The drive belt on a 2.4 liter Chevrolet Cavalier is a serpentine belt. A serpentine belt is one belt that drives all the pump-driven accessories on the vehicle. You should periodically check the serpentine belt on your Cavalier for wear. If the belt breaks suddenly, you will lose the use of your air conditioning, alternator, cooling fan and power steering. You may need an assistant to help you change the belt.
Open the hood, and locate the auto-tensioning bolt in the center of the pulley system. This bolt will be in the center of a pulley that does not appear to be connected to any component.
Turn the auto-tensioning bolt clockwise with a socket wrench to release tension on the belt.
Slide the belt off the pulley system.
Orient the new belt on the pulley system according to the belt path printed on the underside of the hood and next to the hood latch mechanism on your Cavalier. Leave slack in the belt around the tensioner pulley.
Slide the belt over the tensioner pulley while you have the auto-tensioner pulley bolt turned clockwise as far as it will go. Make sure that the belt is sitting centered in all the various pulley grooves on the pulley system.
Release the tension pulley bolt, and apply tension to the belt. The auto-tensioner will automatically apply the correct amount of tension on the belt.
