Depending on the year of your Toyota Tercel, the engine may run off a serpentine belt in conjunction with a V-belt system common in the older series of Tercels. The latest models of Tercels rely purely upon the serpentine belt to drive the various components within the engine, ranging from the crankshaft to the alternator, the power steering, the idler and the air condition pump. While the exact configuration of your Tercel may vary depending on the year of your vehicle, the removal, installation and adjustment process remains the same.
Open the hood of your Toyota Tercel and locate the serpentine belt configuration chart on the underside of the hood or near the radiator cover of the vehicle. Reference this chart for complete details on the exact pulleys that your model of Tercel has the serpentine belt running along with the crankshaft for the engine. Look for the belt tensioner pulley on the diagram and use that picture to look down into the engine to locate the tensioner.
Adjust the wrench to the size of the leads connecting the battery to the engine and remove the connectors while you work on the serpentine belt system. Set them aside for later.
Find the appropriately-sized socket to fit over the protruding bolt on the belt tensioner. Place the socket on the end of the breaker-bar ratchet and fit the tool over the end of the bolt on the tensioner. Turn it in the direction indicated on the serpentine belt chart to adjust the tension up or down. Remove the belt if it is cracked or frayed by using a flat-head screwdriver to slip the belt off of the tensioner pulley while you keep it leveraged in the "open" position. Release it slowly once you have removed the belt, and reverse the process to install a new belt.
Replace the battery connectors and start the engine. Listen for sounds of a loose belt, such as screeching when the belt is too loose, and adjust the tensioner again if necessary.
