Glossary / Engine

tensioner

17 Episode Mentions

Too Afraid to Ask

The tensioner is a small pulley that pulls on the timing belt to keep it tight. If it fails, the belt can slip and damage the engine.

Technical Definition

A tensioner keeps the timing belt taut, preventing slack that could cause mis‑timing or belt slippage.

Hear It Discussed

"You can have a new belt installed and maybe even a new tensioner. You're probably looking at less than a hundred bucks."
#2622: Starting from Stupid The Best of Car Talk 25:21

"Okay, well, you didn't tell me it's squeak. We had squeaks sometimes in the morning. Okay, well, it needs a belt and it needs a tensioner and the idler as a kit."
How to Save Money on Car Repairs: Advice from Auto Experts Under The Hood show 13:38

"...they need to have at least tensioner done, probably the chain done around the mileage that I'm on..."
C.R.E.A.M. #67 - Ben Has A Daily, There's Been Another Clio and F&F Poster Mysteries C.R.E.A.M. (The TDC Podcast) 19:24