How to Replace 2012 Dodge Durango Serpentine Belt Guide

Learn how to replace the serpentine belt on a 2012 Dodge Durango with our step-by-step guide. Keep your engine running smoothly today.

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Take care

The main risk is getting fingers pinched or crushed by the spring-loaded tensioner. Always keep your hands clear of the pulley paths while releasing or applying tension.

Safety gear: Safety glasses, Work gloves

For your 2012 Dodge Durango (3.6)

Where to find it

The serpentine belt is located at the front of the engine, visible once you open the hood and look past the radiator fan assembly. The tensioner is part of this pulley system.

What it looks like

The belt is a long, black, multi-ribbed rubber loop. The tensioner is a metal arm with a pulley wheel attached to it, often marked with a warning label regarding its hydraulic nature.

Tools Required (5)

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Parts (1)

Quantities assume: Sized for a 2012 Dodge Durango with a 3.6L engine.

Get the exact part. Parts change by year, make, model and engine. Give the parts store all four, or your VIN (it's on your registration, on the sticker inside the driver's door, and on the dashboard where it meets the windshield on the driver's side), and they'll match the right part for your vehicle.

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Step-by-Step Instructions

1.
Park on a level surface, turn off the engine, and engage the parking brake.
2.
Open the hood and locate the battery; disconnect the negative battery cable to prevent accidental engine starting while working near the belt.
3.
Give the parts store your year, make, model and engine so they match the exact part.
4.
Locate the belt routing diagram, which is usually a sticker found on the underside of the hood or near the radiator support.
5.
Take a photo of the existing belt path around all pulleys to ensure you can route the new one correctly.
6.
Locate the belt tensioner, which is a pulley mounted on a spring-loaded arm; on the 3.6L engine, this is a hydraulic tensioner that requires firm, steady pressure to move.
7.
Insert your breaker bar or belt tool into the tensioner pulley bolt or square drive hole, then rotate it to release tension on the belt.
8.
Slide the old belt off the pulleys and remove it from the engine bay.
9.
Route the new belt around all pulleys according to your photo or the routing diagram, leaving the tensioner pulley for last.
10.
Rotate the tensioner again to create enough slack to slip the new belt over the final pulley, then slowly release the tensioner.
11.
Verify the belt is properly seated in the grooves of every pulley before reconnecting the negative battery cable and starting the engine to test.