How to tighten the alternator belt? – video stretching on different cars

The alternator belt performs a very important mission - it transfers the rotation of the crankshaft to the alternator pulley, which charges the battery while driving, and from it the current flows to all consumers of electricity in your car.

All drivers are advised to check the alternator belt tension from time to time. A correctly tensioned belt should not sag more than one centimeter if you press on it with a force of three to four kilograms. You can also use a dynamometer to check (an ordinary steelyard is suitable) - if its hook is hooked onto the belt and pulled to the side, it will move a maximum of 10-15 millimeters with a force of 10 kg / cm.

If there is neither a ruler nor a dynamometer at hand, then you can check it by eye - if you try to twist the belt, it should turn a maximum of 90 degrees, no more.

When, over time, the degree of belt tension decreases and it stretches, a characteristic creak is heard - the belt slips onto the pulley and begins to warm up. This is fraught with the fact that over time it can break. In addition, the crankshaft pulley makes more idle revolutions, that is, it works inefficiently and the generator does not generate current to the full extent - the entire electrical system of the car suffers.

Tensioning the alternator belt is not the most difficult task, especially on domestic VAZs and Ladas. In more modern models, in the same Priore, for example, there is a tension roller with an offset center that regulates the degree of tension of the belt drive.

Belt tensioning work can be complicated due to the inconvenient location of the generator and the crankshaft pulley. Some models need to be driven into an inspection hole, while in others it is enough just to open the hood, such as for the VAZ 2114. On classic VAZ models, all this is done simply: the generator is attached to the crankcase with a long bolt, thanks to which you can move the generator in a vertical plane, and on top there is a bar with a slot for another bolt to fix the position of the generator in a horizontal plane.

All that is needed is to loosen the generator mount, unscrew the nut on the bar, fix it in such a position when the belt is sufficiently tensioned, tighten the nut and mount the generator.

In no case should the belt be pulled too tight, because this will lead to the fact that too much pressure will be applied to the bearing of the alternator pulley and it will simply crumble over time, which will be indicated by a characteristic whistle, rattle and insufficient battery charge.

On Lada Kalina, the alternator belt is tensioned using a tensioner rod. It is enough just to unscrew the lock nut, unscrew the tensioner rod itself a little, and then tighten the nut into place. In the same way, you can loosen the belt tension, and if you need to completely change it, then the tensioner rod is unscrewed and a new belt is installed.

It is worth noting that while tensioning the alternator belt, do not forget to check its condition - it should not have cracks or abrasions. If there are any, then it is better to buy a new belt, since it is not so expensive.

If we are talking about Lada Priora, where the alternator belt describes a much larger trajectory - it also rotates the pulleys of the air conditioner and power steering, then the roller is responsible for the tension there.

If there is no experience in tensioning such belts, then it is better to do all this at the service station, although the procedure itself is not difficult - you need to loosen the roller fastening nut, then rotate the eccentric cage with a special tension wrench until the belt is tensioned, tighten the fastening nut back. But the fact is that it is very difficult to guess the correct tension of the belt, since the area of ​​\uXNUMXb\uXNUMXbcontact with the pulleys decreases due to the trajectory. You can try to act at random.

The alternator belt is tightened in approximately the same way on other more modern models, however, in order to get to it, you need to remove the wheels, unscrew the engine mudguards or plastic protection, remove the timing cover, which, of course, takes a lot of time.

Video of tensioning the alternator belt on a VAZ 2114 car

Another video about correct belt tension

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