My son just came home yesterday (sat) for the weekend in his 06 TC with about 66,000 mi. on it. He asked me to listen to a "new noise" he is hearing. It sounds like an irratic metalic rattle, but not very loud. You can hear it at idle but much above that the engine noise drowns it out. While it is erratic, it is rythmic, like in time with the engine speed. Erratic because it isn't constant. You'll hear it a couple of time then not for a
second, then hear it a second or two, then not. I put a stethoscope on the alt., ac compressor, block, and serpentine belt tensioner. I really didn't hear the same noise.

So I thought about pulling the serpentine belt. I searched the forum and saw some very general into about it, and a discussion about breaking the bolts holding the tensioner. But I'm not sure how to relieve the tension in the tensioner. On my other cars, you put a wrench on the tensioner pully bolt or there is a hole in the tensioner arm for a 1/2" driver breaker bar and rotate it. But from the pictures I see in the manual it's not the same.

I did find a piece by WeDriveScions:

http://www.scionlife.com/forums/showthread.php?t=44310&highlight=serpentine+belt

In his 1st picture, on step 4, I believe the lower left side of the tensioner is showing to the left of the crank pully. It sort of looks like the bottom of a shock. Then in Step 7 he is releasing the tension in the belt, but I can't tell if he is coming down from the top or up from the bottom.

But I'm not sure how to do it. I looked it up on the on-line manual and on page 14-5 (ENGINE MECHANICAL – FAN AND GENERATOR V BELT (2AZ–FE)) they show a picture of releasing the tensioner. And here my questions start:

1. The refer to an SST here and other places in the manual. What is an SST?

2. It appears that their wrench is going behind the pully on the tensioner? Is this correct?

3. If so, where can I buy the wrench? I have a serpentine belt tool (basically a long flat bar with an extension and several sockets for doing
serpentine belts). So is this wrench an add on.

4. Any one have any pictures they can post that are better than the drawing on page 14-5?

5. Any better instructions than those on 14-5?

6. Guesses as to what the rattling could be.

He's only here for today and part of tomorrow. So I don't want to screw
anything up so he can't drive back to Wash. DC tomorrow.

TIA

John

SST = ? Standard Serpentine Tensioner or Spring Serpentine Tensioner - looks like from the description that it is spring loaded . . . never had to work on mine yet so I am not sure but it sounds like it is.

You might want to try checking the bearing on the tensioner for rattle by flexing the pulley by hand and see if there is some play in it. Also check for exhaust shielding rattle.

http://www.club-tc.com/forums/general-discussion/1466-replacing-serpentine-belt.html

says you can fit a 19 mmm shallow socket

SST is a specialty tool for toyota technicians. If you follow with your hand under the top part of the belt you should find a bolt that will fit the 19mm socket. Once you attach the breaker bar to it, you push it towards the passengers seat. It itsnt too difficult to do. Did you try putting the stethoscope on the water pump?

^your right but you pull down towards the radiator.

^your right but you pull down towards the radiator.

Yup.....and when you feel it stop, don't pull down on it anymore, the reason why these break all the time is because people pull down on these way too much even after it has hit its max.....

Lol oops, havent done it in a while. Last car I worked on had it up towards the passengers side.