A serpentine belt delivers power to your alternator, power steering pump, and air conditioning compressor. In some cases, it also supplies power to your water pump. In most cases, it features a serpentine belt tensioner that ensures your serpentine belt is at the optimum tension to move power around your engine blow efficiently. Step 3 – Pry up the tensioner pulley. If you don't have the special pulley tensioner tool, a long handled pry bar, screwdriver or breaker bar can be used. Press the tensioner back to remove the tension on the belt. It will be fairly obvious which direction it has to move. One of the more routine maintenance jobs you will encounter while owning a E46 involves replacing the drive and serpentine belts. That dreaded "gravel-like" sound hitting the under tray of your 3-Series, followed by the loss of power steering and an increasing engine temperature gauge usually indicates your serpentine belt has snapped. To tighten the belt, simply loosen the tensioner pulley bolt and turn the pulley clockwise. Then, retighten the bolt and check the pulley again to make sure it’s not moving. If you keep an eye on your serpentine belt and make sure it’s tight, you’ll be able to avoid any serious engine problems down the road. Step 1 – Jack the Vehicle. Disconnect the car battery and apply the handbrake. Jack up the front passenger side and place a jack stand for safety. It is recommended for you to draw a diagram or take a photo of the belt route, it might come in handy if you are not a professional car mechanic. Check the belt tightness again. Use the ruler and manufacturer’s specifications to measure the deflection at the longest point of the belt. It should be less than ½ inch when pushed downwards. Start the engine and listen for any abnormal sounds. Make sure you don’t hear any noise coming from the drive belt. Drive belt and Tensioner also known as Serpentine belt, Accessory Belt, Alternator Belt, Air con Belt, or fan Belt, in this video i will show you how to chan Replacing the Serpentine Belt and & Tensioner on a P2 chassis Volvo is an easy job to complete requiring about an hour of your time and a little bit of pati yVDTD.

how to tension a serpentine belt