Guide: Changing Auxiliary Belt tensioner

[Volvon]

Here is a guide to removing the auxiliary/alternator/serpentine belt tensioner. This guide is applicable to 1.6/1.8/2.0 non-turbo petrol engines from 96-00 (PH1).

Mine seized on 120k miles,I think this is around the life expectancy of them. Of course they shouldn't reach this stage as they are meant to be replaced according to the correct service intervals. But for those of us that don't follow service intervals here is a guide how to remove.

TIME REQUIRED: 15 Mins
TOOLS REQUIRED: 14MM Spanner

Here is the offending item:



Check to see it is actually the tensioner that is seized before you remove it:



There is a 14mm bolt deep undneath and behind the alternator. You need a good 14MM spanner to remove as there is no space for a socket/wrench. Give an almighty push down to crack off then you can undo it by hand:



Put your otherhand down and support the tensioner, give it a wriggle to aid removing of bolt with fingers:



Once bolt is undone removed tensioner downwards, there is 1mm of space but it does fit!:



Remove downwards and bring forwards under alternator:



Manky:



One old auxiliary belt and seized tensioner:


Put kettle on

[Volvon]

I will do a guide to putting a new one back on when I get one!

[Biotoxic]

Nice job.


Tip for you and any other guide maker. Use flash, it will make pictures look better and sharper, if flash feature is not working, there should be forced flash feature somewhere in camera's menu


And one more thing that I have to do myself either.
Since there is several types of engines for S40 I would suggest that we type information relating to that car at the start of the guide, so it will save somebody's time figuring out if this guide is for his/her car.

Info could looks like this:

Topic Guide: how to change brake pads

For model S40 1.9 TD Sport, Year 2002

Fallowed by text and images......

So it's clear for what car is it

[Volvon]

Thanks for tip but my iPhone does not have flash, I think the pictures came out ok regardless.

[Thassos]

Hi Hyvaa,

I had the idler bearing sieze on my old S40 2.0T, some pics attached, but it wasnt so easy to get the the 14mm bolt head as I had to remove the alternator and p.steering pump & some other stuff to get to it, definitely not a 15min job ! could it be the turbo version has a lot of extra bits that you have to get removed to get to the fixing?

[Volvon]

Indeed Thassos, Turbo versions I believe Volvo add an hour to fitting time over standard. Probably the first time I am happy not to have a turbo

[Thassos]

Thats interesting, i was beginning to think i had missed an easy way to do it !, getting to that centre bolt is a pig ! [if you have a turbo version ](as we say over here).

[Volvon]

Mods please move this into guide section aswell as brake changing guide... I did request this a while ago why does x40 section have no mods?

[v40kiwipete]

Anyone have an idea how to attempt this job on a 1.9 turbo diesel? There seems to be absolutely zero access to that end of the engine. There's a big black box (ECU?) right in the way, I can't even get that off

I'm loath to pay someone to do this but in lieu of a Haynes manual I'm not sure how else to approach this.

Any help or tips would be greatly appreciated.

Cheers,

Pete

[Loubaruch]

Originally Posted by v40kiwipete

Anyone have an idea how to attempt this job on a 1.9 turbo diesel? There seems to be absolutely zero access to that end of the engine. There's a big black box (ECU?) right in the way, I can't even get that off Cheers, Pete

If you look on ebay for "VADIS", it covers most maintenance/servicing on the V40 and many other Volvo models.

I believe it used to be the authorised information used by Volvo dealers but has now been superceeded. Others on here will be more definitive.

It does however cover anything you are likely to want to do on your car e.g. I changed the cambelt on my V40 which does involve removing the auxiliary belt first.
The ECU does have to be moved, I found it easier if you remove the cable clips on the bulkhead and the front of the engine as the cable loom is not very flexible, from memory you have to remove a few other bits and pieces as well, VADIS explains. Its only a few £s so well worth having.

This is the