Squeaking belts
Thread Starter
Cruising
Joined: Dec 2008
Posts: 14
Likes: 0
From: Prairieville LA
Squeaking belts
I have just bought a 2001 C5 coupe with 27k on it and in mint condition. I drove it back from Florida and the belts just started squeaking. Is this a comon problem on this car and can I just use some belt conditioner, or is that a sign of something worse to come.
Tech Contributor
Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 19,384
Likes: 87
From: Horncastle Lincolnshire, England
2023 C5 of the Year Finalist - Unmodified
First is a good idea to fill out your profile so members can target info to your car or area. Some members wont even reply unless your profile is filled out.
Its fairly common. I replaced my belts at about 30k when they started to squeal.
If they're getting old I'd replace them on spec anyway and see how you go. Goodyear Gatorbacks are cheap and get good reviews here.
Heres a How To that someone posted:
Belt squeeks that are silenced by an application of some type of lube/belt dressing will probably return, and sooner than later. A belt change is in your (near) future.
"Wait for the engine compartment to cool first. Find the main belt tensioner (top pulley on passenger side), place a socket wrench on the tensioner nut and push it toward the middle of the engine until there is enough slack to remove the belt. Repeat this procedure for the A/C belt, its tensioner is a little harder to reach because it is under the power steering fluid reservoir. Before installing your new belts, some here recommend cleaning out the pulley grooves with a wire brush/emery cloth. Make sure to install the A/C belt before the main belt."
Getting the belts off is easy and the first belt goes back on easily too. The last belt needs a fair bit if a push on the wrench to get it over the pulleys.
If that doesn't work, it could be pulleys.
E-T did a great write up a while ago which I've added below. If new belts doesn't fix it, this will tie down the problem:
Belt Squeal Courtesy E-T
You have two belt systems on your car. One is the drive belt system, the other is the air conditioner belt system. The drive belt system consists of the serpentine belt, the power steering pump, alternator/gen, water pump, harmonic balancer, idler pulley, belt auto-tensioner pulley. The AC belt system consists of the compressor, harmonic balancer, idler pulley, belt auto-tensioner pulley.
First thing you need to do is isolate which system is squeaking. This can be done by releasing tension on the drive belt tensioner and removing the serpentine belt. This is the outboard belt of the two belt systems. If the squeak goes away, then it’s the belt or a component of the drive system.
If the squeak is still there, then it’s a component of the ac belt system.
To verify this, release the belt tension from the tensioner and remove the belt. If the squeak goes away, then it’s a component of the ac belt system.
A common problem is the belt tensioner on either system but verifying which system is at fault is the proper procedure.
You could replace both belts, but you may still have the squeak. If you want to find the culprit, isolate the system, then spray the belt of the offending system and see if the squeak goes away. Try to stay away from the idler and tensioner while spraying. I find that belt dressing may be good to identify a belt problem, but it is a temporary fix at best.
The real problem has been the tensioner and the idler. Both of these components have a sealed bearing which has been know to dry up or redirect the grease away from the bearing, thus causing the squeak.
If you find that a belt change does not correct the problem, then a change of both the idler and tensioner pulley is in order. If you just change the idler or the tensioner alone, it will cause the other component to go bad in a month or so. This has been the case with many members. There was a change made to the dusts seals to help correct this problem in newer C5's. Lots of tensioner and idler pulleys have been identified as a problem and it can affect either system. One is not more prevalent than the other. So find out which system is squeaking first, in the drive belt system. It could also be the bearing of the alternator, power steering pump, or water pump too, but these are less probable.
I hope this makes things a little clearer
Its fairly common. I replaced my belts at about 30k when they started to squeal.
If they're getting old I'd replace them on spec anyway and see how you go. Goodyear Gatorbacks are cheap and get good reviews here.
Heres a How To that someone posted:
Belt squeeks that are silenced by an application of some type of lube/belt dressing will probably return, and sooner than later. A belt change is in your (near) future.
"Wait for the engine compartment to cool first. Find the main belt tensioner (top pulley on passenger side), place a socket wrench on the tensioner nut and push it toward the middle of the engine until there is enough slack to remove the belt. Repeat this procedure for the A/C belt, its tensioner is a little harder to reach because it is under the power steering fluid reservoir. Before installing your new belts, some here recommend cleaning out the pulley grooves with a wire brush/emery cloth. Make sure to install the A/C belt before the main belt."
Getting the belts off is easy and the first belt goes back on easily too. The last belt needs a fair bit if a push on the wrench to get it over the pulleys.
If that doesn't work, it could be pulleys.
E-T did a great write up a while ago which I've added below. If new belts doesn't fix it, this will tie down the problem:
Belt Squeal Courtesy E-T
You have two belt systems on your car. One is the drive belt system, the other is the air conditioner belt system. The drive belt system consists of the serpentine belt, the power steering pump, alternator/gen, water pump, harmonic balancer, idler pulley, belt auto-tensioner pulley. The AC belt system consists of the compressor, harmonic balancer, idler pulley, belt auto-tensioner pulley.
First thing you need to do is isolate which system is squeaking. This can be done by releasing tension on the drive belt tensioner and removing the serpentine belt. This is the outboard belt of the two belt systems. If the squeak goes away, then it’s the belt or a component of the drive system.
If the squeak is still there, then it’s a component of the ac belt system.
To verify this, release the belt tension from the tensioner and remove the belt. If the squeak goes away, then it’s a component of the ac belt system.
A common problem is the belt tensioner on either system but verifying which system is at fault is the proper procedure.
You could replace both belts, but you may still have the squeak. If you want to find the culprit, isolate the system, then spray the belt of the offending system and see if the squeak goes away. Try to stay away from the idler and tensioner while spraying. I find that belt dressing may be good to identify a belt problem, but it is a temporary fix at best.
The real problem has been the tensioner and the idler. Both of these components have a sealed bearing which has been know to dry up or redirect the grease away from the bearing, thus causing the squeak.
If you find that a belt change does not correct the problem, then a change of both the idler and tensioner pulley is in order. If you just change the idler or the tensioner alone, it will cause the other component to go bad in a month or so. This has been the case with many members. There was a change made to the dusts seals to help correct this problem in newer C5's. Lots of tensioner and idler pulleys have been identified as a problem and it can affect either system. One is not more prevalent than the other. So find out which system is squeaking first, in the drive belt system. It could also be the bearing of the alternator, power steering pump, or water pump too, but these are less probable.
I hope this makes things a little clearer
Last edited by DeeGee; Dec 19, 2008 at 12:58 AM.
Heel & Toe
Joined: May 2009
Posts: 17
Likes: 2
My 2002 C-5, 56K miles, had a chirping noise for the first fifteen minutes or so in 60 degree weather. Almost stopped when the engine was warm. I thought it was a water pump bearing or a tensioner bearing, but my mechanic diagnosed the a/c belt. He said the vibration damper which carries the drive pulley on Corvettes bounces a lot and causes weird belt wear. He replaced the belt with a cross-hatched belt . . . so far, so good. A good thing because replacing the vibration damper requires dropping the steering rack.
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