DIY Drive Belt Tensioner & Drive Belt Replacement | 3rd Gen Mazda 6 | 2014-2020 | Basic Hand Tools

Continuing with the maintenance videos on my 160k 2014 Mazda 6 GT, today I tackle the Belt Tensioner and replace the drive belts.
I got this car with 53K in April 2018, so its safe to say that this is probably the original drive belts. People have reported their belts breaking with less than 35K miles! I guess I was running on borrowed time!
In my honest opinion, this job can be completed in about 90-120 minutes with basic hand tools if you have prior basic mechanical knowledge.
Tune in and if you need to replace your Leaky Tensioner or compromised cracked drive belts, this is the DIY Video for you!
Don't get caught on the side of the road! Catch it before it catches up to you!
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[@markpicotti2610]

Well you my friend are more clear and concise than anyone else who has tried to make the same video. So thank you sir, you have done good 👍.

[@DariusBuildz]

Thank you! That means a lot!

[@seamus7227]

I too agree with this comment! Thank you for giving the details needed to do the job correctly. I've watched 4 other videos and they sucked, but yours was what I needed to see. I get the pleasure of doing this job tomorrow, 2hrs from home, so it's been helpful as I gather the info of things I need to potentially bring with me to complete the task away from my shop

[@alexm737]

Thanks for your help!!!! Without this video I wouldn’t have been able to replace the belts. Especially the part where the long bolt slides in to the crevice for the tensioner.

[@DariusBuildz]

That tensioner bolt was about to make me Mad 😆. I wanted to make sure I pointed that out for anyone watching.

[@WE_WUZ]

Just did this in about an hour thanks to your video. Snaking the new tensioner in, orienting it correctly and getting that tensioner bolt back in was kind of a hassle, but at least this car uses a timing chain instead of a belt. Rather deal with just this than do a timing belt job too.

[@DariusBuildz]

I’m glad the video helped! It’s not a bad job to do, but it definitely has its quirks and it’s pain points when other cars are much easier to switch them out.

[@overcastfab]

been getting notified that i need to replace my tensioner before it fails. dealer was quoting $750 to replace the tensioner + belts. thankfully i came across this video and will give it a try myself. thank you!!

[@DariusBuildz]

The want $750 to replace the tensioner and both belts? That's insane!

[@hugostiglitz47]

Same here, they just quoted me at $650+tax. I declined, currently at the waiting area watching this video to do it myself lol

[@BrianPowell-bb1un]

I was quoted $720 for Mazda dealer in Florida to do this belt tensioner and the two belts. Just bought all the parts online and thanks to the video should save me over $500 from dealer price

[@jasonthomas3074]

Thank you thank you so much my man! I had watched another video that showed taking apart the upper motor mount. The way you did it from the wheel well was SO MUCH BETTER! They had a hoist in their shop. You did it on the ground like most people would. I did it IN THE DRIVEWAY, IN THE SNOW! You literally saved me an hour of agony today. And I thank you for that! CHEERS!

[@DariusBuildz]

I'm glad that it helped! I try to do my videos from the standpoint of the average person. But if you did it in the snow, you are the Rockstar here!

[@BrianPowell-bb1un]

This video guide is great and I was able to complete the repair in roughly 3 hours. I found the kit with all parts at rock auto for around $150. The Mazda dealer in FL quoted $720 for the repair.

[@DariusBuildz]

$720? Thats blasphemy!!

[@seanjamesmacleod241]

Only guy on KZbin of all the videos I watched that really explained it well and showed it.

[@DariusBuildz]

Thank you! I’m glad it helped! It’s my goal for my videos to be as helpful as possible!

[@amoral42]

Thank you for the very detailed video. You explained everything to make a job go every well instead of just ok. Haha. You made my life easier.

[@DariusBuildz]

You're very welcome! That is my aim!

[@Aragorn3407]

Thanks. Was able to bust it out in an hour in the autozone parking lot. great video, thank you

[@DariusBuildz]

Oh man that’s epic!

[@davidmikesell6851]

My 2014 Mazda 6 has 148k miles on the original belt, which still looks good actually. Guess that I've been super lucky. It just occurred to me the other day that I had never replaced it... Thank you for your nice tutorial!

[@DariusBuildz]

No problem! It’s better to be proactive than to be reactive!

[@emotionz3]

This is the best tutorial for this on KZbin. I want to add that the INA documentation says to slowly, fully compress and decompress the tensioner 3x before installing the belt to bleed the hydraulic preventing premature failure. Not sure if Gates tensioners are the same but better safe than sorry.

[@DariusBuildz]

Thank you and that’s good info on the tensioner! The gates tensioner didn’t mention that in their instructions so I wonder about it now. Good info for the viewers to read! Thank you again for the info.

[@adriandominguez6491]

I got to 185,000 on my 2018 mazda 3 and it split down the center. Didn't leave me stranded, half of it still ran like a champ till I made it home. And now here I am watching your video. 😂

[@DariusBuildz]

lol. 185k on the original belt? sheesh.

[@zoomzoom93rx7]

I have a 2015 mazda 6 and my tension belt just shredded. Your video was very informative. Appreciate it bro😊

[@DariusBuildz]

I’m glad it could help! Check out some of my other videos as well!

[@BrianPowell-bb1un]

@zoomzoom- how many miles did your car have when belt shredded ? I’m at 107k and it’s looking worn- second owner so not sure if first owner replaced it once

[@zoomzoom93rx7]

@BrianPowell-bb1un It was just over 100k. Probably best to go ahead and get it replaced while you can. Don't want to get stranded inconveniently

[@enrique967]

Thanks for taking the time to make the video. Also thanks for showing the tough parts and not editing them out. I learn much better when I see the process you went through to figure it out. You have a new subscriber!

[@DariusBuildz]

I try me best to show the good, the bad and any work arounds that I find. I try to keep the process as real as possible!

[@enrique967]

@@DariusBuildz Just did this and tried NOT to do the belt tensioner since mine showed no leak. Unfortunately when I was putting force on it to get the new belt on, the plastic center on the top bolt disintegrated:) So I ended up doing ALL of it after all. Also as an easier tool for removing the water pump belt I used an old pair of shoe laces doubled up. Gave me much more pulling force and control for a longer period of time that the towel did. Made it a snap.

[@russdshannon]

Thank you, my friend. Couldn’t have done it (and wouldn’t have even tried it) without you and this video.

[@DariusBuildz]

Glad I could help!

[@fixitfrank412]

Thanks for the video. It was a little different on my 2016, I also had to remove the front half of the inner fender liner and fold it back to get to the upper nut.

[@DariusBuildz]

Glad you got it done! Hopefully the stretch fit belt didn’t put up too much fight!

[@kevinconnelly2929]

Bro, that's the move-of-the-day with that towel trick. I'm gonna hold on to that one, but I'll give ya the credit.

[@DariusBuildz]

We used that trick for drive belts, ATV CVT transmission belts, bike chains, etc, Pinch enough fingers and you improvise 😂

[@axltobe2]

Great camera angles! Some of the best ive seen on this car.

[@DariusBuildz]

Thank you! I try my best to get the best angles possibly and its quite a challenge sometimes!

[@johnrucker9383]

Very helpful video - thanks! FYI-- if you're using a ratcheting box wrench like I did, don't run the bottom tensioner bolt all the way out without removing the wrench first. Trapped it between the bolt and frame rail, taking 25 minutes of shifting things around before I could get the bolt free. Other than that moment of stupidity, your instructions made this process quite simple.

[@DariusBuildz]

Glad it was helpful! And I hope the viewers read this to watch out for that issue!

[@marktomcho]

Had to go back and see how you did the water pump pulley, and it was a big help! I was trying the “Rag” method and was not having any luck. Thanks again!

[@DariusBuildz]

I’m glad you got it figured out! I don’t care for the stretch to fit belts, but we deal with it!

[@twowheelbandits]

Yooooo ty ty this video literally helped me get my tensioner and belt back on my 2016 Miata you earned my sub

[@DariusBuildz]

Hell yeah! Get it done!

[@fsxbeast]

Thank you for taking time out of your day to make a wonderful video, that helped me and my grandfather so much!

[@DariusBuildz]

I’m sure grandpa could teach me a thing or two!

[@KMCreativeDesign]

Great tips and walk through! Made it easy! Thanks Darius!

[@DariusBuildz]

Glad it helped!

[@mikepairuhdee621]

Great video, super detailed! I was looking at trying to do this job from the top of the engine...Now I know exactly what to do and what NOT to do! THANKS SO MUCH!!

[@DariusBuildz]

Glad I could help!!

[@mikeinkingsville5949]

Great video. Watched 2 others that never mentioned the hydraulic tensioner system. I was not waiting long enough for the hydo. pressure to release when re-installing the wider belt. Piece of cake after watching this. well done

[@DariusBuildz]

Thank you and I’m glad that it helped!

[@richardborge8541]

Really great. Love your sense of humor and pointing out tips like the groove for the bolt. Thx!

[@DariusBuildz]

Thank you! I try to give tips and tricks to make the install easier for the end user!

[@richardvega4903]

Just replaced mine.. This video was extremely helpful.. followed through step by step 👍

[@DariusBuildz]

Nice! Glad it helped!!

[@danair17]

Excellent how to! Looking forward to getting this done on our Mazda next weekend. Thanks!

[@DariusBuildz]

Im glad people are still using it as a guide and reference! If you have trouble getting the stretch to fit water pump belt on, look up the zip tie trick!

[@bradsara7081]

Awesome vid bro! Did mine in 30 minutes, thanks!

[@DariusBuildz]

Man that’s good time doing that! Glad I could be of assistance!

[@mikebeaudet7107]

Super helpful, thanks! The hardest thing was just removing the splash guard from the wheel well, ha!

[@DariusBuildz]

Decently simple, just time consuming like most jobs! I'm glad it helped you to get the job done!

[@alexj1757]

Perfect video. Just the perfect amount of information we need to do the job. Thank you sir.

[@DariusBuildz]

Glad it was helpful!

[@Nordestada]

Thank you, Darius! I might have to look into doing this myself. You make it look easy and it is encouraging for me. Thanks!

[@DariusBuildz]

The hardest part is getting the stretch for water pump belt on. Look up videos on the zip tie trick. That may help you a lot.

[@davidrayle3140]

Nicely done. I appreciate your efforts to put this out there. Belts are on order. Wouldn’t have known there were two belts without your video. Auto part store didn’t even realize there were two.

[@DariusBuildz]

I almost didn’t realize it either bc from the top, it’s really hard to tell that there is a belt running to the rear of the motor!

[@emotionz3]

Generally the stretch belt will be ok - even if your tensioner leaked and destroyed the V-belt it tensions. But I understand why people would replace it anyway. It's not only more important but its a pain to replace in the future since it requires removing the V-belt.

[@AD-xc1qz]

Just had my installation done!! Again. Bother, THANK you so much for your guide!

[@DariusBuildz]

Welcome! I’m glad that it helped!

[@charlieblackburn5107]

Did this in a couple hours thanks to this video - appreciate you making it

[@DariusBuildz]

Glad it helped!

[@zachdarden9614]

Thanks for the helpful video! Made my repair a breeze!

[@DariusBuildz]

Awesome! Glad it helped!

[@AD-xc1qz]

@@DariusBuildz Sure helps! Honestly, the best video guide !

[@vincemartinez1436]

Nice Video D, Great work!

[@DariusBuildz]

I appreciate it! Hopefully it helps 🙏🏽

[@mrc8155]

Thanks a lot man!! Definetely going to try this

[@DariusBuildz]

It’s not a bad job, but it does require some patience!

[@tormentthatinspires638]

If you are swapping the water pump belt, remember to put the car in NEUTRAL (from the button under the gear shifter) and only turn CRANKSHAFT CLOCKWISE! Turning counter-clockwise can cause timing issues. I'm not sure if these was mentioned or emphasized in the video.

[@DariusBuildz]

These cars have a keyed crank. It’s no way it could cause timing issues.

[@Alan-uc2nn]

Great video Sir. Watched it before I did the job and it was extremely helpful.

[@DariusBuildz]

Glad it helped!

[@djwolfletsgo]

You have done it again! Thanks brother this helped me out alot!!

[@DariusBuildz]

Glad to hear it!

[@graredtrading3121]

Thank you so much brother. This helped me out big time. 👍💯👊🏻

[@DariusBuildz]

I'm glad it helped! If you see anything that I can do better, let me know!

[@graredtrading3121]

There’s nothing else honestly bro. Everything was spot on from your video. One thing I tried to do was use a 17mm socket n ratchet for the tension nut, and realized I should have done like you and used the 2 wrenches instead. Lol So that’s what I did. The whole job wasn’t bad at all thanks to your video 👊🏻. This is the wife’s car, so next item up is to change out the brake pads.

[@rrmorris67]

Nice job. Great how-to. I'll be doing this on my 2014 mazda 6 very soon.

[@DariusBuildz]

It’s not that bad of a job. That stretcher fit belt can be a pain to get on. Look up the zip tie trick if you struggle to get it on.

[@rustynutz4493]

Excellent ! Now I know I'm fixing Mine with My Checkbook ! Great Video ...

[@DariusBuildz]

Lol. Im glad that you were able to make the assessment to see if it was something you wanted to dig into or not!

[@giosiny]

Hey man just wanna say this video was perfect! unfortunately we had our belt break on us on the highway and had to have that sucker towed to the house. Saw your video ordered the belts and tensioner and a few hours later everything was installed. Annoying how little space there is to work with between the frame and the tensioner. Thank you for the great video!

[@DariusBuildz]

I was really surprised that mine had not broken. It was people reporting that theirs had broken in a little as 40,000 miles! I'm glad that you were able to replace it successfully!

[@OriginalKodiak]

I’m probably wrong, but I heard that if the belt breaks on you, you can still drive it to a shop or your house, as long as it’s not the water pump belt, that’s the vital one. I changed both of my belts and tensioner at 105k, thanks to this video. It was making a squeal and my belt wasn’t in great shape. Water pump one looked decent but I changed it anyway.

[@chriscordero-torres2580]

Thank you! Haha I’m so grateful I just changed mine out only took a couple hours

[@DariusBuildz]

Glad it could be of assistance! It feels good that this video is helping people!

[@chriscordero-torres2580]

@@DariusBuildz it’s funny because I think the splash guard was the biggest pain out of the whole project haha then I realized how they worked

[@ricardotontolban]

great writeup. I'll add that for my water pump belt (Dayco brand), it was far more difficult to get on than the one in this video. The belt was so incredibly tight and kept popping off that after over an hour of trying to get it on myself it eventually took two people to do it, one to work the belt onto the pump pulley and the other to turn the ratchet.

[@DariusBuildz]

I wonder if the dayco belt is a little shorter?

[@SNAFFUcwalk]

@@DariusBuildz Hopefully not! I've recently bought a Meyle water pump alongside Gates water pump belt, Gates belt tensioner and Gates drive belt. So hopefully it will go fine! :D What I'm littler worried about is the horrific experience you went through, since your Gates belt snapped. I'm based in Europe and not sure if the quality will be any different. I've bought the parts from a reliable distributor though. The quote I've got from Mazda dealership for all the parts mentioned above was astronomical though.

[@emotionz3]

@@DariusBuildz It is. I saw the continental belt is 0.25" longer than the Dayco.

[@dayznation]

Dayco is shorter. I went and bought an OE belt from Mazda and it was on in 2 minutes I spent too long on the other and had to cut it off anyways

[@abc.garage]

Need you for my maintenance for sure

[@DariusBuildz]

Just ship motor to NC and I'll ship it back as good as new!

[@namename7788]

Great video, actually I just change the tensioner pulley for my mazda cx-9, there is another way to do the job from top side, by removing the right engine mount to access to the tensioner, it is much easier but a little bit risky at the same time, because after removing the engine mount, you have to hang the engine carefully by the lifter till you replace the tensioner and re-fix the engine mount …. Thanks 🙏🏻

[@DariusBuildz]

I’ve seen that way, but I try to make videos showing the way that a common person with basic tools can execute a job

[@TXHeat1776]

Excellent video. Saved me a lot of headache!

[@DariusBuildz]

Glad it helped!

[@hyperblauyt]

Super helpful video, just got this done. Appreciate you putting it up.

[@DariusBuildz]

You are welcome and I'm glad it helped!

[@joshruner1348]

Not gonna lie love working on my mazda 3 hatch compared to everything else just great design, has carbon issues, but cleaning is not hard the intake manifold removal is easy.

[@DariusBuildz]

If I get really bored one day, I’ll remove the intake manifold and see how bad the carbon buildup may be, but since I do 90% highway, I doubt mine is a bad as someone who does majority of in town, stop and go driving.

[@tshinefield]

Thanks, You just saved me a bunch of time!

[@DariusBuildz]

Glad the video could help! It’s crazy the prices that shops wants to do this maintenance

[@jonathanr2417]

Awesome and straightforward. Preciate it. Great tip on tensioner having plenty of play and to not be afraid to fully extend it.

[@DariusBuildz]

Glad it was helpful!

[@dougtaylor1439]

Outstanding tutorial Darius, thank you very much.

[@DariusBuildz]

You are welcome! Thank you for watching!

[@AD-xc1qz]

Thanks! Very useful guide! Nicest quality video! Hands down!

[@DariusBuildz]

Thank you! Hopefully it will assist with your replacement!

[@AD-xc1qz]

@@DariusBuildz It does! Could you verify, please, if the tensioner is Canada made? I purchased the same part.

[@DariusBuildz]

@@AD-xc1qz I can’t find where the part is made. The website I ordered from does not specify

[@derrickharris8050]

I appreciate your video, it helps me out a lot.

[@DariusBuildz]

Glad it helped!

[@longtime2live4]

Awesome Job ! Thanks !

[@DariusBuildz]

Thanks for watching!

[@longtime2live4]

@@DariusBuildz well I replaced it today . That bottom bolt is a pain ,, again thanks . You saved me a lot of time. Appreciate you making the video

[@eduardomorales990]

Excelente vídeo brother thank you for the information the best #1👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍💯👍👍👊👊

[@DariusBuildz]

You are welcome!! 🙏🏽

[@ShaneSmith111]

This helped me today

[@DariusBuildz]

I’m glad it helped and I hope the install went well!

[@SlowCarsFastSFV]

Thx. One thing I've learned from working on my Mazda is that you are never done working on these cars..

[@DariusBuildz]

Once they get pass 60k, it's regular maintenance like any other car.

[@NikoRoma]

I'm having a noise under load at low rpm as well. at 1200-1300 rpm only. my tensioner is covered in dirty grease and the wheel on it and the belt both have a strange wear line it looks like so I was watching this video to see how easy they would be to replace. Funny that you mentioned a noise at low rpm under load. but it doesn't say in your description if this solved your issue. Please let me know!

[@DariusBuildz]

Yes. It solved my issues. It seem that sound is the tell tell that problems are about to happen.

[@slaavichii1129]

great easy to follow upload. Thanks

[@DariusBuildz]

Glad it helped! It’s not that bad of a job with some tools, time and Patience

[@TheNDex]

I have 2017 Mazda 3 and been hearing 12-20 models the tensioner goes out pretty quick. When you replace the belts and tensioner do you need to correct the timing?

[@DariusBuildz]

No. The timing is not affected. On the 3rd gens, the cranks are keyed. Plus, we are not removing the crank pulleys or messing with the timing, so nothing is affected in that aspect.

[@cma8039]

Very nicely explained, thank you

[@DariusBuildz]

I’m glad it helped!

[@rreyna2753]

Much obliged

[@DariusBuildz]

Glad you found it helpful!

[@SzechuanChickenDog]

Did you prime your tensioner by pumping it 5 times slowly? Mine had explicit instructions to make SURE I primed it. I know there were 3 different models of these tensioners because so many had issues. So I'm hoping that mine was the corrected or fixed version... because i dont want to do it again soon. It wasnt super difficult but it wasnt cheap either. Great video! I also couldn't torque specs anywhere...if anyone know a good resource for that. I downloaded 2 service manuals and nothing...over 2000 pages...not a word

[@DariusBuildz]

I did not prime my tensioner. This is the first I’ve heard of that. And it’s probably no torque specs bc it’s probably all but impossible to torque these down. Sometimes you have to do the German Torque Spec of Gudentite 😂. I have since went back to the OEM tensioner and belts after both gates belts broke on me.

[@PaulKile-l7z]

Why doesn't anyone making videos on engine work ever specify AND USE the factory torque values for nuts and bolts??

[@DariusBuildz]

The everyday person does not use a torque wrench. And for this particular job, a wrench barely fits. I make videos as a regular person, for the regular person. Torque values are a Google search away if you need them.

[@asslam11]

Thanks brother for this video, it was helpful

[@DariusBuildz]

Anytime! I have plenty of maintenance and mod videos so hopefully they can be of assistance as well!

[@augustomontoya4441]

Extraordinary Video so helpful !! Thanks

[@DariusBuildz]

Glad it was helpful!

[@miguelangelsanchezvillena1964]

me acabas de salvar amigo un abrazo fuerte desde España y bravo por el video

[@DariusBuildz]

eres muy bienvenido mi amigo

[@vaporkta8015]

W🔥 video my friend appreciate it

[@DariusBuildz]

I hope it helps with the replacement!

[@lunaco2008]

Absolute best Do it yourself video for this! Thanks so much! This guy is awesome!

[@DariusBuildz]

You're welcome! If you have an issue getting the water pump belt on, look up a video on the zip tie trick!

[@danpbondeson]

Superb video! Thanks so much for putting this out here. If you are replacing one of these belts, would you recommend replacing both belts and the tensioner? How do you know when to replace the tensioner?

[@DariusBuildz]

I would replace both while you are in there to keep from potentially having to do the job twice. And if the tensioner is wet and black, the hydraulic fluid is leaking and needs to be replaced. It seems that they only last about 30k miles from oem.

[@MrHrisk]

Still helping people out, just did my belts. Thanks a lot! I saw a concern about rotating the pulley counter-clockwise, I had to rotate it a little counterclockwise when i got the belt on incorrect, it wouldn't cause issues right?

[@DariusBuildz]

Glad it’s still helping people! And as long as the crank pulley bolt did not loosen, you should be fine. It’s torqued down decently, so if you just rotated it slightly cc and non-jarring, it should be fine.

[@MrHrisk]

@@DariusBuildz and in terms of messing up the engine timing?

[@DariusBuildz]

the crank pulley is keyed, it only goes on one way. If the pulley comes off while running, it will probably damage the crank.

[@stevem5040]

AWESOME VID BRO!! THANKS A BUNCH.. GONNA MAKE THIS NIGHMARE ALOT BETTER. LOL. IM DOING IT OUTSIDE IN MY DRIVEWAY AND ITS 30 DEGREES OUT. BTW- I WORK ON CARS IN MY SANDALS WHEN ITS WARM ENOUGH ALSO.. LMAO.

[@DariusBuildz]

Sandals and working on the car goes hand in hand! And it’s around 30 here and I don’t want to do anything on this car, 😂 but I’m going to redo my trunk after Christmas!

[@Cloudead88]

Hey Darius, thanks for the instructions in the video! I was following to install the water pump belt but my crankshaft stopped turning. Know any reason for this?

[@Cloudead88]

If anyone else had this problem… it was leverage for me 😂 used a short hand ratchet at first then when compression was building I had to switch over to a 1.5ft long ratchet.

[@DariusBuildz]

Im glad you got it figured out! i was going to say it was probably on the compression stroke!

[@russellashbaugh5508]

Love your personality! Great video. I’m about to do this myself after belt broke at 115k 2014 Mazda 6. Should I also do water pump?

[@DariusBuildz]

Thanks! I personally would go ahead and do the water pump belt as well just for peace of mind. Mine looked perfect so I just have it as a spare if something happens on the road

[@russellashbaugh5508]

Thanks for the quick response. How about the water pump itself? Have you had any problems with it leaking? That’s what I’m debating on changing while I’m in there.

[@DariusBuildz]

Nope. No issues with the water pump at all. Im at 237,000 miles.

[@russellashbaugh5508]

@@DariusBuildz Wow thanks! Good to know that the pump and the car will go that long.

[@DariusBuildz]

Flawlessly

[@cristianz2611]

Good afternoon, I want to congratulate you on your excellent video, a consultation after installing the two belts, how it is synchronized or how many turns must be made to the main pulley so as not to lose the synchronization of the engine, thank you in advance ..

[@ilyas5708]

There's a timing chain for the cams, the belt being replaced is just for the ac compressor and alternator. Water pump is just a pump so it's whatever

[@DariusBuildz]

As long as its installed, there is no synchronization needed. Like the comment states above, this is not a timing chain / timing belt. It just needs to be connected.

[@cristianz2611]

@@ilyas5708 As long as its installed, there is no synchronization needed. Like the comment states above, this is not a timing chain / timing belt. It just needs to be connected.

[@cristianz2611]

Thank you very much for your answer, I understand when changing the two belts and when moving the pulley where the belts are connected, and when rotating the pulley so that they fit correctly, synchronization is not lost.

[@kevintetuan288]

What was that noise you heard you mentioned? I’ve got one too at low rpm. Great video!

[@DariusBuildz]

It was like a chattering sound. Kinda like the tensioner didn’t have an enough tension and was moving way too much.

[@whitelion6s459]

Thank for your videos brother

[@DariusBuildz]

No problem! I hope they are helping!

[@FJ-gh8yq]

This video was tight

[@DariusBuildz]

Not as tight as my belt tensioner 😂 s

[@akhenatenamun6000]

Great video chief.

[@DariusBuildz]

I appreciate it!

[@betomata4]

thanks kiddo very helpful you make it look easy 😀Nice over the Puller to get Tensioner out ............ i changed my belts the Tensioner failed 3 months later ...... I know Now change it ... dam..... dam I should have watch full Vid Because of slot in Tensioner aliment...dam kk

[@DariusBuildz]

Dang, I hate doing same job twice. I changed it bc of the tensioner, not even realizing how bad the belt was until I removed it.

[@OGKWAM]

Hey man, I’m trying to buy some belts to get mine replaced but can’t seem to differentiate between the types, is one a serpentine belt and the other a water pump belt?

[@DariusBuildz]

One is a serpentine belt and the other is stretch to fit. The stretch to fit only drives the water pump.

[@OGKWAM]

@@DariusBuildz thanks a lot brother

[@jimcastillo8950]

Hello Darius, when performing this work did you have the car in gear and what about the parking brake. I see you rotating the crank case shaft. Thank you.......

[@DariusBuildz]

Yes. It was in gear and the parking brake was engaged. The parking break is for the rear wheels so that would have no effect in this case. You can also rotate the engine if the transmission is in park, which is why the engine runs, if the transmission is in park.

[@8nt2late]

Thanks for uploading this Darius! I’m bout to start mine tomorrow. I got OEM parts from Mazda but my friend who works car parts transportation company bought me the gates brand parts that you have here (and it was half the price if not more). I was wondering if the gates parts are good and holding up?

[@DariusBuildz]

Gates tensioner is doing well. The belt broke for an unknown reason at about 40k miles. I replaced it with another gates belt (only one I could find local) and it’s been fine for now. But I do want to pick up a oem mazda belt as a backup

[@8nt2late]

@@DariusBuildz Gotcha,thanks!

[@hapaboy65m87]

Great video 🤙🏽

[@DariusBuildz]

Glad you enjoyed!

[@commentatorinpain]

An urgent question! My belt broke as i was driving. 125k miles, so it lasted pretty long. I have a Mazda 3 hatchback 2016, can I use this video as reference? Do i have to replace the tensioner by default or how do I know? Thanks in advance

[@DariusBuildz]

It should be a good reference, esp if you have the 2.5. If you look at the tensioner and it’s wet, that means the hydraulic fluid is leaking. But as a good measure, I would just replace it and give you that piece of mind for another 100k+

[@toyboytb]

The "rag" way is actually the correct way in the factory service manual..

[@DariusBuildz]

Dang, really? They sell a tool, but im not buying a tool for a one time use deal, lol.

[@kentbown3164]

This is just perfect. Thank you. Two hours and done. I have a red rubber tube left over. Any idea what for?

[@DariusBuildz]

I'm glad this video helped you get the job done! And a red rubber tube? It came in the kit?

[@kentbown3164]

@@DariusBuildz no. A previous repair left it behind. You are an excellent teacher. Please keep to most useful work!

[@jomine16]

Hey, did you need to put the car in Neutral or just leave it in Park when doing the belts and cranking the bolt clockwise? Thanks

[@DariusBuildz]

I keep it in park. You are rotating the crank. Nothing is moving with the transmission.

[@donjuanma3324]

Excellent video

[@DariusBuildz]

Thank you very much!

[@cleanwhite6527]

Damn bro that belt was clapped!

[@DariusBuildz]

Definitely was on borrowed time!

[@Gabriel.Jarelys]

This looks a great video. Would think someone with basic tools and no experience can do that job? Dealership quoted me $550 to do that. I bought the Oem parts to find someone to do it but I would like to see if I can do it to make sure is done rightly

[@DariusBuildz]

The biggest thing is the stretch to fit belt. If the rag trick doesn’t work, look up the zip tie trick. But it really is wild how much the dealership charges for these repair prices.

[@Gabriel.Jarelys]

@@DariusBuildz thank you for your fast response! If I cut the belts with a knife because I have the new OEM ones, does that makes the job easier?

[@Gabriel.Jarelys]

@@DariusBuildz I found an independent auto mechanic that quoted me $100 having me providing the parts from Mazda but they don’t offer warranty on the job. If they provide parts with warranty is going to be almost $350, 1 year warranty. I ordered the parts from Mazda and it cost me $180. Would be a better idea to have the independent mechanic do the job for $100 with no warranty?

[@DariusBuildz]

if they provide the shop, its gonna be auto part store parts and you may actually need the warranty. I say stick with the mazda parts and pay the mechanic $100 to install. You should be good for another 100k miles.

[@warfarewar8206]

well job buddy thank you I really need a good video keep it up

[@DariusBuildz]

Glad I could help! And I’ll try my best to keep it up!

[@graredtrading3121]

Subscribed bro 👌💯👊🏻

[@DariusBuildz]

I appreciate it!

[@michaelnicoleross4096]

Sorry if you explained it already but would this be the fix if my car is squeaking upon startup/acceleration or air conditioning is on?

[@DariusBuildz]

9 times out of 10, replacing the belts will fix that issue.

[@erikolvera9498]

Great video! Do you have links to buy the belts and tensioner?

[@DariusBuildz]

I ordered them locally from O’Reillys. I don’t normally like to post links for products I didn’t buy.

[@kickassamd]

Can you not also cut the water pump belt too?

[@DariusBuildz]

I could have, but I wanted to keep it as a backup since it was still in great shape.