Drive Belt Tensioners

A belt tensioner is a vital part of the belt drive system, in that it maintains the correct tension amount on the belt at all times. This is important to have functioning properly as it helps protect other components on your vehicles, such as your water pump and alternator.

When the time comes to look for a replacement for your drive belt tensioner, you may notice a number of different symptoms, these include:

• The check engine light or check battery light - this is a symptom that can occur due to having a loose belt caused by a bad belt tensioner. The light will appear, indicating that there is a problem that needs to be resolved within the engine bay. This will occur due to the pulleys not circulating, therefore, cannot charge the alternator, water pump and power steering system won't be working properly. Depending on your vehicle, a battery light can appear, however, not all cars have a battery light, therefore, you may only see the check engine light.
• Belt tensioner noise - you will hear a rattling or squeaking noise coming from the belt tensioner. This is usually caused due to the belt slipping on the pulleys. If you notice this noise, a replacement tensioner may be needed for your vehicle.
• High temperature - this is another indication that the belt is loose due to the belt tensioner not performing correctly. High temperatures will occur as the pulley can no longer drive the water pump, therefore, the flow of water will not circulate properly through the radiator causing high temperatures.
• Heavy steering - this will not occur in all cars as most cars run different power steering systems. For cars that run a hydraulic power steering system, you may experience heavy steering if your belts are not tensioned properly. This is due to the pulley not circulating, therefore, your power steering system cannot pump the fluid around.

If you have any of the above signs, don't waste time, get into your local store today to find a replacement drive belt tensioner for your vehicle.

Belt tensioners are vehicle-specific, therefore, the price will depend on which vehicle you drive. Get in contact with your local Repco store for a price and availability.