Need someone who works a lot with saturn parts (saturn tech help)

Son93SL2 · 07-25-2002, 07:42 PM

Have you ever had a defective belt tensioner ? I put a new belt tensioner (black label) and a new idle pulley in. When the A/C is on, I can hear a rattle, I look down and see the belt tensioner moving back and forth quite a bit and I believe it is the source of the noise. Has this occured before???

ssicarman · 07-25-2002, 09:20 PM

It is possible to get a bad new part. I have never seen it in a belt tensioner but it could happen. What do you mean by black label in referance to the tensioner? The tesioner will have a certain amount of movement in it when the engine is running but if it's more than 1/4 (at most?) then I would certainly suspect it as being bad.

Is everything tight from the install? Does the noise change with the engine RPM?

Son93SL2 · 07-25-2002, 09:45 PM

My bad, the black label is for the idle pulley. It is moving quite a bit, more then 1/4. The rattle is heard at idle, but is extremly faint, it is more noticeable when the a/c is turned on. could be be?

1320Doc · 07-29-2002, 04:17 AM

I'd make sure you didn't contaminate your new tensioner with parts cleaner or any other liquid, they get kinda noisy after that. May want to check your a/c compressor operation for excessive drag/siezed ? that too causes the tensioner to act up and get noisy.

Qlara · 07-29-2002, 11:38 AM

Your new belt tensioner may have a weaker spring. What about the belt itself, is it new or same old one?

Also, the rattling you described is it happening during the AC compressor is on, or simply just idling? Also make sure your new tensioner seats properly and tighten correctly, otherwise it'll vibrate as well.

miamisl2 · 07-29-2002, 12:59 PM

haha, i could be of help here...ive heard this post too many times, so im not gonna read it all...anyway, i still have the problem..check this out...in my car the noise is prominent in idle while in gear...with the a/c on...with the a/c off it rarely makes the noise unless i turn the wheel the whole way...first i thought it was the tensioner...then i thought it was the idler pulley, then i thought it was the power steering or a/c...after discovering that it was none of these, i found out it was my damn motor mounts...read the haynes manual..it says if your motor mounts are ripped, then your engine shakes and vibrates things on the belt..this makes the clacking noise...anyway you should replace it as soon as possible because it inreases wear to everything on your belt, including the belt....if you have a top motor mount...its right above where ur timing chain would be and all that....right by the belt...it has 5 bolts that take it off (dont take it off just yet)..visually inspect the mount and if u see it torn or anything, then u know for sure thats the problem...now theres still a chance it could be the tensioner or pulley..but usually when one of these are broken it tends to make the belt squeel...like how it does sometimes when the belt gets wet...anyway check the mounts im pretty sure its the problem

miamisl2 · 07-29-2002, 01:02 PM

lol i also have a 93 sl2 so you probably also have the top motor mounts..by the way your lower mounts could be bad too...i'm gonna replace them...the noise also started for me after having the tensioner replaced, thats the wierd thing..and then i went around thinkin it was the tensioner or something else on the belt because of that...by the way, does your car bog out when you floor it from a stop....does it take a while to get the rpms up from a stop...is it really hard to spin the tires from a stop?...these are all signs of a busted mount...also do you do a lot of powerbraking...i believe this is the cause of busted mounts

Son93SL2 · 07-29-2002, 07:05 PM

Hey guys, that sounds exactly IT!! i must have tore it when I reinstalled the mount, new mount tomorrow, thanks a bunch guys.

Son93SL2 · 07-31-2002, 10:56 AM

Rattle is still there, I replaced the upper mount.

Must be the lower one. I'll get a stiffer one from SPS later when I have more money. Ijack the car up and remove the upper mount, noise gone. put new mount on and jack the car up, noise there. WTF

miamisl2 · 07-31-2002, 01:53 PM

yea, i'm replacing my lower ones too, the cost effective way!...i ordered the oem upper mount for 36 bucks from my friend...i just finished ordering the lower dogbone mount inserts (polyurethane or whatever) from xrc for 50 sumthin bucks, shipped...chances are ur lower ones are a lil messed up and if they are, it wont be long untill the upper one breaks again...thats why i bought the lower inserts...this guy free5style sayd that he replaced his mounts with the hardened sps ones and they ripped too...he said the xrc polyurthane inserts are much much better and havent ripped yet, but the twistec polyurethane motor mounts that come with a new bracket ($130 for both?) are even better...anyway im installing all 3 at the same time and if my noise isnt gone by then, i'm gonna be really really pissed...

Son93SL2 · 07-31-2002, 08:21 PM

I'm thinking of selling the car now, this is just rediculious. I'm looking at getting an Audi A4. We'll see, i'm just bumbed that my car is PISSING ME OFF

92saturnsl2 · 07-31-2002, 10:11 PM

don't let it bother you. if you really hate working on your car or replacing things, take it to your saturn dealer. Take the money you'd spend on the overexpensive A4, and put it into some work on your Satty. It'll be worth it and you'll have an equally comparable or better car than that A4.

07-25-2002, 07:42 PM	#1
Son93SL2 Advanced Member Join Date: May 2000 Location: Cincinnati, Ohio USA Posts: 503	Need someone who works a lot with saturn parts (saturn tech help) Have you ever had a defective belt tensioner ? I put a new belt tensioner (black label) and a new idle pulley in. When the A/C is on, I can hear a rattle, I look down and see the belt tensioner moving back and forth quite a bit and I believe it is the source of the noise. Has this occured before???

07-31-2002, 10:11 PM	#12
92saturnsl2 Advanced Member Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Colorado Springs, CO Posts: 712	lol don't let it bother you. if you really hate working on your car or replacing things, take it to your saturn dealer. Take the money you'd spend on the overexpensive A4, and put it into some work on your Satty. It'll be worth it and you'll have an equally comparable or better car than that A4.

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07-25-2002, 09:20 PM	#2
ssicarman Super Member Join Date: Oct 2000 Location: Western Canada Posts: 10,470 ssicarman's Photos	It is possible to get a bad new part. I have never seen it in a belt tensioner but it could happen. What do you mean by black label in referance to the tensioner? The tesioner will have a certain amount of movement in it when the engine is running but if it's more than 1/4 (at most?) then I would certainly suspect it as being bad. Is everything tight from the install? Does the noise change with the engine RPM?

07-25-2002, 09:45 PM	#3
Son93SL2 Advanced Member Join Date: May 2000 Location: Cincinnati, Ohio USA Posts: 503	My bad, the black label is for the idle pulley. It is moving quite a bit, more then 1/4. The rattle is heard at idle, but is extremly faint, it is more noticeable when the a/c is turned on. could be be?

07-29-2002, 04:17 AM	#4
1320Doc Member Join Date: May 2002 Location: so.cal Posts: 119 2001 SC2 1999 SL2	I'd make sure you didn't contaminate your new tensioner with parts cleaner or any other liquid, they get kinda noisy after that. May want to check your a/c compressor operation for excessive drag/siezed ? that too causes the tensioner to act up and get noisy.

07-29-2002, 11:38 AM	#5
Qlara Master Member Join Date: Oct 2000 Location: Earth Posts: 5,905 Qlara's Photos	Your new belt tensioner may have a weaker spring. What about the belt itself, is it new or same old one? Also, the rattling you described is it happening during the AC compressor is on, or simply just idling? Also make sure your new tensioner seats properly and tighten correctly, otherwise it'll vibrate as well.

07-29-2002, 12:59 PM	#6
miamisl2 Member Join Date: Jun 2002 Posts: 268 miamisl2's Photos	haha, i could be of help here...ive heard this post too many times, so im not gonna read it all...anyway, i still have the problem..check this out...in my car the noise is prominent in idle while in gear...with the a/c on...with the a/c off it rarely makes the noise unless i turn the wheel the whole way...first i thought it was the tensioner...then i thought it was the idler pulley, then i thought it was the power steering or a/c...after discovering that it was none of these, i found out it was my damn motor mounts...read the haynes manual..it says if your motor mounts are ripped, then your engine shakes and vibrates things on the belt..this makes the clacking noise...anyway you should replace it as soon as possible because it inreases wear to everything on your belt, including the belt....if you have a top motor mount...its right above where ur timing chain would be and all that....right by the belt...it has 5 bolts that take it off (dont take it off just yet)..visually inspect the mount and if u see it torn or anything, then u know for sure thats the problem...now theres still a chance it could be the tensioner or pulley..but usually when one of these are broken it tends to make the belt squeel...like how it does sometimes when the belt gets wet...anyway check the mounts im pretty sure its the problem

07-29-2002, 01:02 PM	#7
miamisl2 Member Join Date: Jun 2002 Posts: 268 miamisl2's Photos	lol i also have a 93 sl2 so you probably also have the top motor mounts..by the way your lower mounts could be bad too...i'm gonna replace them...the noise also started for me after having the tensioner replaced, thats the wierd thing..and then i went around thinkin it was the tensioner or something else on the belt because of that...by the way, does your car bog out when you floor it from a stop....does it take a while to get the rpms up from a stop...is it really hard to spin the tires from a stop?...these are all signs of a busted mount...also do you do a lot of powerbraking...i believe this is the cause of busted mounts

07-29-2002, 07:05 PM	#8
Son93SL2 Advanced Member Join Date: May 2000 Location: Cincinnati, Ohio USA Posts: 503	Hey guys, that sounds exactly IT!! i must have tore it when I reinstalled the mount, new mount tomorrow, thanks a bunch guys.

07-31-2002, 10:56 AM	#9
Son93SL2 Advanced Member Join Date: May 2000 Location: Cincinnati, Ohio USA Posts: 503	Rattle is still there, I replaced the upper mount. Must be the lower one. I'll get a stiffer one from SPS later when I have more money. Ijack the car up and remove the upper mount, noise gone. put new mount on and jack the car up, noise there. WTF

07-31-2002, 01:53 PM	#10
miamisl2 Member Join Date: Jun 2002 Posts: 268 miamisl2's Photos	yea, i'm replacing my lower ones too, the cost effective way!...i ordered the oem upper mount for 36 bucks from my friend...i just finished ordering the lower dogbone mount inserts (polyurethane or whatever) from xrc for 50 sumthin bucks, shipped...chances are ur lower ones are a lil messed up and if they are, it wont be long untill the upper one breaks again...thats why i bought the lower inserts...this guy free5style sayd that he replaced his mounts with the hardened sps ones and they ripped too...he said the xrc polyurthane inserts are much much better and havent ripped yet, but the twistec polyurethane motor mounts that come with a new bracket ($130 for both?) are even better...anyway im installing all 3 at the same time and if my noise isnt gone by then, i'm gonna be really really pissed...

07-31-2002, 08:21 PM	#11
Son93SL2 Advanced Member Join Date: May 2000 Location: Cincinnati, Ohio USA Posts: 503	I'm thinking of selling the car now, this is just rediculious. I'm looking at getting an Audi A4. We'll see, i'm just bumbed that my car is PISSING ME OFF

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