[Rockshelter]

The drive/serpentine belt tensioner seem to have failed, it is sagging and making a howling noise. The process of removing belt seems straight forward but I suspect loosening the hex bolt to remove the tensioner itself is not. Do I need to remove the bracket it sits on? Seems like quite a task... Its the 2.5 crdi diesel engine

 

[Lou O.]

Sounds like your second guessing your ability to tackle the repair. It can be a knuckle buster.....
Most likely the best approach is to take it to a local trusted master mechanic and let them do the R&R.
Install a new belt while your at it.
FWD transverse mounted engines are more difficult to work on when wanting to access the 'front' of the engine.

 

[Rockshelter]

Thank You for replying to my thread. Yes, since this is my first hands-on experience with this newly aquired fantastic car, I was bit low on my expectations to my abilities in accomplishing this task. Well, I can say it went smoothly. One of the key factors to success lies in quality tools.Allen (hex) bit in this case, and a long tube to get more leverage. It needed som force and I was a bit worried the head would be rounded inside or snap off but it came loose quite quickly. As It turned out the real offender was not the tensioner but the upper left pulley. Bearings totally gone. Luckily I had ordered one of those just to be sure. The bolt on the pulley also neede some "motivation" to loosen. Any noise in front of the engine is gone now. Just fantastic. To hold the tensioner while putting the belt back on I unmounted the skid plate and just blocked my home made tool in place from the underside.

 

[Lou O.]

Congratulations on repairing this yourself!
How many band aids?

 

[Rockshelter]

Congratulations on repairing this yourself!
How many band aids?

None Mostly using gloves, different types suited for the job at "hand" But still sore wrists or arms from working deep down in beetween sharp fanblades and such