I recently bought a C5 (2000) corvette with 60,000 miles. It's my first one, but there is a loud squeaking whenever I drive and it stops or dies down after 15-20min of driving. Is this from the serpentine belt? I'm not very knowledgable when it comes to mechanics. But I know they do this during cold weather. It's been 20ish in the morning and 40-50 degrees when I start driving, which still makes the noise. Is the problem the temperature or do I need a new belt?

Thanks for any help!

 

Watch the main drive pulley (Harmonic Damper) when the engine is running and see if it wobbling or if the belt is properly riding in the groves. The rubber isolator bond can come loose and cause it to make noise and also wobble.

There are two belts.. The AC Compressor drive belt and the main and the Serpentine Belt. Each belt has an idler pulley and a Tensioner pulley.

The idler and tension pulleys have bearings that can make noise when they go bad.

In the morning when you first start the engine and the belts make noise, grab a spray bottle of water and mist the belt/s If you mist the Serpentine Belt and the noise changes or stops,, its the main belt.

Squirt the AC belt next and see what that does.

If nothing changes it a damper, idle or tension pulley.

 

I had the same situation with my 1998 C5. I knew it was time to change the serpentine belt because I could see the wear and the tensioner didn't have much tension on the belt. I changed the belt, which takes no time at all, and then started to notice a constant squeak. As recommended I changed the idler pulley (Gates PN 38006 from O'Reilly's) and the tensioner pulley. The squeak went away initially until I started to drive the car. Then the squeak got worse! Initially only when I pressed the accelerator but then continuously. It turned out to be the Gates idler pulley. I put the old idler pulley back on and my squeak is gone now. I am not sure if the Gates part has an issue or not. I did not use the original outer dust shield because the Gates part says not to use it. I also tried with and without the backing spacer which didn't make a difference. I am taking it back.

Bill, have you experienced this before? I am going to need to find a replacement idler pulley eventually.

Mike

 

This does seem to be hit or miss as far as the belt or tensioner. I tried a billet tensioner and it resonated in addition to the squeak. Best bet is Gatorback belts (change both) and make sure the idler on the tensioner is not suspect. This is after checking the harmonic balancer for excessive wobble.

 

Ive never had to change idlers or tensioners so, I cant comment..

 

Ok, I fixed it, it was the main serpentine belt. But now I was driving and I made a turn and the lights went on and it said "service ABS". What's that all about?

 

READ THE CODES!!

READING YOUR Engine Diagnostic Trouble Codes (DTC)

This procedure should be carried out any time you experience a problem with your C5. Most inexpensive store bought aftermarket code readers will ONLY read power train DTC’s. Reading the DTC’s with the C5 built in code reader will allow you to read ALL the modules in the vehicle.

The Diagnostic Display Mode is entered with the following procedure:
1) Turn on the ignition but don't start the engine.
2) Press the RESET button to turn off any warning messages. (i.e. door open, trunk open ect)
3) Press and hold the OPTIONS button
4) While holding OPTIONS, press FUEL button four times within a 10 -second period.

Initially, the on-board diagnostics go into an Automatic Mode which will cycle through each module and shows diagnostic codes in a pre-set sequence: PCM - TCS - RTD - BCM - IPC - RADIO - HVAC - LDCM - RDCM - SCM - RFA. All codes will be displayed for each module. ( i.e. PCM = 4 codes) If none are present in a given module, you will see No More Codes on the display.

There are two types of diagnostic codes, Current and History designated with a letter suffix, “C” or “H”. A current code indicates a malfunction is present in the module displaying data. A history code indicates a problem existed sometime in the last 40 or 50 ignition cycles. When not accompanied by a current code of the same number, it's potential evidence of a previous problem, now resolved, that was not removed by clearing the codes. More likely it's an indication of an intermittent malfunction.

Intermittent codes are the most challenging of the diagnostics. An intermittent code may have happened once, may have happened more than once but is inconsistent or may be happening on a regular basis but not at the time the codes are displayed. History codes can also be caused by a current malfunction in a system that is not operating at the time codes are displayed. An example is the rear window defogger which doesn't operate until the Body Control Module detects engine rpm. For history codes set by a module that does not operate with the key on and engine off, a special diagnostic tool called a Scan Tester is necessary to properly diagnose the malfunction.

Once the system has displayed all modules, it goes into the manual mode which allows selection of each module using combinations of Driver Information Center buttons. Manual mode can also be entered during the automatic sequence by pressing any button except E/M. Once the display shows Manual Diagnostics, select a module by pressing the OPTIONS button to go forward or the TRIP button to go back. Once a module is selected, a code is displayed, and if more than one are present; press GAGES to go forward or FUEL to go back.
To exit the diagnostic mode at any time, press E/M. If you want to erase codes in a given module, press RESET To reset the codes once in manual mode, press and hold RESET until it displays NO CODES Press OPTIONS to go to the next module. Repeat the steps until you have reset the codes in all the computer modules.
NOTE!! Only reset the codes IF you want to - it is NOT necessary to do this. Clearing a code does not repair a problem. You are simply erasing the evidence of it in the module's memory. If you clear the code/s, and extinguish the Check Engine Light, your emissions status ready will NOT allow you to pass an emissions test until you have completed the required driving cycles. There are a few body module DTC’s that if set will prevent the module from operating properly. Once the DTC is cleared, the module will return to full function. This is not true for power train DTCs.

If you have never read and cleared your codes, there will probably be a lot of old history DTCs. It is recommended that you clear your codes and see if any come back during a driving cycle. Those are the ones that you need to concentrate on diagnosing.

Once you have the codes, the next question is: What to do with the information?
First, consult the factory service manual. Any serious C5 Do-It-Yourself owner should invest in the Corvette Service Manual of the appropriate model year. The Service Manual is really a requirement if you want to understand and work on your C5.

NOTE and a WARNING. You can read the DTCs while the engine is running. I pull mine up all the time while driving.
WARNING. Don’t become distracted while reading DTCs while your driving and cause an accident!!!!! Use common sense and drive safe.

These are some very good C5 Diagnostic Trouble Code (DTC) explanation web sites!!! They also explain how to read the DTCs

Here are some very good sites that explain what DTC mean:

http://www.gearchatter.com/viewtopic11755.php

http://www.obd-codes.com/trouble_cod...d-ii-codes.php

Make sure to include the H or C suffix when you post your DTCs!!