How do you reinstall a serpentine belt on an auto tensioner?

Reverse the procedure to reinstall the serpentine belt on the pulley system auto tensioner. Be careful to get the belt on the the other pulleys and aligned properly on all parts of the complicated routing, then apply the tool to allow the belt to be slipped onto the tensioner pulley.

How do you replace a power steering belt?

It is usually easiest to carefully pull the belt out from underneath the tensioner pulley itself. Once the belt is off one of the pulleys, gently pivot the tensioner back into position. DO NOT allow the tensioner to snap back, as this could damage the tensioner internal parts. Remove the belt from the other pulleys and remove it from the engine.

What happens when you loosen a serpentine belt?

If your vehicle uses the alternator bracket to apply tension to the belt, loosen the two bolts that pass through the long eyelets on the bracket. As you loosen the bolts, the tension on the belt will likely move the alternator toward the engine and relieve the pressure. Loosen the bolts enough to move the alternator, but don’t remove them.

Where do I find the serpentine belt on my car?

To access the serpentine belt, you will need to open the hood of the vehicle. The hood release can usually be found near the door on the driver’s side of the vehicle. With the hood released, you will also need to release the safety latch located at the front of the vehicle.

Can a power steering pump work without a serpentine belt?

Some of the main accessories include a power steering pump, alternator, air conditioning compressor, and water pump. However, these devices cannot function properly without the help of a serpentine belt. This one long continuous belt is the force that drives many of the engine’s peripheral devices.

What’s the best way to replace a serpentine belt?

Install the new belt Replacing the serpentine belt is as simple as threading it into position, cranking the tensioner and slipping the belt over the tensioner pulley, or nearest pulley up top. Belt tensioners are mostly spring tension. Once installed, the spring retains pressure to the belt.

Can a car run without a serpentine belt?

However, these devices cannot function properly without the help of a serpentine belt. This one long continuous belt is the force that drives many of the engine’s peripheral devices. There is usually a belt tensioner or idler pulley to guide the belt as it moves. What is a Serpentine Belt? What is a Serpentine Belt?

What causes the serpentine belt to fall off?

Seized belt tensioners can cause a loose serpentine belt to completely fall off of the tensioner. The symptoms of a loose belt include serpentine belt noise when the engine is started or when you turn the steering wheel all the way to the left or the right.

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.

Can you rent a serpentine belt removal tool?

Most auto supply stores will “rent to own” serpentine belt removal tool (the long, flat, thin breaker bar) to you at no cost, when you buy but then return it for a refund within the specified time (48 hours at some stores or a longer time at others).

How do you remove tension from a serpentine belt?

Note: It is a very heavy spring tension, and pivoting the tensioner is often not possible with a short handled tool. Hold the tension from the belt, and slip the belt off the auto tensioner pulley to remove the belt and pulley system. Slowly release the tension to avoid damage or injury, and then remove the tool from the belt auto tensioner.

How do you remove a belt from an idler?

Loosen the bolt with a ratchet and socket until tension is relieved on the belt. Locate the idler pulley and loosen the center retaining bolt using a wrench and turning the bolt counterclockwise. Once you can wiggle the pulley, you will be able to remove the belt from the pulley groove.

How does a belt tensioner work on a belt?

Locate the belt tensioner per belt routing diagram. The automatic tensioner is a pulley on a pivoting bracket. To relieve the tension, a tool is inserted onto the pulley or a square drive is provided to insert a tool or ratchet. Apply the correct tool the tensioner calls for, and turn the tool counterclockwise to loosen the tension.

What happens when a belt tensioner comes to a stop?

The tensioner will rotate freely before it comes to a stop. When the spring-loaded arm comes to a stop, continue to turn the bolt until the bolt loosens. Once the bolt loosens from the spring-loaded arm of the tensioner, release the belt tensioner until it comes to a stop.

When do you need to loosen a tensioner pulley?

Sometimes, maintenance or repair will require tightening or loosening a tensioner pulley. Replacing a drive belt or timing belt, for example, would require you to loosen a tensioner pulley to make room for the new belt, as the new belt is smaller than the worn drive belt.

How do you loosen a tensioner on a timing belt?

You’ll need to hold some spring tensioners while slipping on a new belt. Others may have a locking mechanism, such as a hole for a locking pin or hex key. Toyota and other timing belt tensioners are loosened by simply removing them from the engine. You must slowly compress them in a bench vice and lock them with a pull-pin before reinstallation.

Where is the belt tensioner located on a car?

Where is the belt tensioner located? The single belt loops around all the different pulleys on your engine, but one pulley has a tensioner arm, which will be the only pulley the has a square, 3/8-inch hole in the center. That hole is for a 3/8-inch ratchet nub, the part that holds the socket.

What happens if you cut the tensioner on a belt?

Serious damage caution. Do “not” cut the belt: Avoid such a “short cut”, as that can cause the tensioner or where it attaches to be damaged when it springs back violently.

How often should a serpentine belt be replaced?

Most serpentine belts need to be replaced every 40,000 to 70,000 miles. If there are signs of the belt rubbing on something, make sure to identify and repair whatever it was rubbing on to avoid damaging the new belt.

What causes a serpentine belt to get stuck?

The main reason, in most cases, will be a stuck pulley from one of the devices (alternator, AC compressor, power steering pump etc) or a tensioner. A stuck pulley is mostly caused by a worn out bearing. The belt slides over a motionless pulley causing extensive friction, heat and the recognizable sound.

Auto tensioners have either a hole that will fit a half inch drive ratchet, or a bolt you can use a socket to apply pressure to. Insert the wrench or place the socket over the bolt on the tensioner and twist it away from the belt to relieve the tension on it.

How is the tension set on a serpentine belt?

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. If your vehicle does not have a tensioner pulley, the alternator bracket is likely how tension is set on the belt.

What happens if a serpentine belt goes bad?

The serpentine belt in most modern vehicles transfers power from the crank pulley to the various accessories mounted on the engine. A worn or damaged serpentine belt can fail to adequately transfer the power, leaving your alternator, power steering, and air conditioning failing to function.

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.

What does the serpentine belt tool kit do?

The serpentine belt tool kit makes it easy to precisely position idler pulleys and get belts set to the perfect tension. We guarantee this product to be free from defects in materials and workmanship 90 days from the date of purchase. Limitations apply.

How do you check the tightness of a serpentine belt?

Check the tension by twisting the belt and measure the twist margin. If the tightness of the belt is right, tighten the screw in place to assert the firmness. Put the cover of the pulley back in place. Turn on the engine and observe the vibrations of bearings and pulleys, plus the spinning of the serpentine belt.

How do you tighten the belt on a generator?

For tightening the belt, move the generator away from the engine by a hammer handle or similar tool. Loosen the screws on the pivot section and pull the belt in. Check the tension and if it is right, bolt the screws back to pivot. To loosen the belt, move the generator towards the engine by the hammer handle.

How do you remove a serpentine belt tensioner?

Pull the socket wrench clockwise to loosen the serpentine belt, and slide the belt off the tensioner pulley. Let the tensioner move back into position. Unbolt the belt tensioner assembly from the motor with a socket wrench.

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