After you remove the tension, pull the belt off the pulleys. Another symptom of a potential problem with the drive belt tensioner is unusual belt wear. Not Helpful 5 Helpful 6. Look for cracks or other problems that could affect its ability to function. Slide the tensioner onto the side of the wheel. Leave the hood open and turn the car back on. Need Help With Your Car?
How to Troubleshoot a Tensioner Pulley Noise.

by Allen Moore. Most modern vehicles use a serpentine belt to run the engine accessories such as the power. While the engine is running, listen to hear if any noise is coming from the timing cover or front assembly.
Bad bearings make a high pitched “whine” or “growling”. Here are 5 techniques to help pinpoint a problem to solve belt noise complaints. for potential problems like worn bearings inside the idler pulleys. tensioner 2.
The most common symptom of a bad or failing drive belt tensioner is noise from the belts or tensioner.
It could be your fan belt that needs replacement. Have a mechanic examine the tensioner, along with the other pulley parts. Already answered Not a question Bad question Other. Stop the car and replace the tensioner and timing belt as soon as possible.
Use a ratchet or socket wrench to turn the tensioner.
Symptoms of a Bad or Failing Drive Belt Tensioner YourMechanic Advice
It is also possible for the tensioner pulley or bearing to wear out, in which case the vehicle will produce a grinding noise from the pulley. A bad tensioner will usually be accompanied by noise.

The belt tensioner bearing is the most likely one to fail first, but it's usually the easiest.
You could take it to a mechanic or replace the belt tensioner yourself and see if the noise stops. Use a ratchet or socket wrench to turn the tensioner. The bolt in the center of the tensioner secures it to the engine block. The most common symptom of a bad or failing drive belt tensioner is noise from the belts or tensioner.
These parts have to be the same size as the old ones in order to fit inside your vehicle. Begin wrapping the belt around the different pulleys, saving the tensioner for last.
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The belt has to be routed a certain way in order for the engine to function. You may need to remove an engine cover or some accessories to access the timing belt.
If you notice anything unusual, including squealing or other noises, shut off the car. When you get the new parts, compare them to the old ones. Learn how. Read more. |
It should move smoothly without any sort of shaking from the tensioner. There could be a number of problems. If you have these items, you may replace the belt alone.
Make sure they are well-aligned with the belt as well. If you hear a constant ticking sound, the belt most likely came loose and may need to be replaced as well.
If the timing belt keeps breaking, one of those pulleys is probably responsible. Usually a bad or failing tensioner will produce a few symptoms that can alert the driver of a potential problem that should be serviced.
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I have a Volkswagen polo 1. As far as the mechanic being truthful about it leaking, you could take it to another mechanic for a second opinion and quote. Video: Tensioner bearing sounds How To Locate A Noisy Idler Pulley 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. Can you please put wikiHow on the whitelist for your ad blocker? The tensioner or another belt, such as the alternator, may not be aligned properly with the belt. Edit Related wikiHows. A seized or loose drive belt tensioner can cause the belt to snap, which will disables those accessories and can cause problems such as overheatinga dead electrical system and batteryor a disabled AC system. |
Note any problems you experience.
When the tensioner has an issueit can affect the how the belts drive the pulleys which can affect the performance and functionality of the vehicle. What could be the problem?
Turn on your car and shut off the radio.
Mechanic changed cambelt and water pump and whilst returning it, it supposedly jumped off. Have a mechanic examine the tensioner, along with the other pulley parts.
Make sure the belt is tense enough. It sounds like he is not being truthful about what happened because if that was the case it would have come off well before he worked on it.