I'm trying to figure out how to install a new one one, can anyone help me? I bought a new one from O'Reilly's. I can't seem to find a video or youtube saying exactly how this is done. I looked in the car and there is a bolt sticking out and also a hole that looks threaded, both in the general area where the tensioner pulley is supposed to be. I have pictures but can't post them yet and a video I put on youtube showing the belt area is up, but you have to search for "something fell off of my car" to find it. (i can't post a link yet on this forum)
if anyone can help me I would greatly, greatly appreciate it. I'm trying to DIY things as much as possible these days...
ps: the pulley I got from O'Reilly's did not have a bolt with it, just a pulley, if that means anything.
That looks like the tensioner for the alternator / AC belt. The tensioner goes on that stud you can see in the picture, not the hole in the engine mount bracket (some PO must have lost that bolt). So the tensioner but was likely not torqued properly and vibrated lose. This happened on our Sedona several years back. So you first need to get a nut that fits that stud. Recommend you call your local KIA dealer, doubt that it will cost more than a few bucks. If they don't stock it, maybe they can advise the size of nut and you can match it up at a local hardware store. Or can do what I did; you'll notice that the stud is sliding up and down in a slot in the bracket. If you look underneath you will see an adjusting bolt, which is used to tighten/losen the tensioner, that bolts into the bottom housing of the stud (inside the bracket with the slot) The thread of the adjusting bolt is exactly the same as the stud so you can remove the adjustment bolt and bring to a hardware store and match up with a nut. But I really recommend the KIA option as it is fiddly to reinstall the adjustment bolt.
To install the belt, put the tensioner on the stud and loosely tighten the bolt and fit the belt. You will have to slide the tensioner pulley up in the slot so that you can fit the belt around all the pulleys. Once the belt is fitted, pull the tensioner pulley down in the slot as hard as you can and tighten the pulley bolt some more with your wrench but don't torque it to spec. Now use the adjustment bolt (14 mm IIRC) to tighten the belt by turning the bolt clockwise. Once the belt is properly tightened, torque down the tensioner pulley nut to spec. I can't quite remember the torque spec so you will have to google it. But IIRC it is around 40 ft. lbs.
Wow, thank you! I should be able to get that back together this weekend then. I will call Kia tomorrow and see if I can pick up a bolt from them on my way home from work. I'll also look at torque wrenches, since I don't have one. Maybe I can get a cheapo at harbor freight or something just to get me through this job since I don't know when else I'll need one.
Seems like a pretty simple fix, just kind of stupidly annoying that it happened in the first place.