How to replace the serpentine belt on a 1996 Buick Park Avenue Ultra?

Answer 1

To replace the serpentine belt on a V6 3800 series non-supercharged motor, you must jack up the motor and remove a motor mount. Before going any further make sure that the factory belt diagram sticker is still somewhere under the hood; if not, make a detailed diagram of the path of the belt. You must then use a breaker bar with a socket (I believe 13/64") and pull it toward the front of the car to release the belt tensioner. Put the new belt on, tighten it, put the mount back on, and lower the jack. Personally I believe that this one is a tough job for the average person with limited tools, and may be better to bring it to a mechanic.

I believe that the only difference for the Ultra is that there is a second belt for the supercharger.

• ** Driving without a belt can cause the motor to

overheat, will cut Power Steering, and will not recharge the battery, so you should probably get a tow**

I just replaced my belt, and every mechanic told me i would have to remover the motor mount, but on mine there was a sleeve on the bottom bracket (the one going through the belt) I'm not sure if all park avenues have this sleeve or not. But if it does, all you have to do is remove the passenger side plastice fender housing and you can access that lower bracket with a star socket. All you have to do is remove the bolt with a star socket and the sleeve will slip off and then you can slip the old belt of and the new one on. This doesn't require jacking the engine up (unless you want to remove the tire for more mobility) and it shouldn't require an engine lift, which is what you need in the above mentioned answer. I'm not sure if all models have this sleeve or not but try it before thinking about removing the engine mount, because it saves you a lot of work (such as not having to move the power steering pump) and a lot of money.