Pls Help...My Birthday 12/15/22-Is a Belt Replacement an Easy Fix?

My birthday is tomorrow, 12/15/22 as you can see from the partial photo of my Driver's license: 12/15/71 attached as a pic hereto, part of my mug looks like Jackie Gleason from the Honeymooners

I will donate even more to a worthy charity like St. Judes Childrens Research Hospital (for childhood Cancers), see pic #2 attached hereto as well, I donated partly today, 12/14/22,

I'm sort of freaking out

I had this mechanic who lives in my buidling, let's call him Mechanic #2 (hereafter "Mech #2," for short/to abbreviate)

Mechanic #2 is not my go-to mechanic

Mechanic #1 is a cracker jack top notch mechanic who was on vacation and returned today, 12/14/22, *unbenknowst to me, he returned today, he cut his vacation short, he was to be in Australia for 6 months

My 4th gen., 3.4 liter, v-6 Camaro would not start yesterday, the battery was dead

Mechanic #2 stopped by and saw a little jump starter attached to my car and the car was running at idle for 25 minutes

Mechanic #2 asked me to get inside the car and turn off the engine and re-start
I did so, the car would not turn over, although the lights in the cabin turned on

Mechanic #2 said he did not have a voltage meter, but was sure it was a problem with my Alternator

He (Mech #2), took out the alternator, because before i could get a new one at Autozone, the old one had to be returned, the core, for whatever reason

Mech #2 returned with the alternator and said that autozone said it was fine after they tested it
Mech #2 said, "You'd probably need a new car battery" *and so I ordered a top shelf $200 car battery from autozone
Mech #2 said let's wait till 5 pm when the apartment manager and their staff left the garage where my car was park, so that Mech #2 could re-install the alternator
as mobile mechanics & repairs are really not allowed per the lease (and my car does not run since the fan belt is off and at the moment can't be put into place)

Mech #2 had a very tough time, not re-installing the alternator, but a real tough time with putting the serpentine fan belt over the last pulley near the alternator, as you know there are several pullies over which the snake belt goes over

Mech #2 went so far as putting a screwdriver partly into the last loop of the fan belt to pry it onto it (I said if you're having such a tough time putting the fan belt over wouldn't this be too tight if eventually it went on)...he replied "no"

Ok, so, thank you for your patience so far,

After almost 45 minutes of trying to get the last loop over the pulley because there was no real slack or flexibility,
Mech #2 said, it's probably the "belt tensioner" in that it was too old, even though it pivoted, because he said darn I am sure I followed the Diagram on the engine bay front lip

Mech #1 is stopping by tomorrow, to put the serpetine fan belt on and also to put in the new "belt tensioner" I purchased

Mech #1, you may note, was the person who initially replaced my fan belt in January of 2022 (it's only a year old fan belt)

I have to have Mech #1 park his work truck outside and have him come in w/ his mechanics overalls and his tool chest as a visitor (sneak him in) Why do I have to sneak him in? Because no one at this apartment complex is allowed to work on their cars

Question: Is a Fan Belt, initially replaced successfully by Mech #1 only 11 months ago, easily put back on again by Mech #1? Even after it was not able to be put back on the grooves for a fit by Mech #2, but was too tight to put over the last pulley?

When Mech #1 took off the old fan belt in January 2022, he had the old fan belt fresh in his mind, so it might have been easier

Anyway, how difficult is it, for a much better, more expensive Mobile mechanice (Mech #1, for example) to replace a fan belt, so that the new car battery can be put in and the car can start?

(It could be that the "belt tensioner" was indeed too old and would not move enough to give it enough slack to get the final , last fan belt loop over the pulley, right?)

or it could be that the Alternator might have to have a screw removed so that, there would be more leeway and more slack?

Thank you so so very much, in advance, for any comforting help on this matter. God will help you 1,000 x over for your help here. I'm really worried that this may be a death sentence for my Camaro, on my birthday. I really hope they (the apartment manager & their staff), don't make a fuss about Mech #1 showing up at 2 pm and don't say he can't work on the car. If they do, I'm pretty much F'd. I'd have to get the car towed out and taken to a shop, right?

Thanks again

photo attachments

 

(oh, more background info.)
How did the car battery die? (because it was a brand new top shelf car battery installed in January 2022)
well, I hadn't driven the car for about 1 month.
but I started it at idle only for 10 minutes every week
This may have been a death knell for the car battery, I probably needed to drive it for at least 15 minutes every week)
Maybe Mech #2 jumped the gun and I only had to give it more of a charge, not an alternator removal?
thanks again

 

Well happy b-day. Best way to save a battery is with a tender.

 

I read no issue you had that even a young mechanic should be able to sort out. There is no reason to pull a working alternator off a car. To test a charging system is very simple. All you need is a volt meter and it takes a minute. Harbor freight use to give volt meters away for free with any purchase. They put them on sale for $2.99. Even if the charging system fails that test you need to check for other issues before assuming it is the alternator. It sounds like Mechanic 2 routed the belt wrong. That would get you laughed out of a shop. Most cars have the diagram in the engine compartment. If it is not there just use you phone and search google images. Even telling if a tensioner is bad is simple, put a wrench on the tensioner and more it in the normal motion. Is it smooth or does it feel like it has sand in it.

 

Thanks, but this has to be plugged in.

I live in an apartment complex garage, so I can't use this.

Thank you for wishing me a happy birthday.

 

In other words, my car is parked in an apartment complex garage and there isn't an outlet there.

My understanding is that this Tender charger has to be plugged in a nearby outlet with the car hood open (or slightly closed over it) and the charger pertetually on to keep the battery healthy and alive.

 

Someone said that a "serpentine belt tool kit" is helpful

The mobile mechanic will be here at 1 pm California time, I need to take a valium,
there are 2 issues here:

1) apt mgmt or its staff will notice he's a mechanic, and deny him entry,
2) he won't be able to put the serpentine belt back on for whatever reason, even though he was the one who originally replaced the belt in Jan of 2022.

and then I'd have to get a tow truck here after coordinating with the maintenance man to open the door
and then have it towed to an actual shop where they would have the time, resources to fix it

 

thanks.

 

Is there a light in the garage?

 

*The mobile mechanic noticed the battery connectors had a bit of a wear & tear to them and so he got new ones

This wear & tear on the battery connectors, could have caused a battery drain

He put in a new battery too as the old one was drained dead

He also put the serpentine belt on quick & easy.

There is a small spool that runs parallell at one of the pulleys, if part of the belt is put outside of that area, the belt becomes way too tight, it should be inside that area in other words

As far as an outlet, ^ I will have to look for one. I know right, if there's a lightbulb there must be an outlet LoL...

I'm just going to take the advice of this very talented mech #1, and start the car for 15 minutes idle about every 5 to 7 days

Thanks everyone for your help