If the serpentine belt slips off after the engine is started or running that means the belt tensioner is no longer applying tension to keep the serpentine belt in place.
With the engine off, check the belt tensioner and pulley. The pulley should spin freely without making any noise. If there is noise, then the tensioner is bad. In addition, use an appropriate belt tensioner tool and loosen the tensioner. If the tensioner feels like it is easy to move, then most likely the tensioner is probably worn.
A proper working hydraulic tensioner can apply a good amount of tension. When there is a leak, the tensioner can no longer apply the needed tension to the belt.
Check the tensioner for oil leakage. If there is a leak, you should replace the tensioner. When the tensioner starts to go bad, it will start to make a loud growling noise. This means that the bearing inside the tensioner is failing and eventually it will fall apart.
Sometimes when the tensioner falls apart, the pulley itself can also fall out of place. So, if you hear a growling noise, make sure to replace the tensioner. There needs to be a proper belt tension for the serpentine belt to fit properly on each spinning pulley grooves such as the alternator, AC compressor, power steering pump and other.
When the tension is weak, the belt can jump out of place and sit unevenly on the grooves. This will cause the serpentine belt to rapidly wear out and eventually fall out of place. When the tensioner fails, the serpentine belt will slip off and break. When this happens, the alternator, power steering pump, and AC compressor will stop working. Since there is no belt turning the pulley, the battery light will turn on, and steering will be difficult.
Step 6: Crank over the engine by hand. Step 7: Remove the timing belt tensioner. Remove the tensioner according to manufacturer specifications. Step 8: Spin the timing belt tensioner pulley and all of the other timing pulleys by hand. Listen for any noises and feel for any roughness or binding. Step 9: Install the new tensioner and any other pulleys.
Torque them to specifications. Step Turn the engine back into position. Using your ratchet and socket on the crank pulley bolt, crank the engine over several revolutions by hand and realign the timing marks. Step Make sure that all of the timing marks are still aligned.
Check the timing marks after you rotate the engine over. Step Reinstall the timing cover. Put it in place and install its mounting bolts until they are snug.
Step Reinstall the crank pulley. Then reinstall any other engine accessories that were previously removed. Step Reinstall the serpentine belt. Route it around the appropriate pulleys and move the tensioner as needed. If you are going to replace the timing belt tensioner, it is a good idea to replace the entire timing belt kit. This typically includes a new timing belt, all of the idler pulleys, the tensioner, and the water pump.
When replacing any part of the timing belt system, it is important to take care when moving the engine. Some engines are interference engines - meaning that damage to the engine can occur due to piston contact with the valves, should the engine be moved out of time.
Replacing the timing belt can be an in-depth service and can result in serious engine damage if not done properly. If you are not comfortable with this, you should get some assistance from a certified mechanic who can check your timing belt tensioner for you. This article originally appeared on YourMechanic.
Autoblog is partnering with YourMechanic to bring many of the repair and maintenance services you need right to you. Get service at your home or office 7 days a week with fair and transparent pricing.
We get it. Ads can be annoying. But ads are also how we keep the garage doors open and the lights on here at Autoblog - and keep our stories free for you and for everyone. And free is good, right? Keep in mind that the serpentine belt also has a tensioner, and also sometimes and idler pulley. Both of these can also make the same noises as a timing belt tensioner. They are both relatively easy to inspect, and simple and inexpensive to replace.
So if you have doubts about where the noise is coming from, take steps to rule them out first. Also, if they are failing, they generally do not cause stumbling or hard starting.
If they are ok, proceed to dig deeper to troubleshoot the timing belt tensioner. We would love to hear your feedback! Contact [email protected] to share your thoughts! Share on Facebook. Share on Twitter. If you suspect that your drive belt tensioner may be having an issue, have the vehicle inspected by a professional technician, such as one from YourMechanic, to determine if it should be replaced. This article originally appeared on YourMechanic.
Autoblog is partnering with YourMechanic to bring many of the repair and maintenance services you need right to you. Get service at your home or office 7 days a week with fair and transparent pricing. We get it. Ads can be annoying. But ads are also how we keep the garage doors open and the lights on here at Autoblog - and keep our stories free for you and for everyone.
And free is good, right? If you'd be so kind as to allow our site, we promise to keep bringing you great content. Thanks for that. And thanks for reading Autoblog. Grinding or squeaking noise from the belts or tensioner The most common symptom of a bad or failing drive belt tensioner is noise from the belts or tensioner.
Unusual belt wear Another symptom of a potential problem with the drive belt tensioner is unusual belt wear.
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