In an aspect, a tensioner includes a pulley, a main piston chamber, a reservoir, and first and second fluid passageways connecting the main piston chamber and reservoir, a main piston that is movable in the main piston chamber, a check valve, a control valve, and a movable reservoir member. The check valve prevents flow in one direction through the second passageway and permits flow in an opposing direction through the second passageway. The control valve is movable between to provide a first flow resistance, or a second flow resistance. The movable reservoir member is movable based on the amount of fluid in the reservoir in such a way as to change the volume of the reservoir, such that the reservoir, the main piston chamber and the first and second passageways together are included in a fluid circuit that is substantially free of any compressible fluids.

A hydraulic auto-tensioner includes a plunger fitted to a bottom end portion of a rod so as to be slidable along a radially inner surface of a valve sleeve and a radially outer surface of the rod. The plunger has a bottom plate formed with a valve hole. A first leakage gap is defined between sliding surfaces of the plunger and the valve sleeve, and a second leakage gap of which the flow resistance is lower is defined between sliding surfaces of the plunger and the rod such that while the engine is running normally, oil in a pressure chamber leaks into a reservoir chamber through the second leakage gap, and when starting the engine by actuating a starter/generator, the plunger rises until the valve hole is closed so that oil in the pressure chamber leaks into the reservoir chamber through the first leakage gap.

A chain tensioning device includes a main body, a chain guide and a rotary fluid damper unit. The chain guide is pivotally coupled to the main body to rotate around a rotational axis with respect to the main body. The rotary fluid damper unit is operatively connected between the main body and the chain guide to provide rotational resistance to the chain guide around the rotational axis. The rotary fluid damper unit includes at least one primary flow limiting valve and at least one support member. The primary flexible valve portion of the at least one primary flow limiting valve is configured to flex and contact the at least one support member to form a primary flow path between a free end of the primary flexible valve portion of the at least one primary flow limiting valve and the other of the first and second members.