Repair 7

How to Put a Fan Belt on a 2000 Mitsubishi Galant

Replacing the belt on your 2000 Galant should be part of the regular maintenance plan for your vehicle. The serpentine belt on your Mitsubishi turns all the accessories on the front of the engine, and a failure could leave you stranded on the side of the road. The alternator would stop turning, leaving the ignition to draw power from the battery until it died. The water pump would not spin, allowing the engine to overheat, and the power steering would stop working. Change the belt at the first sign of damage or excess wear.

Instructions

1

Locate the battery in your Galant. Remove the retaining bolt from the negative cable end with a wrench and lift the cable off the battery. Tuck it aside so that it cannot fall back against the battery terminals.

2

Move to the front of the engine and locate the bolt that runs through the center of the serpentine belt tensioner pulley. Loosen the bolt with a socket and ratchet but do not remove it completely. Locate the adjuster bolt at the base of the tensioner.

3

Loosen the adjuster bolt with a socket and ratchet by turning it counterclockwise until the belt is loose enough to remove from the pulley. Slide the old belt off the pulleys and discard it.

4

Slide the new serpentine belt over the pulleys, making sure you route the belt properly. There is a belt-path diagram on the radiator support that will help if you need it. Turn the adjusting bolt on the tensioner clockwise until the belt is tight. Tighten the locking bolt in the center of the tensioner pulley with a socket and ratchet.

5

Reattach the negative battery cable on the negative terminal and tighten the retaining bolt with a wrench. Close the hood and recheck the tension on the belt after driving the car for a few days.