Drive belt and tensioner for 2006 C230 M272
08-23-2012, 02:13 PM
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2006 C230; 2012 R350
Drive belt and tensioner for 2006 C230 M272
My belt tensioner seems to be bouncing a bit instead of running smoothly and my car has 66K+ miles on it, so I figured it was time for a belt also if I'm going to replace a bad tensioner anyway.
In looking at the belt on the vehicle, it is marked as a Gates 6PK2398, but most parts house seem to be showing a 6-8mm longer 6PK2404/2405/2406 belt as the replacement. It seems like a 6PK2400 would be a better choice rather than a belt that is 6-8mm longer than OE, right?
As for the tensioner, the OE part appears to be a Gates part as well and Gates 38319 looks like the aftermarket replacement. All the pics online seem to show them as made in Germany, but it looks like they are now made in Turkey instead. I've heard Turkey isn't exactly a top tier manufacturing environment (no offense intended to any folks in Turkey). Anything I should be concerned with, or is a tensioner low enough tech that it doesn't really matter where it is made?
In looking at the belt on the vehicle, it is marked as a Gates 6PK2398, but most parts house seem to be showing a 6-8mm longer 6PK2404/2405/2406 belt as the replacement. It seems like a 6PK2400 would be a better choice rather than a belt that is 6-8mm longer than OE, right?
As for the tensioner, the OE part appears to be a Gates part as well and Gates 38319 looks like the aftermarket replacement. All the pics online seem to show them as made in Germany, but it looks like they are now made in Turkey instead. I've heard Turkey isn't exactly a top tier manufacturing environment (no offense intended to any folks in Turkey). Anything I should be concerned with, or is a tensioner low enough tech that it doesn't really matter where it is made?
