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So this is your guide on how to change the serpentine belt on your Toyota V6.
For a while now on my daily driver (2007 Toyota Camry) I’ve had this terrible squeaking noise. It’s the kind of noise that drives you crazy and makes you hate driving it.
Some days it would go away and other days it would come back with a vengeance, so I knew it was the belt. I figured out that my engine, the V6 2GFRE, has an easily changeable serpentine belt.
It’s a fairly simple task so I decided to do it myself and knock out the noise once and for all.
Table of Contents
The Source Of The Problem
Before you go out and buy a belt to replace your current one, you want to make sure it’s actually the belt making the noise and not one of the pulleys.
There’s a great video by Youtuber Chrisfix that helps you figure out exactly where your engine squeak is coming from, check it out here. You want to fix the problem once and for all so it’s important to know the source of the squeak.
The Belt
So after you’ve determined that the serpentine belt causes the squeak you’ll need to buy a replacement. You have many options when you search for your particular belt from OEM to the aftermarket.
I suggest getting one that’s low noise and long life design. The belt that I ended up buying was a Continental OE poly-v drive belt. I was searching for a low noise belt and the internet pointed me to Goodyear Gatorback belts.
Unfortunately, those aren’t manufactured anymore but continentals are just as good according to customer reviews. Around $30 they aren’t the cheapest but not breaking the bank either.
Starting
First, everything seems easier said than done. You think you have everything you need but rarely does life go exactly to plan. In pictures and videos, online things go way more smoothly than when I attempt them.
Maybe it’s a lack of planning or just a character trait but it seems things take an extra step or two for me. So that estimate you have in mind on how long it should take; double it. That way if you fix your belt squeak early you’ll feel even better.
Prep
If I can give one piece of solid advice it’s to get a good floor jack. Spend the money and get one that can lift ideally 6000 pounds.
A heavy-duty jack like this one from Eastwood, covers you for most situations. I wasted so much time because I didn’t have the right jack. It took me longer to jack the car up than it did to replace the serpentine belt.
The Work
After finding a good way to jack up the car in my sloped driveway I started taking the plastic shields and fender lining off to reveal the belt location.
Immediately the first obstacle hit me. There was no way a traditional socket wrench was going to reach the tensioner bolt because the clearances were too tight.
So after fiddling with some different tools I realized even if I could get something to work I probably wasn’t going to get enough torque on it without leverage. So I decided to bite the bullet and buy the belt removal tool.
Auto Parts Store
I was avoiding buying specialized tools because A. they’re expensive and B. they’re mostly a one-time use thing.
So grudgingly I headed over to the auto parts store and to my surprise they have a program that allows you to borrow any tool for free. You simply buy the item and return it within 45 days and bingo you get your money back. Awesome.
This is a program I definitely will be taking advantage of.
Work Resumes
With the correct tool in hand, the belt came off in a cinch. The tensioner has a holding place via a bolt hole on my car making it even easier than I thought.
A quick google image of the belt routing order and it was good to go. Simply slip it around the pulleys in the correct order and that’s it. It was just that simple.
I started it up, and the noise? Finally gone. Just glorious V6 engine hum. Job accomplished.
Results
After a bit of fiddling and a trip to the auto parts store, I drive a squeak-free automobile. With a bit of work, you can fix your engine belt squeak too.
That’s how to change the serpentine belt on your Toyota V6.
Check out how to fix other stuff on your car here.
As an Amazon Associate We earn from qualifying purchases. Amazon and the Amazon logo are trademarks of Amazon.com, Inc, or its affiliates.
We might receive commissions if you click on our links and sign up/make purchases. However, please know this does not impact our reviews and comparisons. We try to keep things fair and balanced to help you make the best choice for your needs. Thanks.