2005 Buick Rendezvous Harmonic balancer out of alignment

ELFDELITE

MEMBER
2005 BUICK RENDEZVOUS
3.4L
6 CYL
AWD
AUTOMATIC
123,000 MILES

Recently the serpentine belt started squealing. So when I looked at it I found that it had split and was missing 2 of the 5 ribs and was now thinner than when I replaced it 2 years ago. As I investigated the cause I found that the harmonic balancer seems to be out of alignment and it is sticking out of the engine further than I think it should. I don't know if this is possible but it just doesn't seem like its in the right place anymore. So my questions are: Is it possible for the balancer to slide out like that? Is it indicative of bigger problems? How do I access the balancer? It's buried pretty deep in the engine and the only way I can see getting in there to replace/repair is if the engine is pulled, is this really the only way?

1 Reply

HMAC300

MECHANIC
48,601 POSTS

Take the belt off then grab the balancer and see if it wil go back and forth a lot if just a tad don't worry about it you can also draw a line with a piece of chalk then start it and reve it then shut it off to see if the rubber has broken. If the line has moved you need another balancer. You may have to drop a panel to reach it but should be able to repair on vehicle. See pic

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