Hyundai i20 Alternator drive belt

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Hello all

Time to replace the alternator serpentine drive belt on my son's Hyundai i20.

I have had a quick look at it and I can't see any sort of adjuster to slacken or take up the belt tension. Is it just a case of removing the alternator top bolt and swinging the alternator clear?

Excuse the ignorance!
 
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I think you'll find these have a spring loaded belt tensioner which is heaved against it's tension with a spanner on the central nut, allowing the old belt to be removed?
These things need a fair bit of force to shift but you can usually see them 'bouncing' when the engine is running.
John :)
 
Thanks John.

Do you know if a special tool is required or is it within the scope of an average home mechanic? I won't get to see the car for a few days, but there is a video on YouTube of a guy removing a belt by slackening the alternator and taking the tension out of the belt that way, but I think getting a new stiffer belt unstretched on would be a totally different proposition!
 
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Yes it is the same as the video. Looks easy coming off but going back on with a new belt won't be that easy I'm sure.... and on the video the guy says he doesn't think this is the proper way to do it!
 
When he heaves the alternator back into place he'll be fighting against the tensioner spring......personally I'd find the tensioner first, fit a spanner on the nut and heave it out of the way. It's usually a one person job.
John :)
 
My daughter has that car car and was here yesterday (for father's day) but, she had gone before you posted otherwise I would have had a look because, I've done a bit of googlin' (no G) and found something interesting.
This is her belt, yours could be the same. Her car is Hyundai i20 1200cc 2012 model.
Read this;
Car manufactures are bringing vehicle models into the market that are not equipped with a tensioning device. For these special accessory belt drive systems, Gates offers the ideal resonse with its Micro-V Stretch Fit Belt programme. Gates Stretch Fit Multi-Ribbed Belts are pre-tensioned over the pulleys, thus maintaining tension that is capable of efficient power transmission over a long period of time, yet low enough to allow foe easy installation and to prevent component failure.
I found this, too.
 
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Thanks for your replies. I had a look yesterday and i can't see any form of tensioner, just the crank pulley, water pump pulley, air con pump and alternator. So it looks like it uses a stretch belt. There are a few videos on line showing stretch belts being fitted on other cars and it seems they sometimes come with a tool to help ease the belt on..... but I'm not sure there is enough room to use one on an i20 in situ!
 
Stretch belts are normally fairly easy to fit - I’ve never used a tool ever and I just wind them on like a bike chain. You can buy tools that help guide them on to the pulley. The only exception is a Ford Focus with a twin crank pulley with two stretch belts. I only took it off to fit a power steering pump. It took me a couple of days of trying to fit one on and in the end I had to fork out a small fortune and buy a tool specifically for that engine. I have used it once more since when I had to fit an alternator to another car with the same engine so not too sore about it now! That Hyundai looks a piece of **** to do compared to most others. A 5 minute job!

https://www.diynot.com/diy/threads/‘orrible-job.538455/#post-4547935
 
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