I finally figured out how to use my mechanics stethoscope. By "I" I mean someone on youtube showed me...I thought the bolts holding the pulleys would spin.

Can someone confirm on there RX350 if/that the tensioner makes a noise different than the idlers? My idlers sound the same as when I put the stethoscope on the engine itself. Same kind of noise. (Sorry, even though I am a native english speaker, I do not have the words to describe the sound that is made by listening to a motor through the stethoscope.) But the tensioner is different. LIke more movement going on in it, I don't know. Yet, the tensioner is on a spring so I would expect it to move compared to a fixed pulley.

Also, had anyone seen instructions on how to remove the whole tensioner? I've been searching and I keep being brought back to the waterpump instructions which only describe how to remove the tensioner pulley. It then goes on to say, more or less, removing the whole tensioner is a PITA.

Finally, does anyone know of the part number for the tensioner? On partexpress, Lexus, and Toyota sites, I can only find the complete assembly. I want to try just the pulley.

 

Throw an oem belt on it and be done. I have been through hell on a Honda Odyssey with a "squeak" and it ended up being a Dayco belt (replaced three times). I put a Honda belt on it and all was well.

 

This was not the fix action. It was a pulley which was the culprit.