Ive got a 2002 MCS and the Serpentine belt is almost completely shot. Today it statred making a grinding sound so im guessing it needs to be replaced, sounds pretty pathetic actually I was just wondering if anybody has had experience taking it to the shop and how much of a dent it will put in my wallet to have them replace it. Or is this a job that one can do on their own with a little time and know how..thanks in advance,

 

not to bad of a job- do a search good how to's will be found.

 

The belt is definitely a do it yourself job. If you just need to change the belt then buy a tensioner tool and do it yourself. Or borrow one. I have lent mine out a couple of times. I would also get a half dozen of the fender-well clips (cheap) as they always seem to break.

But if yours is making noise then it may well be the tensioner assembly which is a bit more complicated as the engine will need to be lifted a bit if I remember correctly. Not hard, but trickier than just the belt.

A good independent tech with experience should be able to do both for you for an hours labor if you don't want to tackle it yourself.

And, yes, there are good instructions around. The hardest part is actually starting.

Rich