How do I Take Off the Belt on a 2005 Trailblazer?

Some SUVs are like dinosaurs: huge, lumbering, and all but doomed to extinction. That's one narrative, anyway. The other is narrative is that the better ones evolve into some smarter, more modern, and better suited to the times. As the mighty T-Rex became a bird of prey, so the segment-defining S-10 Blazer became the modern TrailBlazer. In this case, the modern bird evolved a bit bigger than its primordial predecessor; but if history's any indication, that may someday change, too.

Instructions

1

Look for a belt-routing diagram under the hood, or draw one on a piece of paper. You may also wish to take a few reference photos with your phone.

2

Identify the tensioner pulley: the tensioner pulley is on the end of a short, pivoting, spring-loaded arm on the middle-left side of the engine.

3

Insert the square drive of a 3/8-inch ratchet into the square hole you see on the tensioner arm. Pull the ratchet handle clockwise to relieve tension on the belt. Pull the belt off the engine.

4

Route the new belt onto the engine, making sure it's seated in the pulley grooves and saving the upper-left pulley for last. Pull the tensioner clockwise again and slip the belt onto the pulley.

5

Check all the way around the belt to ensure that the belt is seated in the pulley grooves and centered on the smooth pulleys. Start the engine and watch the belt to check that it's functioning properly.