Squeak on cold start?
Thread Starter
Burning Brakes
Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 1,085
Likes: 63
Squeak on cold start?
I tried searching and didn't come across anything helpful. Does anybody else have a squeak, like a belt squeak, on cold starts? My car started doing it at about 700 miles (now has almost 1300 miles). I took it to the dealership and they told me it was normal. They even took me to a brand new vette, started it up, and it made a similar sound though a lot quieter than mine.
Does anyone else notice this when starting their car after it has sat for an extended period of time (like over night, or 8 hours at work)?
Does anyone else notice this when starting their car after it has sat for an extended period of time (like over night, or 8 hours at work)?
Race Director
Joined: Mar 2010
Posts: 16,007
Likes: 827
We’re sorry to hear you’re having some concerns in your new Corvette with chirping sounds! We understand that you’re currently still waiting to break it in, but if this concern continues, we’d be more than willing to offer additional assistance in bringing this to the attention of your dealer. If this option turns out to be something you’d be interested in, please don’t hesitate to reach back out to us in a private message with further details.
All the best,
Angela O.
Chevrolet Customer Care
Race Director
Joined: Mar 2010
Posts: 16,007
Likes: 827
I see that you’re also experiencing this chirping concern in your Corvette, and I do apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused. Have you been able to address this with you dealer? As they would be in the best position to diagnose this for you, I would be more than willing to offer you additional assistance with getting into contact with them. Please feel free to send us a private message if this sounds like something you’d be interested in moving forward with.
Kindly,
Angela O.
Chevrolet Customer Care
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Safety Car
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From: Lake Havasu City Arizona
SoCal Events Coordinator
St. Jude Donor '12
If your car was a C5 or C6 I'd tell you you might have a harmonic balancer problem requiring replacement but I don't believe the C7's have this problem like the last two series.
Normal? Personally I don't think so. My C7 is quiet as a mouse. Keep us posted.
Normal? Personally I don't think so. My C7 is quiet as a mouse. Keep us posted.
Drifting
Joined: May 2017
Posts: 1,429
Likes: 126
From: LOS ANGELES CA
I tried searching and didn't come across anything helpful. Does anybody else have a squeak, like a belt squeak, on cold starts? My car started doing it at about 700 miles (now has almost 1300 miles). I took it to the dealership and they told me it was normal. They even took me to a brand new vette, started it up, and it made a similar sound though a lot quieter than mine.
Does anyone else notice this when starting their car after it has sat for an extended period of time (like over night, or 8 hours at work)?
Does anyone else notice this when starting their car after it has sat for an extended period of time (like over night, or 8 hours at work)?
I KNOW THIS IS AN OLD POST.
my 2016 z51 does the same thing. 2100 miles. It last for about a min. Till the car warms up a little then it goes away. I honestly think i need to lube it up and drive it a little more. It sits to long.
theres something you spray on your belts and it quites that down. Will spray and report back. Otherwise the car is a f-ing beast.
Thread Starter
Burning Brakes
Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 1,085
Likes: 63
I KNOW THIS IS AN OLD POST.
my 2016 z51 does the same thing. 2100 miles. It last for about a min. Till the car warms up a little then it goes away. I honestly think i need to lube it up and drive it a little more. It sits to long.
theres something you spray on your belts and it quites that down. Will spray and report back. Otherwise the car is a f-ing beast.
my 2016 z51 does the same thing. 2100 miles. It last for about a min. Till the car warms up a little then it goes away. I honestly think i need to lube it up and drive it a little more. It sits to long.
theres something you spray on your belts and it quites that down. Will spray and report back. Otherwise the car is a f-ing beast.
I've sat in the service department waiting room early in the morning while they move all the corvettes out of the shop and into the front of the dealership... at least half of them squealed on startup. That's probably why my local dealership told me they don't know what it is, but many of them do it and they couldn't fix it.
Advanced
Joined: Jan 2020
Posts: 65
Likes: 19
From: Spain, Europe
I KNOW THIS IS AN OLD POST.
my 2016 z51 does the same thing. 2100 miles. It last for about a min. Till the car warms up a little then it goes away. I honestly think i need to lube it up and drive it a little more. It sits to long.
theres something you spray on your belts and it quites that down. Will spray and report back. Otherwise the car is a f-ing beast.
my 2016 z51 does the same thing. 2100 miles. It last for about a min. Till the car warms up a little then it goes away. I honestly think i need to lube it up and drive it a little more. It sits to long.
theres something you spray on your belts and it quites that down. Will spray and report back. Otherwise the car is a f-ing beast.
The tensioner and the belt have been changed on my car and it continues to make the same noise. It takes about 15 seconds on cold starts until it is removed>
3rd Gear
Joined: May 2026
Posts: 3
Likes: 0
2019 Doing same thing…
Just bought a very low mileage 2019 and it has the chirping noise at start. Changed the serpentine belt but not change. Has anyone determined a fix? Drives me nuts!
Advanced
Joined: Jan 2020
Posts: 65
Likes: 19
From: Spain, Europe
Instructor
Joined: Jul 2025
Posts: 210
Likes: 276
This:
First of all, do the water test on your belt to see if the chirping goes away. The water test: Get a spray bottle of water and with the engine running, spray a little bit on the belt and see if the chirping goes away. If it does, then the problem is probably with your belts. Be sure to check both belts. If the chirp goes away then you have a contaminated belt. You need to remove the belt, and clean all of the pulleys using a wire brush and brake clean. After you finish with the brake clean you'll need to clean that off and then install a new belt. Once a belt comes off the car, do not re-install it. It will undo all the work you just did. Always use a new belt.
If the chirp did not go away, then you have a problem with one of your pulleys. They may be mis-aligned, wobbly, or something else. The idler pulleys are usually the first to go bad. The pulley itself only cost about $15 bucks at O'Reillys. If you need the tensioner too then the whole unit cost about $70 at the same place. With the old belt still on the car, look at your pulleys to see if one of them is wobbly. Stop the engine and see if any of them are loose or something simple like that. If you find something wrong, just replace the pulley.
Do not use a belt dressing. It will not work.
Good luck with it. LS1 engines are touchy with their belts.
If the chirp did not go away, then you have a problem with one of your pulleys. They may be mis-aligned, wobbly, or something else. The idler pulleys are usually the first to go bad. The pulley itself only cost about $15 bucks at O'Reillys. If you need the tensioner too then the whole unit cost about $70 at the same place. With the old belt still on the car, look at your pulleys to see if one of them is wobbly. Stop the engine and see if any of them are loose or something simple like that. If you find something wrong, just replace the pulley.
Do not use a belt dressing. It will not work.
Good luck with it. LS1 engines are touchy with their belts.
Last edited by PicaVette; May 30, 2026 at 10:43 AM.