The 2005 Dodge Ram has a serpentine belt that drives the engine accessories by supplying torque to their pulleys it gains from the crankshaft pulley. As the engine runs, the crankshaft spins, which turns the serpentine belt. The belt then rotates each of the accessory pulleys, allowing them to provide electricity, power steering assist, air conditioning and other benefits to the vehicle. If the belt brakes, all those accessories are immediately out of commission, so inspect the belt often and replace it at the first signs of excessive wear. Anyone with basic automotive-repair skills can perform this job.
Open the hood and familiarize yourself with the belt routing diagram printed on a sticker placed on the fan shroud. This diagram shows the location of the belt tensioner, the accessory pulleys and, most importantly, illustrates the proper routing for the belt.
Move the belt tensioner away from the belt with the serpentine belt tool. Push the belt out of the pulley path and allow the tensioner to move back into position slowly before removing the tool.
Pull the belt off the accessory pulleys and the crankshaft pulley by hand. Take the belt out of the engine well and stretch it out, side by side, with the new belt to make sure the new belt is the right length. You can expect approximately 1 inch in extra length on the old belt due to stretching, which is a normal part of the belt’s life.
Wrap the new belt around the bottom of the crankshaft pulley by hand. Follow the belt routing diagram to route the belt around each of the accessory pulleys until only the tensioner pulley is left.
Move the tensioner out of the way once more with the serpentine belt tool. Slide the belt over the tensioner pulley and hold it there while you slowly move the tensioner back into position. Let go and remove the tool when done.
