Nissan Altima Serpentine Belt and Tensioner Replacement (2013-2018)
About this video
Belt squealing on cold starts, chirping at idle, or looking cracked and glazed? An ASE certified mechanic replaces the serpentine belt and the belt tensioner from start to finish, including how to capture the routing before anything comes off so the new belt goes on right the first time.
SAFETY FIRST
Work on a cold engine with the key out and the negative battery terminal disconnected if the cooling fan can cycle. Keep hands, sleeves, and tools clear of the fan and pulleys, support the car on jack stands if you are working from underneath, and double check that the belt is fully seated in every pulley groove before you start the engine. A belt that jumps a groove can take out hoses and wiring in seconds.
WHAT WE COVER
How a serpentine belt and an automatic tensioner actually work
Photographing or sketching the belt routing before removal, and where to find the routing diagram on the car
Reading belt wear: cracks, glazing, missing ribs, fraying edges, and pulley misalignment marks
Releasing tension with a serpentine belt tool or a breaker bar on the tensioner
Spinning each pulley by hand to check for a dragging or noisy idler, tensioner bearing, water pump, or alternator pulley
Checking tensioner arm movement and why a weak tensioner eats belts and makes noise that a new belt will not fix
Removing and replacing the tensioner assembly and torquing the bolt
Routing and seating the new belt, then checking alignment across every pulley
Starting the engine and confirming the noise is gone, plus what a brand new belt chirp usually means
SYMPTOMS YOU MAY NOTICE
Squealing on cold start that fades as the engine warms up
Chirping or ticking at idle that changes when you turn on the A/C or defroster
Squeal when you turn the steering wheel or load the alternator
Rattle or knock from the front of the engine from a failing tensioner
Visible cracks, shine, glazing, or chunks missing from the belt ribs
Belt dust or black residue collected around the pulleys
Battery light, loss of power steering assist, no A/C, or overheating if the belt slips or breaks
Belt that keeps shredding or walking off a pulley, which is an alignment or tensioner problem
RELATED FAULT CODES AND WARNINGS
A belt itself sets no codes, but a slipping or broken belt can trigger the battery and charging system warning light, P0562 system voltage low, P0620 or P0622 generator control codes, electric power steering warnings, and overheating messages if the water pump is belt driven. On vehicles with a stop start system you may also see a stop start unavailable message when charging output drops.
DOES THIS APPLY TO MY CAR
Recorded on a 2018 Nissan Altima, fifth generation L33, sold 2013-2018 in the US with the facelift covering 2016-2018. It applies to 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 Altima models with the 2.5L QR25DE four cylinder and the 3.5L VQ35DE V6, which uses a different routing, so check the diagram for your engine. The QR25DE is also found in the Nissan Rogue, Sentra, X-Trail, and Frontier, and the VQ35DE is found in the Nissan Maxima, Murano, Pathfinder, Quest, 350Z, and Infiniti G35, M35, and FX35, so the parts and procedure will look very familiar on those vehicles. The Altima is sold as the Nissan Teana in many markets. The technique applies to nearly any car or SUV from Toyota, Honda, Ford, Chevy, Hyundai, Kia, Subaru, Volkswagen, BMW, and Mercedes-Benz.
Popular searches this video answers: serpentine belt replacement, belt squealing noise, how to replace a belt tensioner, serpentine belt routing diagram, chirping noise from engine, belt tensioner symptoms, how to release belt tension, Nissan Altima serpentine belt, drive belt replacement DIY.
DISCLAIMER: This video and description are provided for educational purposes only. Vehicle repair carries risk of injury and property damage. You are responsible for your own safety and for any work performed on your vehicle.
For more help, resources, and tools, visit https://www.youcanic.com
#SerpentineBelt #NissanAltima #YOUCANIC