We noticed that our tensioner has been angling out for years, and the squeaking was getting very tiresome. We had never had the belt slip off before three weeks ago, but it did so in the rain, and I had to fix it by the side of the road. Enter the Gates 38379K Serpentine Belt Kit. This kit is THE solution to serpentine belts slipping off the pulleys. Earlier reviews speak of the problem, I can assure you that this kit is the solution. No squeaking, no misalignment of the tension pulley, just quiet operation. I can't believe what a difference this kit makes. I was hesitant to do the work myself, but was able to track down information, here and on the net, and do it in a few hours. I thought I'd post the info for the next guy. The hardest part, bar none, is removing/installing the tensioner and tension pulley. The second hardest part is installing the new belt. The third most difficult? Believing the difference. It's unreal how much better this works! Remove the tensioner as follows: * After disconnecting the negative battery cable and removing the serpentine belt* 1. Remove the windshield wiper tray. On an 1999 model, remove the two wipers (16mm nuts), 6 torx screws and remove the top piece. Four 13mm nuts and 6 13mm bolts inside the tray. Be sure to disconnect the electrics on the right side, the two drains, and the spray line on the left. You now have plenty of room to... 2. Remove the alternator/bracket. First, remove the 15mm and two 14mm bolts from the triangle shaped accessory bracket. Remove the top 15mm bolt from the alternator and loosen the bottom 15mm bolt. Push the alternator to the rear to access the nut for the bottom alternator bolt. The positive cable for the alternator is attached with a 10mm nut...be careful not to lose it. You don't have to remove the alternator, just position it away from... 3. The rear nut for the tensioner. This is a bear. If you look down into the small space you have created by moving the alternator, you will glimpse the shy 15mm nut that is holding the tensioner. IF you have a thin enough 15mm box end wrench, you might be able to get it around the nut. Otherwise, use an open end wrench to loosen, then your finger to spin the nut off. Be careful, and have a magnet handy for the dropped nut. Luckily, there isn't much room below the nut, so it usually falls on the power steering unit. Still, unless you have very small hands and long fingers, you'll need the magnet. Installation: The new tensioner mounts fairly easily, but getting the nut on the bolt takes some patience. I needed a piece of thin cardboard cut to hold the nut in place, place the nut down in the space and spin the tensioner to catch the nut. Once caught, position the tensioner, spin the nut on with your finger and tighten it with the wrench. Remove the idler pulley with a 15mm wrench, and save the bolt and insert. The bolt in the kit was too long for my car (1999), so I reused the bolt and insert on the new idler pulley. You can not use a socket on this. Once you have the tensioner and pulley in place, reinstall the alternator and bracket. The belt is very tight to install, but it can be done with a helper: One pulls the tensioner down, one pulls the belt around the air conditioning pulley, spinning the pulley while guiding the belt around. (Tip: If you've removed the rain shield from the underside of the engine, you can use the old belt to pull a 15mm wrench on the tensioner by looping it around and stepping on it.) You'll have to get the tensioner all the way down to install the belt! Eyeball the belt to see that it's on all the pulleys, if so, start the car and check. Lovely sound, isn't it? No squeal! Install the tray in the reverse of removal. Don't forget the drains and the squirt tube! When you're finished, be sure to put the sticker from the kit next to the belt diagram, so you can remember the belt size when you have to replace it in 10 years :^) My wife can't believe the difference, and neither can I. My neighbors no longer wear ear protection when we back out of the driveway! It's like a stealth car! Honestly, this is a great piece of kit, and I recommend it to anyone with a defective serpentine belt system.
