Eric I’ve watched your videos when I was a fling man. I’m a man now who owns a VW golf 2005. I’ve watched how to replace the radiator, came out to be a success! Now I’m watching how to change my alternator ha you’ve just earned a LIKE and a new SUBSCRIBER! and my RESPECTS brother your helping us average joes saving $ and learning a skill. Thank you
My belt broke this morning on the way to work had to limp the car into the parking lot the belt looked like spaghetti an the tensor was in very bad shape new belt an new tensor comes tommorow video helped 110%
Of course the one they use on teh 2.5L is different, any hints on that one ? I got it off, but it seems too slack now that I put it back and routed the new belt....hmmn... any idea what I am doing wrong ? Don't recall seeing a pin or anything and the 2.5 sits so close to that frame rail....thanks for this video
Excellent job as always. Boy u have some patience!!!! When l am on my tools the last thing l want is someone next to me, let alone explaining what l am doing lol. Thanks a lot though
Very helpful video, here in Mexico we have an option to replace the pulley only, no all the tensioner subassembly, it is cheaper an it costs around 7 dollards.
Wake up this morning. My 2.0 tdi makes noises and I check. Bam... The tensioner is wiggling. Your video saved me a lot of time figuring out how to replace the piece, thanks.
In the case of putting the serpentine belt tensioner back on, those two holes with in the bracket that the two top screws on the tensioners are supposed to go through. What is the solution when the bracket cannot be aligned up enough to get the screw to twist in? I have thought about seeing if I could buy longer screws, but I do not know what kind they are.
HumbleMechanic. On my Polo Variant 1900 SD from jan/2001, the knob you use to manipulate the tensioner is a ribbon about half the hight and with more rounded corners. With regular tools, you get no grip. Seems impossible to do it like you did it. Just using a crowbar over the connection-flange and under the pully to lift the pully of the belt is probably not a good idea?? Or is it, perhaps if i use some cloth and wood to protect the parts?? Any thoughts?? Anyone??
So the belt tensioner on the mk6's are a little different, held on by one 5mm bolt. But when you remove that bolt and try to pull the tensioner out, it doesn't have clearance for the long stem to come out of the engine. Any recommendation?
the serpentine belt on my golf 4 failed now im trying to replace it, do i have to remove the tensioner to do so or can i get away with only loosening it up just enough to get the belt in...
Hello , I have a 2006 vw beetle 2.5L and need to remove alternator because it's bad, do I need to take off air comp. and move it out of the way to take off alternator and any other parts ? I need help please..
On a 1.8t that bracket is between the triangle mount but I noticed on this video it was on the outside hugging it. Or am i wrong? Regardless would I have to move the bracket because the pulley in the tensioner is rubbing the timing chain cover. Its annoying since my belts have been slipping n I'm just trying to replace the tensioner
Valve cover has been leaking very slowly down the block, I was thinking one of the pulleys got smothered with oil but the sound sometimes is not present. In the rain or humidity its pretty much always there. Do you have to take the pulleys off to clean or is there any good sprays In could try. Local shops say " faulty tensionrr " I've put 2 diff ones on sound still there.
Hi! the serpentine belt on my '95 eurovan wore out, looking at replacing it. How do you know if your tensioner needs to be replaced in addition? Thank you!!
Charles!! I got a 03 vr6 24v, Got a strange sound coming from the pulley, Changed it with an aftermarket tensioner, sound is still ther .. comes and goes any suggestions ??
I’m having the hardest time getting a new belt installed, I installed a new tensioner, im having problems holding tension and trying to get the belt in place
@@HumbleMechanic I got an allenkey to put in it like you did. but its so damn hard with all the hoses in the way, this 1.8t with the spring tensioner is hard, i might take it out of the car, and try to get the tensioner locking bar in first.
The only time I’ve ever seen that was when the belt wasn’t exactly the right size. But companies like contitech is often used as OEM. In that case you’re good. But I’d be concerned about “Bobs Belts” type parts. Haha
I had buy a brand new tensioner made by RUVILLE for my 1.9 tdi ALH and there is a a little play in the tensioner wheel. Is that normal? or I souldn't install it and replace it?
@@HumbleMechanic I was just quoted $35 for the belt and $111 for the tensioner through the mechanic shop. They are going to charge $212 for labor. Even if I tell them not to do anything and I'll do it myself they'll charge me $85. Not sure what to do.
Adventures if you are mechanically inclined then the 85 dollars is a fair rate for their time for diagnosing your vehicle and you should do the repair yourself. They will always need to be paid for every hour they have a car in the bay or on a rack because if they’re not working on yours they could be doing someone else’s car. If you aren’t very mechanically inclined then let them do it and make it their problem/headache should something go wrong. I can handle small stuff but I don’t do transmissions or internal engine parts.
You need to make a video of how to put everything back together that's what u need to do with all your videos. Make a video of u taking off a part and then another or the same video of you putting everything back together that would be nice 👌🏾
No, don't use an air ratchet. Too easy to cross-thread. Just use a 50mm long bolt. I tapered the end of my bolt on a grinder a little to make it easier to find the threads. I use a small ratchet and socket.
Garth Goldberg I have a bolt that has a non threaded end on it that I use. an air ratchet won't strip it or crossthread it unless you are trying to start it with it. you always start a bolt or nut by hand never with a power tool. once it's started then use a power tool.
Good video, but it's much harder to R&R the tensioner on the 2.0 turbo TSI engine (MK6 GTI) I just finished the job, what a PITA. The tensioner is held on by a single allen bolt on the back of the black cylinder, but it is a real bear to get to. You have to remove the passenger wheel well and radiator splash shields, then move hoses and wire harnesses out of the way just enough to reach waaaayyy up there and remove the bolt. Then (thanks VW!) you have to drop the passenger side of the engine 2 inches to let the tensioner clear the frame so you can remove it. Unbelievable
After how many miles/years must you change a tensioner like this? I have a 1.4 l engine Golf 4, I think it's time to change the tensioner because it's old and it's making noises when it's hot. Or maybe it could be from a pulley ...
Doesn't look too bad. Get away at releasing the tensioner with a multigrip. BM's, T60 and an small allen key to lock the tensioner in untension position. Seems VW just like using multiple gigantic bolts to hold a tensioner, weird. On BM's N55's, only a single etorx bolt is holding it in position. Tensioner failures on BM's are extremely rare. I've seen a spring fail or a bolt head sheared off. But extremely rare. Hope the factory special tools on VW group is good, our factory supplier's quality is dropping. On diesels, some harmonic balancers just shit themselves because they are made of rubber, but that is about it. Defects from suppliers, hardly a car make fault.
Eric I’ve watched your videos when I was a fling man. I’m a man now who owns a VW golf 2005. I’ve watched how to replace the radiator, came out to be a success! Now I’m watching how to change my alternator ha you’ve just earned a LIKE and a new SUBSCRIBER! and my RESPECTS brother your helping us average joes saving $ and learning a skill. Thank you
Cheers buddy… With your help, I’ve just replaced my alternator on my caddy and you’ve saved me £100 in labour costs 👍
This guy is the MVP of mechanics
My belt broke this morning on the way to work had to limp the car into the parking lot the belt looked like spaghetti an the tensor was in very bad shape new belt an new tensor comes tommorow video helped 110%
Great video as always! Camera man's not too bad himself. Nice work Eric.
This helped so much!!! I couldn't find a quality video explaining exactly what to do in order to replace the tensioner. Thank you!! +1 Sub!!
Thanks so much for all the tips and info. It’s a great help to many of us !!
As any other video you have made it very nicely described and presented. Thank you
Amazing work bro 😎
Your videos would easier to follow along if I had a VW. Maybe I'll buy one. :) Thanks again for a well documented job.
I believe it's pronounced like knife. My father's mk4 jetta is starting to have lots of random problems now. Your videos are very helpful. Thanks.
***** Who would've thought? English is weird
Of course the one they use on teh 2.5L is different, any hints on that one ? I got it off, but it seems too slack now that I put it back and routed the new belt....hmmn... any idea what I am doing wrong ? Don't recall seeing a pin or anything and the 2.5 sits so close to that frame rail....thanks for this video
Great advice, thanks dude a true mechanic indeed 👍
Man it was super helpful, thanks a lot and regards from México!
Cheers
Excellent job as always. Boy u have some patience!!!! When l am on my tools the last thing l want is someone next to me, let alone explaining what l am doing lol. Thanks a lot though
+Sergio Gomez hahah I spent most of my career training techs. It’s a space I’m cool in.
Very helpful video, here in Mexico we have an option to replace the pulley only, no all the tensioner subassembly, it is cheaper an it costs around 7 dollards.
Nice to hear about your experience
You made that really easy. Thank you.
great content, very helpfull
Thanks very useful I tried putting belt on didn't know that piece moved for tension release
Wake up this morning. My 2.0 tdi makes noises and I check. Bam... The tensioner is wiggling. Your video saved me a lot of time figuring out how to replace the piece, thanks.
In the case of putting the serpentine belt tensioner back on, those two holes with in the bracket that the two top screws on the tensioners are supposed to go through. What is the solution when the bracket cannot be aligned up enough to get the screw to twist in? I have thought about seeing if I could buy longer screws, but I do not know what kind they are.
Is this layout similar in a 2001 Eurovan? And would you trust a salvage part not to squeal?
Nice one. Hopefully very similar on my VW T28 2.0 Transporter.
HumbleMechanic. On my Polo Variant 1900 SD from jan/2001, the knob you use to manipulate the tensioner is a ribbon about half the hight and with more rounded corners. With regular tools, you get no grip. Seems impossible to do it like you did it. Just using a crowbar over the connection-flange and under the pully to lift the pully of the belt is probably not a good idea?? Or is it, perhaps if i use some cloth and wood to protect the parts?? Any thoughts?? Anyone??
so much tension,thanks for the relief
lol
Thanks for all your vids its awesome and help a lot !
Where do you find the parts to replace the tensioner or pulley. Every tensioner I find has a smooth pully and my 2014 Jetra S has a grooved belt
So the belt tensioner on the mk6's are a little different, held on by one 5mm bolt. But when you remove that bolt and try to pull the tensioner out, it doesn't have clearance for the long stem to come out of the engine. Any recommendation?
Jessica Vanderbilt dealing with this right now!!!
You’re the man, man.
Thank you so much!
Thank you
Which way do I turn the torx fastner holding the idler to the tensioner to loosen it? Clockwise or counter clockwise?
I have a 2006 volkswagen passot 2.0t is removing the serpitine belt tensioner as easy or the same in this video
If replacing that on your own car, is it ok to reuse those 3 bolts?
Also that thing is self-tensioning, right?
You are rocking great tips 👏
the serpentine belt on my golf 4 failed now im trying to replace it, do i have to remove the tensioner to do so or can i get away with only loosening it up just enough to get the belt in...
Hello , I have a 2006 vw beetle 2.5L and need to remove alternator because it's bad, do I need to take off air comp. and move it out of the way to take off alternator and any other parts ? I need help please..
On a 1.8t that bracket is between the triangle mount but I noticed on this video it was on the outside hugging it. Or am i wrong? Regardless would I have to move the bracket because the pulley in the tensioner is rubbing the timing chain cover. Its annoying since my belts have been slipping n I'm just trying to replace the tensioner
that doesn't look like the tensioner on 2009 jetta 2.5 sportwagon is the bolt to remove behind the the pulley in the middle of tensioner?
i have doubt, what brand i should use for my Audi Viaco, Gates or Febi, Please advice
I have a rattling sound coming from the timing cover. Could it be the tensioner gone bad. AT first, rattling just when I started it. Now it won't stop
More like dodgy water pump
@@tiffanylowe6123 finally had someone look at it and they said it is the tensioner chain in the cam shaft
Charles, have you tried removing the serpentine belt tensioner from the top of the engine on a mk4 alh tdi jetta? thanks in advance.
+enricoanton i think I take the belt on and off from the bottom and the tensioner out from the top
Okay so what do you do when it doesn't come off that easily? Really should put that in the video lol learning things on my own
Can you make one for a 2.5 VW Beetle please?
Do you have a video relative to a 2009 VW V8 Touareg?
would this and alternator removal be the same on 06 jetta 2.5?
The 06 is more indepth.
Valve cover has been leaking very slowly down the block, I was thinking one of the pulleys got smothered with oil but the sound sometimes is not present. In the rain or humidity its pretty much always there. Do you have to take the pulleys off to clean or is there any good sprays In could try. Local shops say " faulty tensionrr " I've put 2 diff ones on sound still there.
Thank you so much man! Hugeeee fan and I hope that R32 is treating you well! If I were you Ib would have took a one was flight too!!!!! Lol
Do you have a video on a VW 2011 CC Sport 2,0 turbo tensioner change?
Same thing.
Is it any different with VW CC 2012 2L?
Would this be the same on a seat ibiza 10 plate?
great info cheers
Can you show how to install the serpentine belt on the vw 2.0l
This is a 2.0
Hi! the serpentine belt on my '95 eurovan wore out, looking at replacing it. How do you know if your tensioner needs to be replaced in addition? Thank you!!
Usually the bearing in the roller fails and comes apart or makes noise
Charles!! I got a 03 vr6 24v, Got a strange sound coming from the pulley, Changed it with an aftermarket tensioner, sound is still ther .. comes and goes any suggestions ??
Make sure it’s not the waterpump or one of the other rollers. Alternator pulley is common too.
I’m having the hardest time getting a new belt installed, I installed a new tensioner, im having problems holding tension and trying to get the belt in place
See if the tensioner has a lock in it. Some times you can put a pin in to hold it
@@HumbleMechanic I got an allenkey to put in it like you did. but its so damn hard with all the hoses in the way, this 1.8t with the spring tensioner is hard, i might take it out of the car, and try to get the tensioner locking bar in first.
Thanks! Different channels made it seem like you had to jack the car and remove a wheel and wheel well 😒
Mine is super hard to loosen up is the pulley puller seized when I try to get the tensioner to release?
They hold a pretty good amount of tension. I have seen rollers seized, but never the actually tensioner
@@HumbleMechanic Yes mine is seized I've even tried to pull it with the same tools you have and it didn't work at all.
Sounds like you might have to cave-man it off then
What kind of ratcheting wrench is that?
Knipex
In the uk you can find knipex products in draper tools catalogues if that helps anybody lol
kevin jeffrey thanks that did,,didnt think it wwas Australian...
You can also buy a selection of knipex tools from mac tools who also distribute draper products
kevin jeffrey
Oh yep.. cool thanks... Might have to look into some tools so I have the right tools for this bloody Car lol
awesome, for what models does this work? for a 1.6 vw fox maybe ?? haha
Is this the same for a 01 volkswagen jetta
Does aftermarket/oem matter ? I know some parts act strange if aftermarket.
The only time I’ve ever seen that was when the belt wasn’t exactly the right size. But companies like contitech is often used as OEM. In that case you’re good. But I’d be concerned about “Bobs Belts” type parts. Haha
I had buy a brand new tensioner made by RUVILLE for my 1.9 tdi ALH and there is a a
little play in the tensioner wheel. Is that normal? or I souldn't install it and replace it?
No it's not, you should've gone original VW they're cheap.
How do you judge whether it's still holding enough tension?
It'll wobble or vibrate near the area where it's under tension quite a bit. Normally the belt and tensioner should have very little movement.
Can the bolts be reused?
thanks so much.👍🏼
perfect video
I am thinking about taking my high school class for Diesel mechanic what will that get me.
Thank you for sharing !!!
Can spark plug cause 2012 vw start and die when I hit the gas
If it's bad enough or the wrong ones, it sure can
why are VW coolant overflow tanks round
Anthony Webber Stronger shape to withstand pressure
Anthony Webber
Because science
is it the same for vr6
Would this be done the same on a 2013 VW CC?
no its pretty different on that one.
@@HumbleMechanic I was just quoted $35 for the belt and $111 for the tensioner through the mechanic shop. They are going to charge $212 for labor. Even if I tell them not to do anything and I'll do it myself they'll charge me $85. Not sure what to do.
Adventures if you are mechanically inclined then the 85 dollars is a fair rate for their time for diagnosing your vehicle and you should do the repair yourself. They will always need to be paid for every hour they have a car in the bay or on a rack because if they’re not working on yours they could be doing someone else’s car. If you aren’t very mechanically inclined then let them do it and make it their problem/headache should something go wrong. I can handle small stuff but I don’t do transmissions or internal engine parts.
Thank u so much!
i use a 16mm wrench for the tensioner :)
You need to make a video of how to put everything back together that's what u need to do with all your videos. Make a video of u taking off a part and then another or the same video of you putting everything back together that would be nice 👌🏾
This whole series was about taking parts off at the junkyard. I’ve done a few serpentine belt videos since
Why not grab the alternator while you're there, also? It looked like a fairly new reman unit.
+Garth Goldberg that's next weeks video. ;)
How do you know if it’s bad?
Anyone know the torque of the pulley?
Is this the same on a 2.5?
No that’s a different setup
I hope it's close to this simple for my 08 VW R32 😭
Similar method a lot more buried
I wish my 2.8 in my Eurovan was that easy. you have to use a bolt to release pressure .
+Brad Downs that makes it pretty easy. It holds the tensioner open.
that's true. it's just a real pain to put the bolt in and turn it without my air ratchet
No, don't use an air ratchet. Too easy to cross-thread. Just use a 50mm long bolt. I tapered the end of my bolt on a grinder a little to make it easier to find the threads. I use a small ratchet and socket.
Garth Goldberg
I have a bolt that has a non threaded end on it that I use. an air ratchet won't strip it or crossthread it unless you are trying to start it with it. you always start a bolt or nut by hand never with a power tool. once it's started then use a power tool.
I'm going to look for one at a junkyard. Mine rattles like maracas
Good video, but it's much harder to R&R the tensioner on the 2.0 turbo TSI engine (MK6 GTI) I just finished the job, what a PITA. The tensioner is held on by a single allen bolt on the back of the black cylinder, but it is a real bear to get to. You have to remove the passenger wheel well and radiator splash shields, then move hoses and wire harnesses out of the way just enough to reach waaaayyy up there and remove the bolt. Then (thanks VW!) you have to drop the passenger side of the engine 2 inches to let the tensioner clear the frame so you can remove it. Unbelievable
Yep that sounds about right.
dude what i wouldnt do to get tools that make a job look that easy.
Joe Ramirez It's just as easy to do with a 3/8 ratchet :)
You should mention the engine capacity!
+csm not sure what you mean
Well, it looks like a 2.0 liter engine. You should mention that in the title!
After how many miles/years must you change a tensioner like this? I have a 1.4 l engine Golf 4, I think it's time to change the tensioner because it's old and it's making noises when it's hot. Or maybe it could be from a pulley ...
I shouldn't lose timing if done correctly right? Great video by the way. Thank you
Not on a serpentine belt
Van belt change vw Crafter
Doesn't look too bad. Get away at releasing the tensioner with a multigrip. BM's, T60 and an small allen key to lock the tensioner in untension position. Seems VW just like using multiple gigantic bolts to hold a tensioner, weird. On BM's N55's, only a single etorx bolt is holding it in position. Tensioner failures on BM's are extremely rare. I've seen a spring fail or a bolt head sheared off. But extremely rare. Hope the factory special tools on VW group is good, our factory supplier's quality is dropping. On diesels, some harmonic balancers just shit themselves because they are made of rubber, but that is about it. Defects from suppliers, hardly a car make fault.
WE WANT WHITE WOOKIE VIDS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
+McSteeze so more Wookie videos? lol I am hoping for Friday for the next one
dale gas cécéééééééééé