Belt-Tensioner Rattling & Shaking
Newbie
Joined: Dec 2020
Posts: 1
Likes: 0
2001 c240
Hi! Did you fix the noise?
I'm having the same issue ,I changed my tensioner 1 1/2 years ago because I thought it was bad , but not noise and now I have that noise and it look like is the tensioner so I replace it last week I thought the noise got better or went away, but now is the same or worse,and I think I got the same brand you got. Thanks
My belt tensioner is doing the shimmy without the music....
My belt tensioner is rattling & shaking in the Drive and Reverse positions, Only when I press on the brakes and the car in a still position (not moving). The belt tensioner does not rattle when I drive or when the car is in the Neutral or Park positions.
I recently tightened and replaced new bolts to keep the belt tensioner fastened (to the engine) according to the proper torque specs, yet this rattling noise is still happening...
Anyone have any idea why this is happening??
Thank you in advance...[/QUOTE]
My belt tensioner is doing the shimmy without the music....
My belt tensioner is rattling & shaking in the Drive and Reverse positions, Only when I press on the brakes and the car in a still position (not moving). The belt tensioner does not rattle when I drive or when the car is in the Neutral or Park positions.
I recently tightened and replaced new bolts to keep the belt tensioner fastened (to the engine) according to the proper torque specs, yet this rattling noise is still happening...
Anyone have any idea why this is happening??
Thank you in advance...[/QUOTE]
Junior Member
Joined: Nov 2012
Posts: 16
Likes: 0
From: Northern California
2002 C320 Wagon 200k miles
Hi Folks. I changed my belt tensioner and the Serp belt just back in the Spring (2021) because of the rattle / knocking that the old one was doing - a horribly annoying noise (especially idling) on an otherwise quiet engine. However, the SAME noise has returned. Got the part at Oreillys and within 2 months, rattle / knocking is back. Is it because the part is from Oreillys ?? Belt 'looks' OK. But I can see the tensioner is sitting metal on metal and it appears to be that the spring is not strong enough to separate these knocking parts on the tensioner ????
Any ideas ?? Return the tensioner to Oreillys and try a 'better' one ?
Any ideas ?? Return the tensioner to Oreillys and try a 'better' one ?
Junior Member
Joined: Nov 2012
Posts: 16
Likes: 0
From: Northern California
2002 C320 Wagon 200k miles
UPDATE
Hello All. I just fitted a slightly shorter (3/4" shorter) belt and PRESTO - It worked........Because, there was clearly lots of room for the spring tension to accommodate a shortening of the belt. That worked a treat..............hope this helps others.
Hello All. I just fitted a slightly shorter (3/4" shorter) belt and PRESTO - It worked........Because, there was clearly lots of room for the spring tension to accommodate a shortening of the belt. That worked a treat..............hope this helps others.
Junior Member
Joined: Nov 2012
Posts: 16
Likes: 0
From: Northern California
2002 C320 Wagon 200k miles
Hi. Yes. I was at Oreillys and got the new belt after installing the Tensioner about 2 months ago. The horrible tapping noise came back gradually. So when I looked at the tensioner spacer, with engine off, it was hugging up metal on metal to produce the tapping. Not good to see. The belt was clearly not creating any tension on the Serpentine. The logical step was to replace with a belt that induces slightly more tension (not too much) and pulls the spring off the end of the spacer. My new tension spacer ended up in the middle while engine was off. Done.
Last edited by SFMerc; Sep 15, 2021 at 03:09 PM.
MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 3,275
Likes: 236
From: BC, Canada
2003 C230K Coupe Orion Blue
That doesn't seem to make sense though. If you are using the stock belt length, that means there is still something wrong with your current setup. Why is the tensioner going metal on metal?
MB World Stories
The Best of Mercedes & AMG
Manual Mercedes? 6 Times Sindelfingen Let Drivers Have All The Fun
Verdad Gallardo
Mercedes SLR McLaren 722 S Is Extremely Rare Example Modified by McLaren
Verdad Gallardo
8 Classic Boxy Mercedes Designs That Have Aged Like Fine Wine
Verdad Gallardo
Flawlessly Restored Mercedes 190E Evo II Heads to Auction
Verdad Gallardo
Electric Mercedes C-Class Unveiled: 11 Things You Need to Know
Verdad Gallardo
Mercedes EQS Gets A Major Update: Everything You Need to Know
Verdad Gallardo
5 Underrated Mercedes-Benz Models That Don't Get the Love They Deserve
Verdad Gallardo
Mercedes 300D Has Pushed Well Past 1 Million Miles and It Ain't Stopping
Verdad Gallardo
10 Most Reliable Mercedes-Benz Models You Can Buy Used
Verdad Gallardo
Thread Starter
Junior Member
Joined: Aug 2019
Posts: 49
Likes: 0
Maybach
I personally would only purchase OEM / original parts when it comes to belt-tensioners and other similar parts (and not purchase after-market parts), because when it comes to belt-tensioners, if while driving something goes wrong it can screw up other components of the car. So I would purchase after-market parts for banal stuff like mirror, lights, even a battery; but once again, I would not purchase an after-market part for a component that is so vital to the engine etc. So with that, I would prefer to return the tensioner if possible and instead purchase the original or OEM part.
Best of luck!
Best of luck!
Last edited by HealthBar; Oct 6, 2021 at 02:15 PM.
