RPM too high

Too RPMs are running too high on my 1999 Chevy Malibu V6.

From what I've read, this could be an airflow problem, which I'm going to out first.  The MAF (Massive Air Flow) Sensor could be bad, and the air filter will likely also need replacing, especially after this terrible pollen season.

Here's how to change out the MAF sensor from eHow.com (http://www.ehow.com/how_4869741_replace-mass-air-flow-sensor.html)

Step 1

Open the hood to your vehicle and locate the engine air box. Check your owners manual for the location of the air box. In some vehicles, it can look boxy, in others, it may be cylindrical. Vehicle manufacturers do not always place the air box in the same location.

Step 2

Locate the MAF sensor by opening the box that the new one came in and finding the same component inserted into the air tube running from the air box to the engine. The sensor comes in a variety of shapes and sizes depending on the vehicle, but most have an electrical plug the connects directly to them. Use the flathead screwdriver to release the lock and unplug the harness from the MAF sensor.

Step 3

Open the air box and remove the air filter. On some vehicles, various screwdrivers may be needed including in some applications the use of a torx head screwdriver. Some air boxes have metal clips that require no tools and can be opened with the flick of a finger.

Step 4

Disassemble the air tube on either side of the MAF sensor. In most applications there are band clamps present that can be loosened with a Phillips head screwdriver or a ratchet and socket.

Step 5

Remove the old MAF sensor from the air tube assembly.

Step 6

Install the new MAF sensor to the air tube and reassemble the tubes to either side of it. This will attach the air tube back to the air box cover.

Step 7

Insert the new air filter into the air box and re-secure the cover.

Step 8
Plug the harness back into the new MAF sensor outlet.

I'll post if this worked for me after I get the chance to fix it.

Replaced Serpentine Belt

Recently my  wife's 1999 Chevy Malibu started squealing, then smoking, then squealing louder and smoking more.  She pulled over (good move).  It was the serpentine belt (the really long, about 1" wide belt with a smooth side and a grooved side), and under closer investigation, the tensioner pulley (pictured below) had locked up on the spinning wheel.  A friend at work fixed it for me in less than 2 hours, and this is how:

1 - he removed the old torn belt

2 - removed the tensioner pulley via the belt via the large bolt with a ratchet.  (The tensioner pulley is the only spinning wheel that is really two wheels with a wide arm attaching the two.  It allows the belt to expand and contract because it rotates on the arm as needed.)

3- he put on a new tensioner pulley ($50) using the bolt that was there.

4- he put on the serpentine belt ($40), making sure that the smooth side of the belt was in contact with all of the smooth pulley wheels and the grooved side was in contact with the grooved pulley wheels.  There was a  "map" of the serpentine belt instructions which near the belt, and it was also on the box of the new serpentine belt.

Note:  The 1999 Chevy Malibu (and I'm sure many other cars with the engine turned sideways) wouldn't let him loop a belt because there is an engine mount that is keeping that complete circle of a belt from getting in.  He had to take the following steps:

5- used a heavier-duty floor hydraulic jack (CRITICAL!) under the engine to hold it up (didn't need to raise it much, just got it to a point where it is obviously putting pressure on the jack.)

6- removed the 2 bolts from the engine mount (the plate with several bolts in it that was blocking the ability to put the belt on)

7- loosened the thick rubber band (black, about 1/3" wide) in the middle of the engine mount and lifted the engine mount plate back until he had enough room to slide just one side of the belt through, making sure there were no twists in the belt and the grooved side of the belt was facing inward and the smooth side was facing out.  Obviously, it's important NOT to put the whole belt through the groove, or you'll be in the same position as when you got hung up at step 4.

8- He got the engine mount back into place and put the bolts back in.  The bolts were hard to get back on, because they weren't going in right (actually at an angle) and we realized that the jack had lowered slightly, moving the entire engine block down and mis-aligning the engine mount's holes for the bolts.  We jacked it up just a little until we could see they were in line and proceeded to secure the bolts all the way.

9- Then we lowered and removed the jack and made sure the bolts were on tight.

10- He wrapped the serpentine belt according to the map.  He said it doesn't matter where you start, but don't end at the tensioner pulley because it moves on you.  The trick here was at the very last pulley, where he couldn't stretch the belt to fit over it.  He used a long flat-head screwdriver (not sure if that matters) inside and perpendicular to the belt and rested the head of the screwdriver on the top of the pulley wheel, then used the screwdriver like a lever up and away from himself to slide the belt on.  It worked!

11- the belt was still a little off track on the last pulley, so he took the tip of the flathead screwdriver and wiggled it under the belt until it found its way all the way on the pulley wheel.

We fired it up and it worked great!

Afterwards, another friend told me that he replaces both the Serpentine Belt and the Tensioner Pulley every 50,000 miles - especially if it's a Chevy.