Getting a squeal when the engine is cold on startup.
Thread Starter
Team Owner
Joined: Sep 2001
Posts: 62,160
Likes: 1,733
From: Athens AL
C7 of the Year - Unmodified Finalist 2021
C4 of Year Finalist (performance mods) 2019
Getting a squeal when the engine is cold on startup.
The cold weather has set in and i do have Morning sickness with my PS.
But when i start her up when its been cold outside and i havent started her in a couple days, i'm getting a squeal from the fan belt area, but cant pinpoint where exactly its coming from. The squeal does increase with RPM, but goes away as soon as the coolant gets up to temp. Ive had no problems that might suggest the water pump is going out. I havent seen any noticable "wobble" with any of the pulleys, looks normal to me. Since i do have morning sickness, could this be the PS pump going out?
Any other suggestions? I do plan on changing the PS fluid next time i go home.
But when i start her up when its been cold outside and i havent started her in a couple days, i'm getting a squeal from the fan belt area, but cant pinpoint where exactly its coming from. The squeal does increase with RPM, but goes away as soon as the coolant gets up to temp. Ive had no problems that might suggest the water pump is going out. I havent seen any noticable "wobble" with any of the pulleys, looks normal to me. Since i do have morning sickness, could this be the PS pump going out?
Any other suggestions? I do plan on changing the PS fluid next time i go home.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Oct 2000
Posts: 5,086
Likes: 0
From: Northern tip of Virginia
Re: Getting a squeal when the engine is cold on startup. (vader86)
I have the same problem on my daily driver Pathfinder.
On mine, it sounds really NASTY (like a bearing), and I have also been unable to locate it.
Mine might go for WEEKS without a sound, then all at once SCREAMS out loud.
On mine, Im sure Im going to have to wait till something fails, but I hope you have better luck.
If yours happens every morning, I would get someone to help locate the noise during startup.
Sorry I cant be of much help. :(
On mine, it sounds really NASTY (like a bearing), and I have also been unable to locate it.
Mine might go for WEEKS without a sound, then all at once SCREAMS out loud.
On mine, Im sure Im going to have to wait till something fails, but I hope you have better luck.
If yours happens every morning, I would get someone to help locate the noise during startup.
Sorry I cant be of much help. :(
Safety Car
Joined: Feb 2002
Posts: 4,212
Likes: 10
From: Sun City West Az
Re: Getting a squeal when the engine is cold on startup. (Phil-tha-Rush)
Sounds a little like a alternator bearing. Had the same thing last year ..had it rebuilt and thats what it turned out to be.
Racer
Joined: Aug 2002
Posts: 253
Likes: 0
From: Strongsville Ohio
Re: Getting a squeal when the engine is cold on startup. (vader86)
The alternator output is very high after start-up, especially if the engine had to crank excessivly. This high output requires more power to turn the alternator. I would be suspecious of the belt condition and It's tension. As the engine runs the charge rate goes down as the battery voltage rises. The higher the charge rate the more power it takes to turn the alt.
Thread Starter
Team Owner
Joined: Sep 2001
Posts: 62,160
Likes: 1,733
From: Athens AL
C7 of the Year - Unmodified Finalist 2021
C4 of Year Finalist (performance mods) 2019
Re: Getting a squeal when the engine is cold on startup. (Stingray1970)
Belt is brand new, tension is good. Would an alternator bearing show up in other ways?
[Modified by vader86, 8:02 PM 11/10/2002]
[Modified by vader86, 8:02 PM 11/10/2002]
Safety Car
Joined: Feb 2002
Posts: 4,212
Likes: 10
From: Sun City West Az
Re: Getting a squeal when the engine is cold on startup. (vader86)
There's a old trick to check the belt. Start the car and take an old candle and hold it to the pully side of the belt letting it run over the candle as it is turning. If it's the belt squeeling, the sound should stop immeditally. The wax makes the belt stick to the pully grooves for a time and will stop the slipping temporaly. :yesnod: It's the same principal as why a surfer waxes his board, to give it a sticker surface...... If the sound continues, then it's something else...like a alternator bearing.
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