Drive Belt Tensioner Noisy. Replace Whole Unit or Just Pulley?

[Derick]

If you're going that far, might as well do the AC tensioner and belt too....

 

[Seamus]

I just did mine not long ago. It's a pretty easy straight forward job. You know that AC belt will go on the hottest day of the year right?? LOL I did the tensioner pulley, pulley, serp and AC belt, less than an hour. Youtube is your friend if you have the stretch AC belt. Zip tie or tool takes 5 minutes. Do it all while your there, it's cheap and easy. Good luck

 

[intheburbs]

From a catastrophic failure standpoint, if the tensioner seizes, it takes out the belt, too. Ask me how I know. Fortunately, when it happened to me, it was the A/C tensioner, not the serpentine tensioner.

And I don't mess with the A/C belt/tensioner as part of my regular maintenance. Too much of a PITA. When it breaks, then I fix it. A/C is not critical to the operation of the vehicle.