will show you how to route the belt correctly. If this is missing, diagram the layout before you remove the existing belt. If there is no belt on the car, get a diagram from your local GM dealer before you start.
Loosen the two bolts on the alternator with a socket wrench two full turns until the alternator is loose. The alternator will be loose along the mounting bracket.
Slip the old belt off the pulleys. Discard the old belt.
Place the new belt along the pulley, using your diagram. Ensure that the smooth side of the belt runs along the pulleys with the smooth surface. The other side should run against the pulleys with ridges along them.
Place a pry bar against the mounting bracket and the alternator. Pull the alternator toward the driver's side of the vehicle. This will tighten the belt.
Tighten the two alternator bolts with a socket wrench to secure the alternator and the belt. You can hold the pry bar with one hand and tighten with the other. You can also find an assistant to hold the pry bar for you as you tighten the bolts.
Tips & Warnings
You can also take the belt off first and use it to match the correct size at the auto parts store to ensure that you get a proper fitting belt.
Ensure that the keys are out of the ignition to prevent someone from trying to start the vehicle while you are working in the engine compartment.
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