Hi folks.

Ive got a 1989 SSE. Driving today and lost power steering and got the battery light.
Finished the two minute drive to work, by which time the temp light was on, and the gauge was near max.

Popped the hood. The belt isnt broken, but there is zilch tension. At idle, the belt is sitting slack on the pulleys. I can actually knock the belt off the alt pulley just by pushing it.

I havent had a chance to inspect the underside of the belt yet, but is there a belt tensioner on 1989'*? Or am I looking at adjusting one of the pulleys to increase tension?

thanks

Yes, you have a belt tensioner. Sounds like the spring broke. It should be right between the power steering pump and alternator. If you can find an 8 digit gm part number on it, we can get you a deal!

Welcome to the forum!

Thanks for the help you guys. For the life of me, I cannot find this tensioner. I clearly dont know what I am looking for.......it is attached to something?

Sorry for the ridiculous question, and I feel like a fool for not being able to locate what should be an easy thing.

thanks

Ok, the belt comes off the top of the power steering pump, UNDER the tensioner, then OVER the alternator. You can put a large socket and ratchet or breaker bar on the hex portion of the tensioner and move it up and down. It pivots. Yours should be REALLY easy to move

It'* just a non-grooved wheel that the BACK of the belt rides on, right above the water pump.

It'* a pulley on a spring-loaded mounting. Looks like the other pulleys, with a regular hex-head bolt sticking out the middle. Put the right metric socket on it, attach the longest handle you can find, and turn it to loosen the belt. You're fighting against the spring so you have to sort of hold the wrench handle with one hand while you lift the belt off the pulley with the other.

Note that it'* _not_ necessarily counterclockwise to loosen; in fact the alternator belt on my SSEi is loosened by turning the tensioner bolt _clockwise_.

You don't have a label on the engine anywhere that shows the belt routing? Mine is on a small cover near the belts...