Repair And Fix it

The Volkswagen (VW) belt tensioner pulley tightens the serpentine belt that turns the engine accessories, such as the air-conditioning compressor and water pump. The newer model VWs have an automatic tensioner pulley that tightens the serpentine belt as it stretches, but the older model VWs have a tensioner pulley that needs to be adjusted. The tensioner pulley shows symptoms when it is going out or requiring replacement.

Serpentine Belt Squealing

The VW belt tensioner pulley can become too tight or too weak, allowing the serpentine belt to wear prematurely or slip under normal operating conditions. The belt begins to squeal when the tensioner pulley is not tight enough, causing the engine to overheat because the water pump is not operating efficiently. This symptom can be caused by the tensioner pulley spring, which weakens over time and does not place enough tension on the belt. The serpentine belt can also begin to run too hot and prematurely fail. The tensioner pulley needs to be replaced when these symptoms occur.

Engine Overheats

The engine in the VW can overheat when there is a problem with the belt tensioner pulley. This symptom is caused by corrosion building up on the tensioner pulley that does not allow the pulley to adjust the serpentine belt. When corrosion builds up, the pulley becomes jammed or does not rotate, causing the serpentine belt to stretch and loosen on the engine accessories. The corrosion does not allowing the pulley to adjust to the stretched belt, creating the water pump problem. This corrosion is generally caused by road debris and dampness splashing onto the tensioner pulley. Proper lubrication of the tensioner pulley periodically can prevent this corrosion build-up.

Dead Battery

Another symptom of a VW belt tensioner pulley going bad is the battery not charging properly. A failing tensioner pulley does not provide enough tension on the serpentine belt, preventing the alternator from recharging the battery. The loose serpentine belt does not allow the alternator to turn fast enough to charge the battery, and the battery can quit working or fail to provide enough charge to the ignition and electrical system to start the engine. The tensioner pulley needs to be replaced or inspected when the serpentine belt is replaced to ensure that the tensioner pulley keeps operating efficiently.

The tensioner pulley on a 1996 Geo prevents the serpentine belt from flying off the engine when the car is running. The tensioner has a spring-loaded arm that applies pressure to the belt via the tensioner pulley. Since you cant service the pulley separately, if the pulley has a bad bearing or the pulley shell incurs damage, youll have to replace the entire tensioner. If you have good auto-repair skill and about an hour of spare time on your hands, you can save a few dollars by installing the new tensioner yourself.

Instructions

1

Drive the Geo onto the car ramps, turn the engine off and set the parking brake. Lift the Geos hood and rest it on the hood support rod. Check the belt routing diagram, printed on a sticker placed on the fan shroud, to find the location of the belt tensioner.

2

Rotate the belt tensioner away from the serpentine belt using your serpentine belt tool, which you can buy at your local auto parts store.

3

Slip the belt off the tensioner pulley by hand before allowing the tensioner to rotate back into position. Remove the serpentine belt tool from the Geos engine well.

4

Climb under the front end of the Geo with your socket set. Unbolt the belt tensioner from the engines front cover using the socket set. Remove the tensioner by hand.

5

Place the new belt tensioner on the engines front cover. Thread in the belt tensioner bolts by hand to prevent cross-threading them. Tighten the bolts with the socket set.

6

Climb out from under the Geo with the socket set. Reinstall the serpentine belt on the tensioner pulley, using serpentine belt tool. Close the hood and drive the Geo off the ramps.