SEMI-AUTOMATIC TENSIONING VS AUTOMATIC TENSIONING
                     SEMI-AUTOMATIC TENSIONING VS AUTOMATIC 
TENSIONING
Paul Norman Jasper
Writer  whose topics include, 
replacement auto parts reviews at autopartsu.com 
and replacement car parts reviews at autopartsu.com
.
Are you getting ready to replace the tensioner assembly in your car? Did you 
get a bunch of search engine results that mention semi-automatic 
tensioning? Is there a different type of tensioner that may provide a 
performance boost or extend the life of your belts and pulleys?
THE SEARCH ENGINES HAVE MISLEAD YOU
Tensioners appear in a wide range of applications around the world, from 
bicycles to engines to factory-sized packaging machines. Most cars and trucks 
on the road these days use an automatic tensioner under the hood. Some 
older models may have a manual tensioner that keeps its belts in place. No 
current car on the road has a semi-automatic tensioner. Your search results 
are referring to parts that apply to industrial machinery and processes.
WHAT DOES THE AUTOMATIC TENSIONER DO IN YOUR CAR?
The automatic tensioner assembly is part of the serpentine belt system at the 
front of your engine block. The belt transfers power to run the water pump, 
alternator, power steering pump, and climate controls. The tensioning arm 
has a spring inside that maintains the tensioning pulley’s position in relation 
to the belt and the proper traveling path for the belt. This minimizes wear on 
the belt and keeps all the pulleys and gears moving at the proper speed.
WHAT HAPPENS WHEN THE AUTOMATIC TENSIONER FAILS?
If the tensioner gets too tight or too loose, the belt can fall off the pulleys. 
That will cause all the pumps and motors it operates to stop working. You will 
lose power steering, and the engine could overheat due to a lack of 
circulation in the radiator. In the old days, you could still drive a car with 
power steering even if the pump failed. In our modern days, most drivers will 
find it nearly impossible to turn the wheel. The car will likely need a tow to 
your home or the shop.
Even if the belt does not completely jump off the pulleys, a bad tensioner can 
make the belt rub as it pushes it out of the proper path. Instead of lasting up 
to 50,000 miles, the belt could fail after just 10 or 20,000 miles. When there 
is too much tension, the belt can bend the mounting brackets for the pulleys.
CAN THE AUTOMATIC TENSIONER BE ADJUSTED?
Yes, when installing a replacement tensioner assembly, the tension must be 
set. As such, anytime that you suspect that the tension is too loose or tight, 
you can adjust it using the same method. Check the specs for the engine that 
you are working on for the proper alignment of the tensioner arm. You need 
the proper socket wrench to turn the bolt on the front of the tensioner arm. 
Make sure that the belt is in place while adjusting the tension so that the 
optimum path is maintained.
So, go ahead! Place the order for that new automatic tensioner assembly and 
ignore those sponsored ads for the semi-automatic one. You got the right 
part the first time.
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