Automatic Belt TENSIONER

The automatic (spring) belt tensioner cannot be adjusted or repaired. It is designed to be maintain proper belt tension throughout its life and the life of the belt.

Visual Diagnosis 

With the belt on the drive:

• Check to see if the belt tensioner is against the stop or free-arm stop. Replace the belt if this condition is seen.
• Check to see if the serpentine belt is tracking all the way to one edge of the tensioner pulley. If a witness ("glaze") mark considerable wider then the belt is seen on the pulley, alignment of the belt tensioner and adjacent pulleys should be reviewed.

Belt Tensioner Diagnosis 

• Remove the serpentine belt by pulling the belt tensioner back with a breaker bar. Slowly return the belt tensioner to its free arm stop.
• With the breaker bar, slowly pull the belt tensioner back from the free arm stop to the install stop and slowly release again. If the belt tensioner exhibits excessive "roughness" or hesitancy during this cycle, replace the tensioner.
• Check for metal-to-metal contact between arm and springcase. Replace if metal-to-metal contact is seen.
• Check to see if there are any cracks in the belt tensioner or in the stops on the springcase are broken. Replace belt tensioner if either of these conditions are seen.
• Check to see whether the pulley spins freely, without noise or roughness which could be an indicator of potential failure.