BELT TENSIONER, IDLER, ? CHATTER

[M1Gunner]

Would it be the A/C tensioner if it does it even when the A/C is not on?

Maybe if it was rode hard and put up wet and 20 yrs old... but I don’t believe that’s gonna be your problem.

 

[OR VietVet]

Yes, it could be. Sometimes the noise made by that can go away just by turning on the a/c because of the increased load on the belt and tensioner and then the noise dynamic is changed and cannot be heard as easily, if at all.

 

[Doubeleive]

make it simple, crawl under the vehicle take a 3/8 drive ratchet and stick it in the front of the a/c belt tensioner, pull the tensioner with the ratchet so you can remove the belt, start the vehicle if the noise is gone that's your problem, this will literally take you a couple minutes to do

 

[bldn10]

"To clarify, it DOES NOT do it sitting still, it does not even do it driving when off throttle."

 

[Doubeleive]

"To clarify, it DOES NOT do it sitting still, it does not even do it driving when off throttle."

did you take off the ac belt to see if the problem goes away?, the a/c belt tensioners are notorious which is why I think they eliminated them altogether now.

 

[bldn10]

And drive it?

 

[D is for DENALI]

Yes, that's why they put 2 belts in my opinion, so if the a.c. went put somehow you could cut the belt and still have a serp belt to drive on...

If the defroster is on, the ac kicks on at any temp, its trying to blow dry air...

I had that chatter and it was a bad compressor that wouldn't the noise under power, even stopped, just hit the pedal and I the increase in load would make it chatter... I replaced the compressor, orifice, accumulator, tensioner and pulley, and it went away... lolz but now I have air that's 38°...

 

[Doubeleive]

And drive it?

YES AND DRIVE IT, WONT HURT ANYTHING THE BELT CAN JUST HANG THERE.
I will clarify that, take off a/c belt only, not the serpentine belt

 

[bldn10]

I took off the A/C belt and the noise pretty much stopped. Tensioner, right? So I replaced the tensioner, put the belt back on, and . . . noise again. The problem is not the tensioner, it's the location of the compressor. I don't know how I missed this thread but post #27 explains it: http://www.tahoeyukonforum.com/threads/rattle-coming-from-engine-when-a-c-on.16386/page-3

Apparently another Chevy design mistake. The tensioner I took off was eaten away at the stop, where it had been banging back and forth. I've taken the belt back off so I don't have to listen to that noise and ruin another tensioner and maybe compressor until May.