The Complete Guide to DRIVE BELT TENSIONERS

1
The Complete Guide to DRIVE BELT TENSIONERS
If you own a car, there's a good chance that
you've ever seen or used a drive belt tensioner.
This little device is used to keep the drive belt
from becoming too loose, and can sometimes be a
required component of your car's engine system.
Fortunately, many vehicles don't even require a
tensioner! In fact, most models equipped with
serpentine belts are able to use the belt
without one. However, there are a few cases where
a tensioner is a necessity. In this guide,
we'll examine the ins and outs of drive belt
tensioners so that you'll know exactly what
they're for and how to choose one that works best
for your vehicle. We'll also take a look at the
most common types of tensioners and explain what
they do, how to choose the right one for you,
and how to replace an old or broken one when the
time comes. So, lets get started
What is drive belt tensioners The simplest
explanation is that a drive belt and tensioner
keep the drive belt from slipping on the pulleys
that it connects to. This slippage can cause
damage to the belts themselves or the other
components attached to them. Since keeping the
drive belt properly tightened is important in
order to keep other components working properly,
a drive belt tensioner replacement is often used
to help achieve that goal. Let's take a look at
a typical example of how it works. If you'd
prefer not to do that, you can skip ahead to the
next section, where we'll cover different types
of tensioners and their uses in greater
detail. Let's say that the drive belt that drives
your alternator has become worn or damaged in
some way and is sagging slightly as a result. An
improper tension would cause the belt to slip
over the pulley like this... but a proper
tension would prevent it from doing so and allow
the pulleys to spin freely instead. Here's how
it would look after it's been properly
tensioned...
2
As you can see, the tensioner helps keep the
alternator running smoothly by maintaining the
proper tension on the drive belt that connects to
it. Without the added pressure of the tensioner,
the drive belt would slip more easily and become
damaged over time.
In some cases, however, a tensioner is not only
optional but can actually be dangerous to your
safety. Read on to learn more! Do I need a drive
belt tensioner? Not all vehicles are equipped
with Car belt tensioners in fact, many cars and
trucks on the road today are designed to
function perfectly well without them. If you're
not sure whether or not your vehicle has one
installed, the easiest way to find out is to
simply check the owner's manual that came with
the car when you first bought it. If the manual
doesn't include any information about tensioners
at all, it may be safe to assume that they're
not necessary in your particular vehicle. Of
course, that doesn't necessarily mean that you
don't have to worry about them.
3
(No Transcript)