Tighten the Serpentine Belt on a Mercedes-Benz 190E

Tighten the Serpentine Belt on a Mercedes-Benz 190E

Tighten the Serpentine Belt on a Mercedes-Benz 190E : Multi-thousand tips to make your life easier.

A serpentine belt is a multi-rib, single, continuous belt that allows several peripheral components of a vehicle's engine, such as the alternator, the car's air-conditioning compressor, the water and air pumps, or the power steering pump, to run. The serpentine belt is installed to transfer energy from the vehicle's engine to the components. Mercedes-Benz first installed the serpentine belt in its 190 car model series in 1985. Regular wear and tear and age of the serpentine belt can cause it to loosen. Below are the steps to tighten the serpentine belt on a Mercedes-Benz 190E.

• Open the hood of your car and visually inspect the serpentine belt. There may be four to six pulleys installed on your car model.
• Grasp two opposite sections of the serpentine belt between two pulleys with your hand. There should be enough tension there. If you can bring the two sections of the serpentine belt close together, that means the belt is quite loose.
• The serpentine belt is normally self-tensioning, but some have a tension adjustment screw that can be loosened or tightened to maintain the proper tension of the serpentine belt.
• Inspect all the pulleys and how the serpentine belt is threaded around each one. The belt may have slipped out of a groove in a pulley, causing it to slacken. The alternator mount may be cracked and needs to be replaced. You may also see cracks along the serpentine belt that cause it to stretch and lose its grip.
• Get your Mercedes-Benz 190E manual or look under the hood for the diagram showing how the serpentine belt is mounted on all the pulleys. You can also take pictures or make a drawing of how it is installed so that you can replace a worn serpentine belt properly.
• The belt tensioner is smaller than the other pulleys but larger than the alternator pulley. It can be in the center, between the crankshaft and coolant pump pulleys, or to the side. Turn the bolt in front of the tensioner one-fourth or one-half turn, and then turn the tensioning nut to the left. This will loosen the belt so you can remove it. Check the whole belt for cracks and frays that may have caused it to become loose. Clean exposed parts to remove dirt and grime that may also contribute to the uneven tension.
• With the serpentine belt removed, you can turn most of the pulleys by hand. Turn each one to see if it turns smoothly, with no creaking and without too much resistance.
• Turn the tension marking pointer until it aligns with the mark on the plate. If the belt is still in very good condition, put it back, or replace it with a new one, beginning at the tensioning pulley and then following the diagram. Turn the tensioning nut until the tensioning pointer is aligned with the tension marker, and tighten the bolt again. Check that the serpentine belt seats properly in the pulley grooves.

It is very important to check the tension of the serpentine belt regularly. If your car squeals when you start it in the morning, chances are the serpentine belt is loose. The squeal will usually stop when the engine becomes hot. Remember that when the serpentine belt is loose, your car's engine will stop, and you will only be able to restart your car after you have tightened the serpentine belt and/or replaced it. Proper, constant maintenance will ensure that your Mercedes-Benz 190E is in top running condition at all times.