Auto tensioner took a crap

[Tinyvan]

UPDATE: info on the atuo tensioner

The belt system was not properly tensioned to avoid contact with the tensioner. The tensioner being so loose caused the tensioner to bounce off the bottoming stop, causing the rattling issues. This continued pounding on the bottoming stop from no belt tension caused the bottoming stop to snap off and the tensioner unwound itself beyond the bottoming stop. This caused the tensioner housings to lock into each other, resulting in the tensioner looking like it seized
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Im am just not having much luck lately. Yesterday on my way home from work I heard this weird noise about a few block from my house. a few seconds later the battery light comes on. I think what the hell? then shortly after the Hot warning light comes on, I look at my scan gauge and water temps are 230 and climbing :eek:. I was a very short distance from home so I got home and turned the car off immediately. Looking under the hood I noticed I could see the pulley on the alternate and thats when I realised the belt fell off.

The shop called today and told me the Honda Auto tensioner ($150) took a crap and it snapped the belt. Unfortunately they will not be able to get the part untill tomorrow so I wont have a car untill then.

The only good things out of this is 1. the tensener took a crap when it did, my phone was dead so if it would have broken when I was working I would have been S.O.L. and 2. the guy at the shop said I would not charge for the install of the part.

[der Mond]

How many miles on the car?

[Tinyvan]

33,000 on the car and maybe 13,000-15,000 with the supercarger

[manxman]

Do you think that the tensioner failure is a side effect of the extra belt-driven parts of the supercharger? Causing a heavier load, and more wear on the tensioner?

[Tinyvan]

Im sure the SC put added wear on the tensioner. I m also thinking the month or so I drove around with the belt flopping around put added stress on the tensioner

[manxman]

Im sure the SC put added wear on the tensioner. I m also thinking the month or so I drove around with the belt flopping around put added stress on the tensioner
If the tensioner snapped the belt, the bearings in the tensioner roller probably froze up and the roller just stopped turning. The previously loose belt probably was hitting the roller with wave after wave of slack belt- beating it up.

Thanks for posting your experience- this sounds like a very important issue for other S/C users to keep their eye on. ANY weird noises should earn an immediate inspection to find out the cause (before something crucial breaks).

Your incident could have stranded you. It was great luck that you got home without a breakdown.

[claymore]

Well have you contacted the company that sold you your supercharger kit yet? It will be an experiment to see how they help you out with this one.

Any provisions for lubricating the tensioner on the one you get with the kit like grease fitting?

[Tinyvan]

It actually was the KW auto tensioner that failed and not the OEM Honda one. The shop I have it at is going to call KW Monday morning and see if It can be warrantied. I will keep you guys updated as to what happens

[manxman]

It actually was the KW auto tensioner that failed and not the OEM Honda one. The shop I have it at is going to call KW Monday morning and see if It can be warrantied. I will keep you guys updated as to what happens
Great! Even those of us who have talked ourselves out of buying a supercharger would like to hear that KraftWerks supports their customers and quickly addresses any problems or weaknesses in the system.

A belt tensioner that fails as early as yours did is a pretty big problem.

[Tinyvan]

OK so here is the deal I was given two options

Option 1) Send the old tensioner back to craftwerks and they look at it and determine if that part can be warrantied or not. That could take weeks.

Option 2) Buy a new part out right.

Because the Fit is my ONLY car and I NEED it for work I had to go with Option 2 and have the part next day air.

[manxman]

OK so here is the deal I was given two options

Option 1) Send the old tensioner back to craftwerks and they look at it and determine if that part can be warrantied or not. That could take weeks.

Option 2) Buy a new part out right.

Because the Fit is my ONLY car and I NEED it for work I had to go with Option 2 and have the part next day air.
And the necessity for KraftWerks to maintain trust and credibility in the market place is to have you send the broken tensioner to them for analysis of the failure. If they determine that the tensioner is a warranty issue, they should refund your price including shipping for the replacement tensioner.

I am guessing that this is not an inexpensive part, and I am sure that at least VillageIdiot on these forums is very interested to see how this turns out for you. Without the tensioner, as you found out, no drive belt means no alternator and no water pump, AND NO CAR. I hope that they take care of this issue.

[claymore]

Should be an option #3 You buy the new part and send your old one back to them. They check it and when (not if) they determine that it was a warranty problem they refund your money. How can it not be a warranty problem all it does it push on the belt there is no way to abuse it.

[manxman]

Should be an option #3 You buy the new part and send your old one back to them. They check it and when (not if) they determine that it was a warranty problem they refund your money. How can it not be a warranty problem all it does it push on the belt there is no way to abuse it.
That was exactly my point in the above post.

[VillageIdiot]

The belt tensioner is pat of the Kraft Werks Kit..... You will have to deal with them instead of Honda.... I messed a belt tensioner up somehow on a GMC van and it was cheap and easy to replace but they are pretty much a trouble free device as far as I can tell unless the belt is not properly installed and too much pressure is is exerted on it during installation.... I would get my installation manual that came with the kit and do the replacement myself to insure that I know how to change and adjust the belt properly in the future....Everything appears fine on mine and I only had to tighten the belt enough that it didn't slip after it began to slightly squeal when the A/C was on about 1500 miles after the installation..... It is an automatic tensioner and once properly adjusted when installing the belt should not need attention until the belt needs replacement.

[Tinyvan]

I updated my first post about some info about the tensioner for you guys

[manxman]

Man! That was a hard lesson to learn. I hope that the other KWSC owners have been paying attention to your thread. It looks like some of the mechanics who were paid to install some of these systems didn't pay enough attention to the instructions regarding proper adjustment, and the car owners didn't know enough to check on it either.

My comment is not criticism aimed at anybody. Maybe KraftWerks should devote an entire page of bold-face type to the importance of the tensioner installation, and periodic checks.

[Witcher]

So the belt was too loose and caused the eventual failure of the tensioner? Looking at the way the belt is routed, that seems to be the only possibility. My belt is pulled damn tight right now, it's getting close to hitting the hoses up near the radiator.

[claymore]

It would be a reverse of normal for a belt that was too loose to make any part fail. Normally a too tight belt makes bearing go away faster than normal.

[Tinyvan]

The tensioner was not tight enough so it was bouncing off the stop. that continued bouncing off the stop eventually broke the stop. The tensioner then unwound itself beyond the bottoming stop. This caused the tensioner housings to lock into each other, resulting in the tensioner looking like it seized.

[monkeydave]

at least your lucky its only the belt and the chain is separate so not too bad