Car Service Land Coupons for Oil change, Tires, Wheel alignment, Brakes, Maintenance
The Tensioner Pulley’s job is to maintain tension on the engine belts. It’s spring-loaded, which enables it to keep the necessary belt tension, ultimately allowing different parts of the engine to move smoothly without any issues.
How Much Does Tensioner Pulley Replacement Cost?
If it gets damaged, it would cost you $100 to $400 to get the pulley replaced. The part itself doesn’t come cheap. Depending on the car you own, it will cost you around $80 to $250. The labor rates will vary from $40 to $175.
| Auto Center | Price |
|---|---|
| Walmart | $80 - $200 |
| Pep Boys | $160 - $350 |
| Mr. Tire | $180 - $385 |
| NAPA | $150 - $365 |
| Midas | $180 - $400 |
How do You Know if a Tensioner Pulley is Functioning Properly?
Once the tensioner pulley gets loose or damaged, you are bound to face some issues. Your car’s performance won’t be the same as before. Just so that you know, here are a few symptoms that can alert you of the need for pulley servicing:
- Grinding noise from the tensioner
- Accelerated wear and tear of the belt
- Failure of belt-associated parts
From the last statement, you will be able to tell that the Tensioner Pulley doesn’t go down alone. It can affect other parts, such as the water pump, AC compressor, and so on. So, a lot of parts can fail at the same time.
Can You Drive With a Faulty Tensioner Pulley?
Even though you can, it’s not suggested to do so because a lot of accessories depending on the tensioner pulley for normal functioning. So, it’s really unsafe to drive with a faulty Tensioner Pulley on any given day of the week.
Seriously, you won’t be able to tell whether the car will break down on your next ride or a few months down the road. So, it’s better to take your car to the auto repair shop at the earliest to prevent further damage to the car.
Is it Difficult to Replace a Tensioner Pulley?
To be honest, it’s not too difficult to replace a tensioner pulley. Very little technical knowledge is required. Even your drinking buddies will manage to pull it off, provided they are not drinking at the time of repair.
Typically, a job of this nature requires you to rotate the tensioner, get rid of the old tensioner, and install the new one in the vacant space. The new pulley will typically last for 60,000 to 1,00,000 miles. So, it’s going to stick around for long.
Important Note: How long the repair will take will also depend on the extent of the damage. If it’s just loose, then it will be an easy fix. If the pulley is completely damaged, then expect to spend an hour or two for repair work.
How To Save Money On a Tensioner Pulley Replacement?
One of the best ways to save money on a tensioner pulley is to source the tensioner on your own. If you look around, you will be able to find the part at a lower price than what an auto repair shop would normally charge you.
You can also compare prices for labor and settle for a shop that charges the lowest. Of course, the quality shouldn’t be missing. Just make sure that you choose a dependable auto repair company for the job.
On the CarServiceLand, you can also find estimates of car repair or maintenance service costs: