2015 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 Serpentine Belt Routing & Replacement

Choose the correct engine routing

The 2015 GM owner manual, Technical Data page 12-5, illustrates a V6 drive-belt route and a separate route shared by the 5.3L and 6.2L V8. Do not use the neighbouring 6.0L heavy-duty diagram for a Silverado 1500. Record the existing belt path before loosening anything and compare pulley count, grooves and smooth idlers.

Removing and fitting the belt safely

With the engine off and cool, remove any air-intake ducting required for safe access. Locate the spring-loaded tensioner and relieve tension with the correct tool according to the GM procedure; do not pry the belt over a pulley rim. Route the replacement over all grooved and smooth pulleys as indicated, release the tensioner slowly, inspect every pulley groove and check belt alignment before a brief test run.

• Do not work near a moving belt or fan.
• A noisy or misaligned belt may reflect a failing idler or tensioner, not a bad belt alone.
• The main accessory belt and any separate A/C drive may have different replacement parts.

When should it be inspected?

The 2015 normal-service schedule includes inspection of the accessory drive belt around 150,000 miles (240,000 km) or ten years, whichever comes first. Inspect earlier if there are cracks, glazing, fraying, squealing, belt tracking problems or coolant/oil contamination. Age matters on a lightly driven 2015 truck.

Avoid a wrong-engine belt diagram

Before removal, photograph the actual path and compare it with the owner manual diagram for the 4.3L V6 or the 5.3L/6.2L V8. The truck may have a separate accessory drive. Inspect tensioner travel and pulley tracking, not just belt cracking.

The correct GM routing drawings

Open the original Chevrolet 2015 Silverado owner manual in the references below and go to printed page 12-5, under Engine Drive Belt Routing. Use the left illustration marked V6 Engines for the 4.3L; use the centre illustration marked 5.3L and 6.2L V8 Engines for those V8s. The right-hand 6.0L V8 figure belongs to a different engine and must not be substituted. These are the manufacturer drawings, not an inferred pulley sequence.

Before starting the engine

After releasing the tensioner slowly, inspect all grooves and the back side of the belt, then turn the engine only in accordance with the correct service procedure. If routing or a pulley position differs from the manual illustration, stop and verify the vehicle equipment and installed components. Do not put hands or tools near a running belt.