How to Replace the Serpentine Belt in a Chevy Cobalt

The Chevy Cobalt has one drive belt, called a serpentine belt because it winds around different engine accessories. Chevy recommends checking the drive belt for wear every 15,000 miles or 24 months. Newer Chevy Cobalt models have the popular auto-adjusting belt system. This guide refers to the newer Chevy Cobalt models from 2005-2007. Check your model year for specific information.

Instructions

1

Raise up the front of the vehicle and support it on jack stands. Use the tire iron to loosen the right front lug nuts.

2

Remove the right front wheel and the lower fenderwell splash guard. Find the belt tensioner pulley which is located near the crankshaft.

3

Note the belt routing so that you can install the new belt correctly. If you can't find a belt routing diagram under the hood, make a sketch for your reference.

4

Use the wrench or ratchet to rotate the tensioner and relieve tension on the belt. For 2.2L and 2.4L engines, use a 3/8-inch ratchet tool or breaker bar that goes into the tensioner bolt head. For 2.0L engines, use an open-ended wrench.

5

Remove the belt from the tensioner pulley. Release the tensioner. Remove the old belt from the rest of the pulleys and install the new belt according to your belt routing diagram.

6

Rotate the tensioner pulley again to allow the new belt to slip onto the tensioner pulley. Make sure the belt is fully seated on all pulleys.

7

Release the tensioner. On the 2.0L engine, it's important to release the hydraulic tensioner slowly. Replace the splash shield and wheel and lower the vehicle. Tighten the right front lug nuts.