The 2008 Nissan 350Z automobile supplies power to its engine accessories by using a single serpentine belt. The belt derives its name by the meandering route the belt takes through the pulley system. An auto tensioner pulley system provides constant tension to the belt. This makes it unnecessary to manually adjust the belt tension. If the belt shows signs of wear or damage, you need to replace the belt as soon as possible to avoid a breakdown.
Remove the coolant reservoir. Detach the two tubes that attach to the reservoir by pulling them straight off. Remove the two bolts that attach the reservoir to the engine compartment, and lift the reservoir out of the car.
Check to ensure that there is a belt diagram present somewhere in the engine compartment. It's usually found on the inside of the hood or on top of the grille, near the hood latch. If you can't find a diagram, sketch one for yourself so you will be able to properly reroute the serpentine belt.
Place a pulley spinner tool into the center hole of the auto tensioner pulley. This can be a special tool acquired from Nissan, or any similar too that will fit into the square slot of the tensioner pulley. Rotate the pulley counterclockwise to relieve tension on the serpentine belt.
Slip the belt off the auto tensioner pulley, while maintaining pressure on the pulley. An assistant will make this easier. Once the belt is off the pulley, you can let off pressure and remove the tool. Continue to remove the belt from the other pulleys.
Route the new belt over the pulleys, according to the diagram. Once the belt is in place on all the pulleys, reinsert the tool into the tensioner and apply counterclockwise force, so you can slip the belt over the auto tensioner pulley. Release tension, and remove the tool.
Rotate the crankshaft pulley clockwise several times. This is to equalize tension among all the pulleys. Further adjustment is not needed. The auto tensioner will take care of adjusting the belt when you start the vehicle.
Replace the coolant reservoir. Insert and tighten the two mounting screws. Slide the two tubes back into place over their nozzles. Refill the reservoir to the "Full" mark with coolant, if necessary.
