OK gang -

I've been trying to get the stupid belt on my car to stop squeaking since I got it. It only seems to happen when the car is relatively cold (<50* outside), and mostly starting off in 1st gear, or with a quick shift into second, i.e, only when you load up the motor a bit.

I've tried:
- idler pulley TSB replace
- new OE belts
- new harmonic damper (needed one anyway)
- new tensioner
- cleaned all pulleys w/ towel & brush

What else can I try? Nothing has really affected the noise at all, and although I'd swear it's a brief belt slip noise, I'm starting to wonder that it's just not something else? At least my engine bay is looking steadily shinier/newer ;)

Thanks for any suggestions, I'm :banghead: on this one.

-Jake


[Modified by JakeL, 11:03 AM 2/26/2004]

 

I have heard that the Goodyear Gatorback belts work well :cheers:

 

Hi Jake!

Hate noises like that....I missed your first post on the noise - when does it happen? is it constant? Does it speed up with the engine? I had another car that was a belt squeak, lightly scuffing the pully surfaces with 1,000 grit paper fixed it.

If you have a long solid breaker bar or other steel bar, start the car up, CAREFULLY place the steel bar against the alternater while running and put your ear right up to the bar and listen for teh noise, then move over the the power steering pump try the same thing. you should be able to track down where it is coming from exactly (obviously a stethascope is better) Just PLEASE watch your fingers and such as not not get caught in the moving parts

 

JAKE PLEASE CHECK THE FOLLOWING.

the power steering pump pulley must be flush with the output shaft of the power steering pump. was the pulley removed resently?? if it was then it
its possible that it wasn't installed properly.

i know this because i had this problem. :cuss :cuss :cuss :cuss :cuss :cuss :rant: :rant: :rant: :rant: :rant: :rant: :rant: :rant: :rant: :chill:

 

Hi! :seeya

It's been a few months since I posted it.

The sound is a small squeak, usually 1-sec or less in duration, that occurs only when putting load on the motor after there has been no load. For example, starting off in first gear, or a slow 1-2 gearchange. In this case, it's brief enough to not be able to determine if it has much relation to engine speed - it's just a quick slip sound or two, then gone.

That said, it does not sound like a typical high-pitched belt squeak/squeal, it really is a "slipping" sound, as though there were nearly no tension at all. This is part of the reason I'm starting to wonder it's not related to the belt at all, especially since none of my "fixes" have made any impact on the sound one way or the other.

As well, I have sometimes heard the noise for extended periods, 5-seconds or more, coming down of of very high revs after a 1-2-3 blast.

I have tried that as well. Unfortunately, like I mentioned just above there, it's only a sound that is generated when you put some load on the engine (and presumably, on the belt, indirectly...) Perhaps I'll see if I can duplicate it free-reving somewhat, but to my knowledge, it's only when I actually try and move the car.

Wonder if it's some goofball clutch noise?

-Jake

 

Not recently, but I will double-check again tonight. When I put the belt back on last night after cleaning everything up and putting the new tensioner on, everything looked 100%. Not even any belt dust or misaligned anything.

Thanks!

-Jake

 

If you have a helper, try running the car and have your assitant turn the a/c on and off a few times with you listening in - the a/c puts more load on the belt and driving......

That said - I have have a car in the past that made more of a metallic squeak at odd intervals, and did it often during a reducing speed downshift - it di dturn out to be clutch related, as after I replaced the clutch it never happened again, unfortunalty I will never know EXACTLY what fixed it as that was a big project

 

jake so the metal shaft and the plastic pulley are flush? if it is i dont know what to tell ya :rolleyes: :rolleyes: :rolleyes: :rolleyes: :rolleyes: :rolleyes: :rolleyes: :rolleyes:

 

Nick -

I'm not positive, I will have to re-check again tonight. Nothing stood out as wrong last night, but I also was not specifically checking the P/S pulley either. Thanks for the suggestion!

After that, I am going to see if I can duplicate the sound with the belt(s) completely removed (just for a few minutes!), and that will tell me if I'm barking up the wrong dog or not ;)

-J

 

I had some squeaking noises on mine, and just fixed it a couple days ago. Mine also would only squeal on a load. Someone told me on this forum to try spraying WD 40 on the Serpentine tensioner, since I thought this was what it was. Well I did that and it didn't work there, so I said what the heck. I sprayed WD 40 on all the pulley bolts, and let it sit there for about 5 min. to penetrate. I started the car, put it in 2nd, and held the brake while I mashed the gas to around the RPM's where I was getting the squeal. Now, no more squeal, and the car seems to be quieter, I guess from being WD'd real good. I also went to Auto Zone and got me one of the gatorback belts, and it also helped to quiet the car down even more. OEM belts SUCK!! Good Luck in finding your culprit! :seeya

 

Anything I need be sure to avoid getting WD-40 on? Alternator? Belts? any exposed sensors, perhaps?

-J

 

Use the little red tube that comes with the WD 40 and you should be able to just squirt it around each bolt that runs through each pulley. I soaked mine real good. Some of it may sling off once you start the car, and get on some things, but thats really not an issue. No problems with mine so far. Sure does make everything run alot smoother. Good Luck, and hope this helps!!
Jason

 

Just a thought. You said you replaced the idler pulley. Did you replace both or just one?

 

Welp -

checked the P/S Pulley, and it looked good.

WD-40'd the pulleys, no change (also no quieter - shrug)

Pulled both belts....sound was still there.

So my mystery sound is from some other source. Unfortunately, at this point, I have no idea what else to check, other than to assume it might be the clutch? I'm getting a more consistent "squeak" as I drive along too, and more now coming off of high revs. hmm.

:(

-Jake

 

Did you try a new belt?

 

Hmmm. How about maybe the air pump. Maybe a bearing going south? Electric cooling fan bearing?

 

I am pretty sure I've got it narrowed down to somewhere in the driveline now, since it is definitely related to movement of some kind.

(Un?)fortunately, it goes away when the car warms up, and gets harder to hear, until it only just barely does it starting off in first gear.

I am going to have to do some rolling in gear/out of gear/clutch in/clutch out/etc/etc combinations to try and narrow it down to something on the motor, the clutch, the torque tube, the trans, or the rear diff.

I wasn't able to get any conclusive tests tonight - I'll wait for the car to cool off and try again tomorrow or something.

Thanks for the help all... time for some searching again! :leaving:

-Jake

 

I had a simillar problem and gatorbacks also fixed my problem.

 

JakeL;

Ok, let me ask you this- do you have a PCV mod installed on your car? If so, is it plugged into the pass side intake vac port just behind the TB? If it is, disconnect it from that vac port then plug it into the TB vac port that dog-legs off the pass side of it, see if the noise goes away. I know this sounds weird, but I have installed several of the PCV mods of the oil separator/air compressor filter bulb type plugged into the port on the intake. for some reason (Im still not 100% sure why but have idea) this generates a squealing noise through the motor that sounds very much like squealing belts at front of motor. The cause ended up being the PCV mod. this has happened on 3 of my customers cars now. The first time i dealt with this I was chasing my tail much as you have. Eventually I found that the noise seemed to be coming from around the rear crank seal area (I crawl under car while engine idling using a stethescope- loud as hell right in that area). I was purplexed. Finally, on a whim, I simply routed it to the vac port that dog-legs off the TB itself instead of the intake vac port, both on pass side of motor...VOILA.

If you dont have a PCV mod on there, check your PCV connection on both of the valve covers. For some reason, certain pressure differences between the crankcase of motor and PCV system will create this harmonic noise that sounds exactly like a squealing belt. Probably has something to do with the voids between the top end and bottom end. Checking out your PCV is worth a try.

Robert
Gen 3 MS


[Modified by rwj383, 3:15 AM 2/28/2004]

 

I'll give it a shot. I don't have any PVC mods, but I'll see if there's anything odd going on there.

-Jake