Q. What are the signs of a damaged belt tensioner?

Answer

Finding belt tensioner failure symptoms might be challenging. The tensioner pulley starts to sway when the bearing on the pulley breaks. This enables the belt to sway back and forth shredding the edges. The bearing will sometimes start to screech as well. Although the tension may still be acceptable the belt will fail sooner than it should. The tensioner spring deteriorates as well. The accessories don't get their maximum power as a result of the belt being able to slide over the accessory pulleys. This might imply the battery's complete charge is halted by the alternator. It could also lead to steering wheel problems as the traction control pump doesn't have adequate strength. Also the engine runs hot or overheats when the water pump malfunctions.