How to Change the Serpentine Belt on a 2000 Jeep Cherokee
- 1). Locate the belt routing guide on the right side of the radiator mounting plate. This black decal shows proper belt routing, as well as indicating the position of each pulley on the vehicle's engine. Locate the tensioner on the lower passenger side of the front of the engine.
- 2). Insert the 3/8 inch square drive on the breaker bar into the square hole on the tensioner arm. Compress the tensioner with the breaker bar by rotating the breaker bar in a downward (clockwise) direction.
- 3). Slip the old belt off the pulleys while holding the tensioner in the released position. The alternator pulley is the one nearest to the tensioner, in the Cherokee, and is the easiest to reach while holding the tensioner.
- 4). Install the new belt according to the belt routing guide, leaving the alternator pulley for last. Using the breaker bar, once again compress the tensioner, and slip the belt onto the alternator. Release the tensioner, and its spring loading will apply the proper tension to the belt automatically,
- 5). Check for proper alignment of the belt. The belt should lay flat on the pulleys, and not over hang the edges. If a position adjustment is needed, compress the tensioner, and move the belt to its proper position.