What happens when a belt tensioner goes bad?
A bad or worn belt tensioner can no longer perform its key mission which is to provide enough tension so the belt can spin the alternator pulley, ac compressor pulley, power steering pump pulley, and other pulleys. Once the belt tensioner gets worn, the belt can start slipping, create noise, excessive heat and reduce the accessory performance.
What causes a drive belt to break?
This can be due different causes. One of the more important reasons of unusual belt wear is a problem in the pulley of the drive belt tensioner. If the pulley is problematic, it can lead to the fraying of the drive belt’s edges. In more severe instances, a bad tensioner pulley can cause the drive belt to break.
What causes a belt to fray on a belt?
One of the more important reasons of unusual belt wear is a problem in the pulley of the drive belt tensioner. If the pulley is problematic, it can lead to the fraying of the drive belt’s edges. In more severe instances, a bad tensioner pulley can cause the drive belt to break.
What are the parts of the belt tensioner in a car?
The belt tensioner in your car consists of four principal parts. These include the pulley, the tensioner arm, the spring, and the base. The pulley is what allows the movement of the drive belt. The spring keeps the drive belt in its correct tension.
How to tell if belt tensioner isn't working?
How do I know if my Belt Tensioner has gone bad?
What happens when belt tensioner starts messing with belt?
Why does my belt tensioner make a growling noise?
What is a serpentine belt tensioner?
Why is a belt tensioner important?
How to tell if serpentine belt is slipping?
See 2 more
What happens when belt tensioner goes bad?
A seized or loose drive belt tensioner can cause the belt to snap, which will disables those accessories and can cause problems such as overheating, a dead electrical system and battery, or a disabled AC system.
How much does it cost to fix a belt tensioner?
Between $235 and $267The Average Cost to Replace your Car's Drive Belt Tensioner is Between $235 and $267, Depending on Whether You Go to the Mechanic or DIY.
How long can you drive on a bad tensioner pulley?
In some cases, you will be able to safely drive for tens of thousands of miles before you notice any drops in performance. But, it takes only one slip of the belt for the engine to lose momentum and for you to lose control over the vehicle.
What causes tensioner failure?
The most common causes of timing belt tensioner failure include: Wear and tear: On a new mechanical timing belt tensioner system, the timing belt tensioner spring is wound tightly by two tension rods. Over time, the spring stretches out and loses its tension. As a result, the entire tensioner becomes too weak.
How do I know if my belt tensioner needs replacing?
Appearance: Cycle the tensioner (mounted on the engine) through the entire range of motion (from stop to stop) by applying torque to the arm with a wrench. The tensioner arm should move smoothly and freely. Solution: If you notice a binding, sticking or grinding tensioner arm, the tensioner should be replaced.
Can I drive with a noisy belt tensioner?
Driving with a bad belt tensioner is unsafe since the tensioner is meant to guarantee ample tension that powers accessories. Wear on the belt tensioner will eventually cause the belt to slip, generate loud noise, and also create an unsafe level of heat along the accessory pulleys.
What sound does a bad belt tensioner make?
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. If the tensioner is loose the belts may squeak or squeal, especially when the engine is first started.
Can a bad tensioner cause engine vibration?
Excessive tensioner movement – Worn-out coil springs can also cause drive belt tensioners to loosen their grip on the drive belt, resulting in excessive vibration and rattling. Too little tension will also lead to belt slippage.
How much does it cost to replace car tensioner?
The average cost for a drive belt tensioner replacement is between $211 and $239. Labor costs are between $73 and $93, while parts are priced between $138 and $146. Taxes and fees are not included in the estimate.
How long does it take to replace a tensioner pulley?
If you are doing the job at home, give yourself about four hours to change all the parts. You will need the following tools and parts: Replacement idler pulley. Tensioner pulley.
How long does it take to replace a serpentine belt and tensioner?
It can take anything from 15 minutes to an hour (two at the most) to repair or replace a bad serpentine belt with a new belt.
What causes a belt tensioner to slip?
1. Belt Slip. If your belt tensioner is worn, it can cause the belt to slip at the accessories and create squealing noise, excessive heat at the accessory pulleys, and to reduce the accessory performance. This can result in permanent damage to the belt and the accessories. 2.
What is belt tension?
The belt tension is the key to the proper functioning of the accessory belt drive system. Transferring torque to run the accessories is the main task of the belt tensioner and anything that interferes with that transfer is a problem.
What happens when the belt slips on an alternator?
The alternator, as an example, will be spinning at the design speed creating electricity to power the vehicle and recharge the battery. As the belt slips, all of the accessories operate at a diminished output. The amount of electricity produced by the alternator, for instance, will fluctuate with a belt slip. This may lead the motorist to conclude that they have a bad battery or alternator when the problem is actually a worn belt or tensioner.
Why does my belt make a squealing noise?
This is because when the tensioner is worn out, the belt becomes loose and there is more room between the belt and the pulley which allows water to get in and produce the squealing noise.
What happens when a belt mate is 5%?
The belt loses material with normal wear. With just 5% belt wear, the belt will not mate properly with the pulley losing traction in the ridges.
How many miles does a tensioner cycle?
A tensioner will cycle a billion times over a hundred thousand miles causing the tensioner pivot bushing to wear. When the pivot bushing wears, the tensioner arm can move out of alignment. This causes the belt to run uphill on the pulley damaging the belt and causing a lot of noise.
What is a serpentine belt tensioner?
A serpentine belt tensioner is something that applies a regulated amount of pressure to the serpentine belt so it can spin the alternator pulley, AC compressor pulley, power steering pump pulley, and other as needed.
Why is a belt tensioner important?
The belt tensioner in your car is an important component. It maintains the correct tension on the drive belts. This helps facilitate the transmission of power to the different accessories of your car.
How to tell if a belt tensioner is loose?
Squeaking or Grinding Noise. One of the most common symptoms of a failing belt tensioner is unusual noise coming from either the tensioner or the drive belts. If the drive belt noise resembles a squeal or a squeak, it is possible that the belt tensioner is loose.
Why does my alternator not work?
Since the belt tensioner keeps the proper spinning of the drive belts in the car’s engine, certain components or accessories may fail to operate if there’s a problem with the tensioner. For instance, the alternator may not work. If this happens, then you will not be able to power up your car’s electrical components.
What is a spring tensioner?
Spring tensioners operate automatically. This means it adjusts the tension on the drive belts without external manipulation. The belt tensioner in your car consists of four principal parts. These include the pulley, the tensioner arm, the spring, and the base. The pulley is what allows the movement of the drive belt.
Why does my drive belt wear out?
This can be due different causes. One of the more important reasons of unusual belt wear is a problem in the pulley of the drive belt tensioner. If the pulley is problematic, it can lead to the fraying of the drive belt’s edges.
Why does my drive belt make a squeaking noise?
Since the tensioner is not able to maintain the correct tension on the belts, it produces a squealing or squeaking sound. This is most evident on the drive belts. If the noise you hear is similar to a grinding sound, then it is possible that the tensioner bearings or the tensioner pulley is the problem.
What causes pulley wear?
The grooved surfaces should not have debris or any other particle within the grooves. The groove’s high points should also be equal in height. One major cause of pulley wear is the wearing of drive belt into the pulley .
What Does Serpentine Belt Tensioner Do?
Put simply, the function of the tensioner is to retain a certain level of “tension” on the serpentine belt. This predetermined tension held by the tensioner is what keeps the serpentine belt running as designed, pulling all connected pulleys, and causing the car to cruise smoothly.
Is It Safe To Drive With a Bad Belt Tensioner?
No, it is unsafe to drive with a faulty component; let alone, a component that has failed completely. Driving with a bad belt tensioner is very risky and poses greater damage to all the pulleys connected to the serpentine belt and even the engine too.
Bad Serpentine Belt Tensioner Symptoms
When the tensioner is bad, the amount of tension it reserves for the serpentine belt won’t be up to the minimum, or it may exceed the maximum. Hence, it would cause the serpentine belt to wear out faster than it would have done due to age.
Serpentine Belt Tensioner Replacement Cost
You’d be lucky if you found out earlier that the tensioner is going bad. The average belt tensioner replacement cost is $150 – $350 depending on your car model, the level of damage, and the type of tensioner used. The labor cost for belt tensioner replacement is on average $80.
Frequently Asked Questions
You’d hear squeaking, whirling, or rattling noise when the serpentine belt tensioner goes bad. This noise is caused due to lack of sufficient tension on the serpentine belt to drive the connected pulleys and keep the car cruising as expected.
Summary
In conclusion, some of the most common bad serpentine belt tensioner symptoms include whirling noise, overheating, squeaking noise, and excessive wear on the belt itself.
How to tell if belt tensioner isn't working?
1. Serpentine Belt Slipping When You Start the Car.
How do I know if my Belt Tensioner has gone bad?
Now that you’ve realized how crucial the role of the belt tensioner is, how do you go about determining if it has indeed gone bad or if you’re facing a completely different issue on your hands?
What happens when belt tensioner starts messing with belt?
Once the belt tensioner starts messing with the belt, there will likely be a loud clanking noise as the accessory pulleys crash with each other! There can be a lot of heat that is generated from this encounter, as well as serious damage is done to all of the parts involved.
Why does my belt tensioner make a growling noise?
It’s almost as if the belt tensioner is upset and letting you know that you need to change it! Usually, the noise is being produced because of the loose bearing inside the tensioner. When this bearing starts getting loose and moving about, the growling noise is produced.
What is a serpentine belt tensioner?
What’s a belt tensioner? Called the serpentine, or ‘snakes’ as a nickname, the belt tensioner has a really important role to play in ensuring your car functions properly. Of course, you probably know that the manufacturers didn’t add it in for kicks!
Why is a belt tensioner important?
The belt tensioner has an important job of providing tension to the belt. It is this tension that helps the belt to spin and power up the accessories. These accessory pulleys have the job of working with the respective car parts. Once the belt tensioner starts messing with the belt, there will likely be a loud clanking noise as ...
How to tell if serpentine belt is slipping?
This is one of the most tell-tale signs that there’s something wrong with the serpentine belt. Once you start the engine, you’ll hear the loud sound of the serpentine belt slipping. You should check it immediately.
