After a loud noise from the brush bar area, I flipped over the machine and found a loose metal wheel. It looks like it came from a spring-loaded plastic arm under the brush arm drive motor gear. I assume that this is a belt tensioner. I have been on the internet for hours and read something somewhere that said the belt tensioner has been discontinued. Does anyone know what I can do to get my vacuum running again?

I've had this stupid problem and my $500 dollar vacume has been broke for months so today after I spent hours on hold at dyson and talking to sears and everybody else under the sun and they say part doesn't exist pretty much, so finally I talk to a dyson repair man today 6/13 and he tells me that you dont even need that part and when someone gets one in they remove this part even if that's not what there fixing the so called belt tensioner is worthless he said all I need is a NEW BELT! So I bought a new belt locally and twenty minutes later vacuum is working like new, also you can get five belts on eBay for five bucks!

I realize this is a very old thread - but rather than being "that guy" and just posting a new thread I figured I would post on this one since I have what seems to be the exact same issue. I also have some questions as well.

Here are some parts I have been unable to put back into my DC17 pictured below:



I believe this is the belt tensioner? (I am no expert on vacuums at all by the way just speculating)

My DC17 works perfectly fine, it just sounds like the belt / beater bar are rattling constantly. Im assuming this could be from these missing parts? How important are they? Will not having them simply lessen the life span of the belt? Or will it cause more serious issues down the line. I've tried to figure out how to take the clear beater bar housing off but I dont want to break it further... at least that way I can open it up and look to see how / if its possible to get those parts put back in.

Any information is greatly appreciated. Thank you all in advance for your time!

-kcap