Do you have to replace tensioner with serpentine belt?
In order to keep the proper tension on your vehicle’s serpentine belt, a drive belt tensioner is used. It should be noted that the drive belt itself will most likely need replacing before the tensioner does. Drive belts typically last anywhere between 40,000 and 70,000 miles.
What makes a serpentine belt need to be replaced?
These include a misaligned power steering pump pulley, idler pulley (s), automatic belt tensioner pulley, water pump pulley (which may be due to wear in the pump shaft bearings), and even a worn or loose harmonic balancer.
When to replace serpentine belt tensioner — Ricks free?
A good belt tensioner will dampen the power pulses so much that the tensioner pulley arm barely moves. As the dampener wears the pulses cause the belt to flutter and that can be seen on the pulley arm. A belt tensioner pulley arm should not move more than 1/32”.
Can a loose serpentine belt cause an alternator to whine?
If the belt is too loose to maintain grip on the alternator pulley, you may experience a similar symptom as a snapped belt. If you start to notice a whine from the engine that changes with engine speed, you may want to have the tension of the serpentine belt double checked.
How often should I replace my V-belt?
Serpentine belts last a lot longer than older V-belts ever did, but they still wear out over time. The typical replacement interval for serpentine belts and flat belts today is around 90,000 miles – which for many vehicles means only once every seven to nine years!
These include a misaligned power steering pump pulley, idler pulley (s), automatic belt tensioner pulley, water pump pulley (which may be due to wear in the pump shaft bearings), and even a worn or loose harmonic balancer.
A good belt tensioner will dampen the power pulses so much that the tensioner pulley arm barely moves. As the dampener wears the pulses cause the belt to flutter and that can be seen on the pulley arm. A belt tensioner pulley arm should not move more than 1/32”.
If the belt is too loose to maintain grip on the alternator pulley, you may experience a similar symptom as a snapped belt. If you start to notice a whine from the engine that changes with engine speed, you may want to have the tension of the serpentine belt double checked.
What causes a belt to slip on an idler pulley?
A tensioner is used to maintain tension and when it seizes up or wears, tension is lost. The belt may start slipping off the pulley or slip off completely. In both cases it causes the belt to wear out faster. To solve this problem, replace the serpentine belt and the tensioner.