Service Schedule on Serpentine Belt

I didn't take the tray off. Did part of it from the wheel well and part from above.

cracks in drive belt | PriusChat is the thread I worked from and Belt change how-to with photos | PriusChat is the method I chose to use after reading all the threads.

 

I got a 2007 prius in 2012 it replaced my 98 corolla which still runs great with over 250k which I give to a new collage student (it probably wont last long know). First place i went was to prius chat why you ask? i've been on corolla-chat for over 10 years and did all maintenance my self (I'm a girl) since the prius came to me, i've used these blogs to change the battery, brakes, and now looking to change serpentine belt and spark-plugs on first warm day.

Question: changing the serpentine do i need anything tools other than time and a 10mm wrench/socket? I have noticed most work done on the prius so far uses a 10mm socket.

 

From Belt change how-to with photos | PriusChat

Tools:
10mm, 12mm, 14mm sockets. Ratchet. Extension. New part.

 

How can one troubleshoot if either is damaged? I changed my belt when I did my 100,000 service nearly one-thousand miles ago and last night the red triangle showed up along with the temperature light on the onboard display. After all of the smoke cleared I observed that I no longer had a belt and I'm wondering what else might be damaged. Unfortunately I do not have a scan tool.

 

I would say it was more likely that the belt was installed too loose and it came off.

Rotate the engine coolant pump pulley and the idler pulley by hand to see if they rotate smoothly. If yes, they are probably fine.

Depending on how long you continued to drive when the belt came off, it is possible that the engine was damaged but you won't know until a new belt is installed. The engine is all-aluminum and will not withstand much overheating.

Good luck.

 

Well, I was well on my way to overhauling the the idler pulley... nothing prepared me for the possibility that the nut is frozen solid!
I have now managed to completely round the nut and it looks like the unit is also frozen in the track, so it doesn't slide up and down. If anyone has any words of wisdom, I'm all ears!

 

1. Maybe you can use a Dremel cutting tool to cut a slit in the nut, then use a chisel to expand the slit and remove the nut. This process will destroy the installed pulley, so plan to install a new one.

2. Get a quality six-point socket for use in tightening the idler pulley nut. If you are using cheap 12-point sockets currently, they should not be used when you need to apply more than ~20 ft.-lb of torque.