After my recent tensioner rebuild, I decided to check the belt tension warning. I pulled the wire from the front of the cover and got nothing. So I checked the wiring diagrams, and it shows that the lead from the tensioner goes to W25. I open up the fuse panel, and sure enough, there's a wire from W25 to ground! I took the wire off ground, and after a few minutes run time the warning light comes on.

Then I realize...it isn't an extra wire from W25, it's THE wire to W25. The wire was clipped and an extra piece crimped in and attached to a screw. So, as expected, I always get a belt tension warning now with that wire removed from ground.

I checked around, but didn't see the other end of the clipped wire. Perhaps they cut it short, and it's just out of sight, buried in the bundle of wires goint to the W connector. Should ALL the wires going to W come out of the same bundle? Or could this one come in solo, and the loose end could be anywhere?

<img border="0" alt="[grrrrrrr]" title="" src="graemlins/cussing.gif" />

 

Michael:

I have a similar situation: a mechanic used by the previous owner deliberately added an extra wire to the ground wire for the tensioner, shorting it to the radiator cooling fan mount. When removed, I get a warning every time I start the car after roughly 3 minutes. Since I recently did a timing belt job, the tension is correct, so I need to pull the tensioner and check for corrosion inside.

Don't know the answer to your question off-hand, but there has to be a reason for the intentional short on your car. Once you get the answer about the wiring, if you still have the warning problem, you may want to check your tensioner, too.

I'm still trying to figure out if the tensioner can be removed without messing up the belt (i.e., forcing a whole belt job again with the same new belt). My experience seeing the tensioner removed from Dozman's donor engine convinces me that the belt needs to be, at the least, secured so that it doesn't jump a tooth from the passenger side cam or the oil pump, possibly with some strong clamps.

For the time being, I have an '85 with its warning still disabled. It doesn't do any good to have it connected since it is unable to provide a true warning.

Good luck!

 

Yep, you can remove the tensioner without removing the belt. I just did that, used some clamps to make sure it didn't move. Getting the tensioner off was easy...getting back on was a bit more difficult.

Mine is now rebuilt and tensioned correctly, but was dead dry and frozen before. I'm hoping that is why someone shorted it, and there's not a hidden wiring issue. I guess that was easier and quicker than fixing it right. Wonder how much this 5 minute wire fix cost the PO?

 

Found the wire. Sure enough, it was in the same bundle of wires going to the W connector. I just had to remove the W so that I could twist the bundle around and peer into the jacket. It was clipped as short as possible, so I pulled a bit of the wire out of the jacket and reconnected it.

Once connected, I let the engine run for at least 10 minutes...no warning. Then disconnected the wire from the cam cover...a couple of minutes later the warning light came on. One more issue marked off the list!

Makes you wonder what people are thinking sometimes.

 

Some "professional" mechanics being paid flat rate book time for repairs look for a quick and easy "fix" . Five minutes to ground out the warning system or 5 hours to really try to fix it ????? especially if it is a warranty issue which happened after a timing belt service and the customer is not paying . Besides ....it is not the mechanics car!!! Does he really feel bad if the car jumps time and needs a valve job in 18 months ....... There are some very good mechanics ; a lot of average well intentioned fellows , many poorly trained and unskilled ; and some who are basically dishonest .