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The problem is not the pulley but its bearing. The tensioner assembly seems to have a lifetime of about 100,000 miles, give or take. As the bearings wear (the arm has one too, although it's just a sleeve, not a ball bearing) the arm is pulled out of alignment by the belt and the wear increases.
Your belt should be replaced but if it is not worn on the edges (usually one edge more than the other) then the tensioner may be OK. You might ask the mechanic why he thinks the tensioner is suspect; the answer would be informative, both about the tensioner and about the mechanic.
Jeremy
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"Buster" in the '95
Our all-Diesel family
1996 E300D (W210) . .343,000 miles Wife's car
2005 E320 CDI . . 148,000 miles My car
Santa Rosa population 177,300 (2026 projected)
Total. . . . . . . . . . . . 668,300
"Oh lord won't you buy me a Mercedes Benz."
-- Janis Joplin, October 1, 1970
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