How can I increase the tension on my serpentine belt?
Increase the tension on the belt. If your vehicle does not have an auto tensioner, insert a pry bar or piece of wood between the alternator and the engine. Run the belt over the alternator pulley, then use the bar to pry the alternator away from the engine and increase the tension on the belt.
What do you need to know about a belt tensioner?
The belt tensioner’s first job is to maintain the proper tension on the serpentine belt. That’s easy enough, you just build a tensioning device with a strong enough spring to keep the belt at the correct tension. The tensioner also has to compensate for belt wear and stretch.
How do you loosen a serpentine belt on a car?
To loosen the belt, move the generator towards the engine by the hammer handle. Loosen the screws on the pivot section and pull the belt out. Move the generator back in position and check the tension. If the tightness feels right, bolt the screws back to pivot. Modern vehicles generally come with automatic belt tensioners with pulley arrangement.
What kind of pulley does a serpentine belt use?
Determine if there is a belt tensioner pulley. Depending on the application, your serpentine belt will either have tension placed on it using a movable bracket or an auto tensioner pulley. This pulley uses an internal spring to apply consistent pressure to the belt at all times.
How do I adjust tension on my serpentine belt?
Locate the adjuster bolt on the belt tensioner used to secure the serpentine belt, and adjust the tension by loosening or tightening the adjuster bolt with a racthet and socket while you simultaneously move the belt back and forth gently to find the proper tension.
What are the symptoms of a bad serpentine belt?
Symptoms of a Bad or Failing Serpentine/ Drive Belt . Common signs include a squealing noise from the front of the vehicle, power steering and AC not working, engine overheating, and cracks on the belt.
How do you know if your serpentine belt is too tight?
If you notice any whine or “pulsing” sound from the alternator, your belt tension is too tight and will damage the alternator. In this case, turn the adjustment screw counterclockwise to loosen the belt and recheck the tension. Do a final check. You can also check for continuous power from all your accessories.
How easy is it to change the serpentine belt?
How to Replace Your Serpentine Belt Note the placement of belt. Serpentine belts have that name for a reason. Loosen and unthread the belt. Before removing the belt, you’ll need to release the tensioner, which automatically keeps the belt taut while you’re driving. Check for damage. After removing the belt, inspect it for signs of damage. Install the new belt.
Increase the tension on the belt. If your vehicle does not have an auto tensioner, insert a pry bar or piece of wood between the alternator and the engine. Run the belt over the alternator pulley, then use the bar to pry the alternator away from the engine and increase the tension on the belt.
How do you remove a serpentine belt from a car?
Pull the belt off of the pulleys. With the tension relieved from the belt, pull it off of the pulley that has been placing tension on it, then remove it from the around the rest of the pulleys on the engine. If the belt is severely damaged, be sure to remove any parts that may have come off of it as well.
How to replace the serpentine belt on a Volvo P2?
Replacing the Serpentine Belt and & Tensioner on a P2 chassis Volvo is an easy job to complete requiring about an hour of your time and a little bit of patience. Jason shows you how to replace your worn out serpentine belt, which can be identified by either cracking belt ribs or the bearing on the serpentine belt tensioner is worn out and noisy.
Where do I find the serpentine belt routing diagram?
Find the serpentine belt routing diagram. Many cars come with a sticker in the engine bay that shows exactly how the serpentine belt is supposed to be routed through the various pulleys on the engine. If your vehicle does not have a sticker, you will need to find another way to remember how the belt should be run.