Effects of serpentine belt tensioner not working correctly

The tensioner should adjust and take the correct belt and tension it correctly. The reasons for belts coming off and worn / loose belt, wrong belt, tensioner not working, or incorrect belt alignment.

https://www.google.com/search?q=1996+buick+regal+custom+serpentine+belt+alignment

wrong belt. ? adjuster not working ? belt on wrong way from how its supposed to be fitted. follow diagram on how the belt fits your model engine.

the tensioner must be either set up wrong or needs replacing

Serpentine belt tension is controlled by the belt tensioner (idle pulley on a spring loaded arm). The arm may be corroded and not moving into the belt properly. Sometimes spraying the tensioner are at its pivot with penetrating oil and moving the arm back and forth will loosen it and allow proper tension to be restored. If not then the tensioner will have to be replaced. This is presuming that the correct belt is installed.

MY solution was to remove the rain shroud underneath the car, and work from beneath. Route the belt over all the pulleys, leaving the tensioner for LAST. With someone above releasing the tensioner with a serpentine belt tool, you can work the belt over the tensioner bit by bit. Make sure the belt is seated correctly before engaging the tensioner.

Click on the following free direct Link. It has the correct Serpentine/Drive Belt Diagram for your 2004 Ford Freestar. You either have the 3.9L or 4.2L V6 Engine. I am not sure what Engine options (AC/No AC, etc.) you have. If this Diagram is not correct: check on the underside of your Hood for the correct Belt Diagram. However the below "How To" remains accurate.

http://www.2carpros.com/car_repair_information/year/2004/make/ford/model/freestar/2004_ford_freestar_drive_belt_routing_diagram.htm

"HOW TO":
Standard Rules to Removal the Serpentine Belt with an Automatic Tensioner:
1. Find the Tensioner(s). (See Diagram on Link)
2. Using a Serpentine Belt Tensioner Tool, Or Wrench OR Ratchet, Rotate/Move the Tensioner USING THE AVAILABLE NUT (on the Pulley or Arm Base) OR the OPENING (3/8ths or 1/2 inch square opening) rotating the Tensioner Pulley/Arm - moving it away from contact with the belt and towards the area where the belt is not in contact with the Tensioner Pulley. The Tensioner is spring loaded, and is hard to rotate/move.
3. Remove the loosened belt off one of the other more easily accessed Pulleys.
4. DO NOT quickly release the Tensioner, but gently allow the Tensioner to rest in its closed position.

Standard Rules for Installing the Serpentine Belt with an Automatic Tensioner:
a. Pick a Pulley that is most easily accessed. This will usually be on top. This will be the last Pulley that the belt will go on.
b. Using the Diagram: Install the new Serpentine Belt on the remainder of the Pulleys....over, under, left right.
c. Using a Serpentine Belt Tensioner Tool or Wrench or Ratchet Tool: Rotate/Move the Tensioner Pulley/Arm "away" from Belt contact area on the Tensioner. This spring is pretty hard and with a new belt, it will be even harder to install. Rotate/Move this to as-close to the maximum allowed inorder to have enough slack in the belt to get it up and over the last pulley.
d. Using your other hand - Pull the Belt up and over the Last remaining Pulley.
e. Before releasing the pressure on the Tensioner, visually inspect the remainder Pulleys and the Belts' Positioning on them.
Let me know if this helped, or if you have additional information questions. Feel Free to contact me at FixYa.com!

When this idler wears out it makes a growling noise that changes with engine RPM. A Bad Idler Pulley May Wobble & Wear Out Your Serpentine Belt Prematurely. Get Rid Of That Horrible Noise & Change.

Remove the serpentine belt by using a breakover bar, ratcher or serpentine belt removal tool with the correct size socket for the pulley mounting bolt. Rotate tensioner arm to release tension. Remove the bel. Using the proper size socket, remove the tensiones mounting bolt and remove tensioner.

Before installing the new tensioner, make sure the mounting surface for the tensiones is clean and free rust or other obstructions. Find the locator pin hole and rotate the replacement tensiones until the locator pin and the hole line uo. Insert the pin into the hole. Reinstall the mounting bilt and torque down to tight fit.

Rotate the tensioner arm to install the serpentine belt. Make sure the belt is correctly fitted to all pulley in the drive system. Start the engine to check for any problems. Extreme care should be taken when reinstalling the serpentine belt because some of the pulleys are located in remote positions ans it is very hard to see that belt is seated properly in all of the grooves. If the belt isn't seated properly, the belt can "ride out" of the grooves and the belt can be damaged.

Also must review the ZJ Repair Manual Secc-7-Cooling-System for graphics references.

Hope helped with this. Remember rated this help. Good luck.

e



Fig. Accessory drive belt routing-3.0L engine




Fig. Accessory serpentine belt routing-3.0L engine




Fig. Accessory serpentine belt routing-3.8L engine


Removal and Installation



Fig. Drive belt tensioner wear indicator marks




Fig. Place a wrench on the drive belt tensioner bolt and rotate the assembly clockwise to relieve belt tension

Using a 15mm wrench attached to the drive belt tensioner pulley, rotate the tensioner clockwise to release the tension. Remove the drive belt from the pulley. When installing the new drive belt, ensure that the drive belt is routed correctly and note the position of the indicator mark on the tensioner.

Hope heled with this; remember rated this help. Good luck.

Don't have a chart, video, or diagram available at the moment. Can offer you generic advice.

1.Somewhere in the middle of that serpentine belt, that is wrapped around all those pulleys, is an Idler tensioner Pulley. All this pulley does, is put tension on that serpentine belt. Usually located somewhere in the middle.

The Idler tensioner Pulley will be on a bracket. It will be on the end of the bracket. The bracket usually has a 1/2 inch square hole in it. This is used for a tool, that resembles a 1/2 inch breaker bar.
-> I, use a 1/2 inch breaker bar.
The 1/2 inch breaker bar is inserted into this square hole, and the bracket is pulled to one side.
This pulls the tensioner pulley away from the serpentine belt, allowing the belt to have slack, and then the belt is slipped off of one of those pulleys. Release the pressure slowly, remove the tool. Then the serpentine belt is removed all the way.

(The Idler tensioner pulley bracket, can only be moved in one direction, to take pressure off of the serpentine belt. The direction opposite, of it putting pressure on the serpentine belt.

The spring used to put pressure is Very strong. This is also an area, where you can easily slip, cutting your knuckles, or fingers, or hand, on sharp objects. Use caution, you may want to wear a glove, or gloves!)

Then the new serpentine belt is wound around the pulleys in the correct pattern, the Idler Tensioner Pulley is once again pulled to the side, and the last of the serpentine belt is slid into place. Then you slowly release the tensioner pulley, and it puts pressure on the serpentine belt once more.

Make sure the serpentine belt is in the grooves of the pulleys, and is wound around in the correct pattern.

On the car hood inside, or on the radiator support, or perhaps on the inner fender well, or in the Owners Manual, it should show the correct pattern for installing the serpentine belt.

Your '90 Benz has a belt tensioner that is automatic. You just insert the correct tool to ease the tensioner pulley, (The tool is inserted into the bracket for the tensioner pulley), to the left as you're facing the car. Then slip your serpentine belt off. Reinstallation is a reversal of this process. (I believe it's to the left, don't quote me on that)

The radiator support in front, should have a diagram of how the serpentine belt goes on the pulleys.

If your serpentine belt slips, then the belt tensioner pulley assembly is bad, needs to be replaced, or the serpentine belt itself is worn out.