chirping
Thread Starter
5th Gear
Joined: Oct 2014
Posts: 5
Likes: 0
From: University Place Wa
chirping
Old subject, new question. 2001 C5, new serpentine belt 3 weeks ago, new plugs, wires. Chirping, front of engine (loud) begins 30 sec after start-up and goes away completely after 10-15 minutes of driving. Can't locate very well. Goes away with taking primary serpentine belt off. If it was a pulley or alternator, why would it go away after warm up? Though those are obvious culprits. Pulleys run smooth and alternater drive smooth and silent without belt.
Thanks for any advice!
Thanks for any advice!
Le Mans Master
Joined: Sep 2013
Posts: 8,900
Likes: 1,074
From: Wisconsin
1st Gear
Joined: Apr 2003
Posts: 1
Likes: 0
From: Upper Marlboro Md
With the engine running watch the groves on the harmonic balancer. Do they track straight? Harmonic balancer failure is NOT a stranger to the C5. As the balancer "wobbles" the belt does not track true with the other pulleys.
Have you manually turned the tensioner pulley? Does the pulley roll smoothly on the bearings? Tensioner pulley failure is also no stranger to the C5.
Have you manually turned the tensioner pulley? Does the pulley roll smoothly on the bearings? Tensioner pulley failure is also no stranger to the C5.
Thread Starter
5th Gear
Joined: Oct 2014
Posts: 5
Likes: 0
From: University Place Wa
J
Thread Starter
5th Gear
Joined: Oct 2014
Posts: 5
Likes: 0
From: University Place Wa
With the engine running watch the groves on the harmonic balancer. Do they track straight? Harmonic balancer failure is NOT a stranger to the C5. As the balancer "wobbles" the belt does not track true with the other pulleys.
Have you manually turned the tensioner pulley? Does the pulley roll smoothly on the bearings? Tensioner pulley failure is also no stranger to the C5.
Have you manually turned the tensioner pulley? Does the pulley roll smoothly on the bearings? Tensioner pulley failure is also no stranger to the C5.
Thank you!
J
Le Mans Master
Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 6,868
Likes: 770
From: Kelso Washington
St. Jude Donor '09, '13, '15
I had chirping of the top belt so replaced the belt and tensioner. Then the bottom (AC) belt chirped worse.
Replaced the belts, both tensioners, water pump.....end of chirping....for a while. Crank pulley/balancer is intact and not wobbling....but a little rough.
Next chirping was due to coolant leaking onto it from radiator expansion tank leak....fixed......no chirping for awhile.
When it came back, my guy (vette guru in this area) put some RTV silicone on the belts.......been fine since, even after a 1300 mile road trip!
Weird....but it worked.
Replaced the belts, both tensioners, water pump.....end of chirping....for a while. Crank pulley/balancer is intact and not wobbling....but a little rough.
Next chirping was due to coolant leaking onto it from radiator expansion tank leak....fixed......no chirping for awhile.
When it came back, my guy (vette guru in this area) put some RTV silicone on the belts.......been fine since, even after a 1300 mile road trip!
Weird....but it worked.
Corvette Stories
The Best of Corvette for Corvette Enthusiasts
Every 2027 Corvette Engine Explained
Joe Kucinski
Designer Imagines A Corvette That Looks More Like a Corvette Than the Corvette
Verdad Gallardo
10 Ugly Corvettes That We Still Kinda Love
Joe Kucinski
Top 10 Most Expensive Corvettes Ever Sold on Bring A Trailer
Brett Foote
10 Things Every Corvette Owner Needs (2026 Edition)
Michael S. Palmer
8 Most "Only Corvette Owners Understand" Quirks and Problems
Pouria Savadkouei
10 Reasons the C6 Z06 is Still A Performance Benchmark After 20 Years
Joe Kucinski
How Much Horsepower Every Corvette Engine "LOST" in 1972
Joe Kucinski
Top 10 DOs and DON'Ts for Protecting Your Convertible Top!
Michael S. Palmer
Advanced
Joined: Jun 2011
Posts: 67
Likes: 0
From: Westlake Village CA
Old subject, new question. 2001 C5, new serpentine belt 3 weeks ago, new plugs, wires. Chirping, front of engine (loud) begins 30 sec after start-up and goes away completely after 10-15 minutes of driving. Can't locate very well. Goes away with taking primary serpentine belt off. If it was a pulley or alternator, why would it go away after warm up? Though those are obvious culprits. Pulleys run smooth and alternater drive smooth and silent without belt.
Thanks for any advice!
Thanks for any advice!
Advanced
Joined: Oct 2014
Posts: 86
Likes: 1
From: Pinellas Park Florida
At my shop we see a lot of this. I tackle it like this. First watch the balancer. Specifically, look to see if it moves the belt. If the belt moves even a little. Replace the balancer. It is most likely the noise and is only going to get worse. Second, take off the primary belt and run it. You already did that so you know it is on the primary. Once, I know which belt it is and that it isn't the balancer the next step is installing a goodyear gatorback belt. Almost all of the belt chirps we fix are fixed with either a gatorback belt or a balancer. I won't use any other belt even in a pinch. If that doesn't fix it I take a spray bottle of water and lightly spray the belt as it runs into each pulley. When you spray the pulley that is responsible for the noise it will either get much louder or most likely stop all together. Spray lightly. If you soak the belt it will stop the noise no matter where you spray and could be misleading. My money says a Gatorback fixes it. But, if not happy hunting.
Thread Starter
5th Gear
Joined: Oct 2014
Posts: 5
Likes: 0
From: University Place Wa
I had the same issue, only mine would get worse as the car heated up. Wound up replacing ALL the pulleys on both belts and also tried a new serpentine belt and it still came back. I then switched out both belts to the Goodyear Gatorback Poly-V belt and it's completely gone and hasn't returned. A lot of the C5 owners claim that the Goodyear belts are the only ones that don't chirp.
J
Thread Starter
5th Gear
Joined: Oct 2014
Posts: 5
Likes: 0
From: University Place Wa
At my shop we see a lot of this. I tackle it like this. First watch the balancer. Specifically, look to see if it moves the belt. If the belt moves even a little. Replace the balancer. It is most likely the noise and is only going to get worse. Second, take off the primary belt and run it. You already did that so you know it is on the primary. Once, I know which belt it is and that it isn't the balancer the next step is installing a goodyear gatorback belt. Almost all of the belt chirps we fix are fixed with either a gatorback belt or a balancer. I won't use any other belt even in a pinch. If that doesn't fix it I take a spray bottle of water and lightly spray the belt as it runs into each pulley. When you spray the pulley that is responsible for the noise it will either get much louder or most likely stop all together. Spray lightly. If you soak the belt it will stop the noise no matter where you spray and could be misleading. My money says a Gatorback fixes it. But, if not happy hunting.
J
