The tensioner won't release on my jeep

check ur tension pulley

An easy way to figure out how to route a belt is that the smoothe pulleys get the flat side of the belt and the pulleys that have grooves get the ribbed side of the belt. and usually there's an diagram under the hood. But need to know if you have power steering and or a/c?

Check this diagram...



Also, I suggest check in this link, How to change a serpentine belt on a 1996 Cherokee in 70 steps.

Hope helps (remember to rate this ansewr).

"HOW TO": I professionally prefer the Serpentine Tensioner Tool.
Standard Rules to Removal the Serpentine Belt with an Automatic Tensioner:
1. Find the Tensioner(s).
2. Using a Serpentine Belt Tensioner Tool, Or Wrench OR Ratchet, Rotate/Move the Tensioner USING THE AVAILABLE NUT (located on the Tensioner Pulley 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 and 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.

Before You GO:
Let me know if this helped, or if you have additional information questions. Feel Free to contact me at FixYa.com!

Sounds like you have something locked up.

Take a picture/draw a diagram of serpetine belt routing.

Remove the belt, then try turning each individual item the belt powers to see which one is locked up.

I'd start with the AC Compressor first, then alternator, the belt tensioner, power steering pump, and whatever else is powered by the belt.

May be a weak tensioner that needs replacing. Make sure you clean pulleys well with brake cleaner or similar as well. I have had one with similar problem, that Gator back belt was causing it. I'm not 100% convinced that a notched belt will get as good a grip as a complete rib all the way around the belt. Just doesn't add up to me. If you compare that to tire grip, then you'd be telling me that snow tires would work better on the Nascar circuit?

Neutral safety switch is not making contact in park.

the 4.0 didn't come with a spring type tensioner if look under the p/s pump there is a jack bolt hooked to a idler pully loosen nut on front of pully and lossen up the jack bolt till you can get the belt off

If it's a 4.0, the power steering pump has a pivot and slide adjustment.

Hey Dougnchico,

I'll bet your car died. And it over heated, And the battery was flat
, And the steering went out and every other system run off of the belt.

This is for anybody who has had trouble getting a serpentine belt on. It's easy and doesn't require a prybar.

• Get a 14mm or 9/16" socket and a long handled ratchet or breaker bar.
• Get the belt around all the pulleys except the A/C compressor or Alternator.
• Locate the tensioner pulley. It's one of the smaller ones and is mounted on a spring loaded arm. It's job, as the name suggests, is to keep the belt tight. Get your socket on the center nut of this pulley.
• Slowly pull the ratchet toward the center of the engine. The pulley will pivot on the arm allowing you to get the belt on the final pulley.
  
• Slowly release the tension.
  
• You're done

Mike