Serpentine Belt noise
Thread Starter
Staging Lane
Joined: Mar 2013
Posts: 68
Likes: 0
From: South Carolina
Serpentine Belt noise Just wondering what could be causing this incessant squeak the car has. I've replaced the alternator(this past weekend) and the idler pulley a couple weeks ago. Next on the list is the belt itself as it seems to be getting worse as time goes on. After the car warms up in only squeaks above 1500rpms. Any other ideas?? The parts guy at oreilly's gave me some tips: take the belt off and turn each pulley by hand to see if it squeaks or "catches" on a rough spot. Just wanting to know if there is anything i could be missing? Maybe water pump squeak?
PS the squeak sounds like it is coming from the right side of the engine bay, but the only things over there are PS, and the alt. Thanks in advance.
PS the squeak sounds like it is coming from the right side of the engine bay, but the only things over there are PS, and the alt. Thanks in advance.
are you sure it is not the AC belt or the AC tensioner ; that's what mine was when I had that noise. Easy check is to take the AC belt off. Before you do that, watch to see if the AC tensioner is bouncing all around (bad).
Was it squeaking before? If you took the alternator bracket out the new alt could be misaligned.
Do this - take a spray bottle with water and squirt it a few times on the ribbed section of the belt. See if the noise goes away. If it does, it's an alignment issue.
A bad bearing still might go away with the lubrication, so take something that can transmit sound (I have those shop brooms with screw in metal handles - I place them on the accessories while the car is running and listen to the bearing - if you hear grinding, that's what's making the noise). If all sound good and you take off the A/C belt and it's still happening, it means getting back under the car and trying to re-position the bracket/alt.
Do this - take a spray bottle with water and squirt it a few times on the ribbed section of the belt. See if the noise goes away. If it does, it's an alignment issue.
A bad bearing still might go away with the lubrication, so take something that can transmit sound (I have those shop brooms with screw in metal handles - I place them on the accessories while the car is running and listen to the bearing - if you hear grinding, that's what's making the noise). If all sound good and you take off the A/C belt and it's still happening, it means getting back under the car and trying to re-position the bracket/alt.
Thread Starter
Staging Lane
Joined: Mar 2013
Posts: 68
Likes: 0
From: South Carolina
Was it squeaking before? If you took the alternator bracket out the new alt could be misaligned.
Do this - take a spray bottle with water and squirt it a few times on the ribbed section of the belt. See if the noise goes away. If it does, it's an alignment issue.
A bad bearing still might go away with the lubrication, so take something that can transmit sound (I have those shop brooms with screw in metal handles - I place them on the accessories while the car is running and listen to the bearing - if you hear grinding, that's what's making the noise). If all sound good and you take off the A/C belt and it's still happening, it means getting back under the car and trying to re-position the bracket/alt.
Do this - take a spray bottle with water and squirt it a few times on the ribbed section of the belt. See if the noise goes away. If it does, it's an alignment issue.
A bad bearing still might go away with the lubrication, so take something that can transmit sound (I have those shop brooms with screw in metal handles - I place them on the accessories while the car is running and listen to the bearing - if you hear grinding, that's what's making the noise). If all sound good and you take off the A/C belt and it's still happening, it means getting back under the car and trying to re-position the bracket/alt.
It can squeak even if the A/C isn't on. The easiest thing to do is the spray bottle trick. Water will lubricate the belt and take away the squeak. You can do it without even taking off the air-bridge. Just turn the car on, spray the backside of the belt and see. You can do that for the a/c too. 30 secs you'll know which belt...
Thread Starter
Staging Lane
Joined: Mar 2013
Posts: 68
Likes: 0
From: South Carolina
Well i had some time today, so i tried your belt experiment. At first i sprayed the non ribbed part of the belt around the belt tensioner on the passenger side, the noise went away for 2-3 seconds and came back. I moved to the driver side and sprayed the non ribbed side again (where the PS is) and same outcome, sound went away and came back 2-3 seconds later. But when i sprayed the ribbed part down around the ALT, it then went away and didnt come back at all as i left the car running for 2-3 minutes. So i'm assuming its an alignment issue as you said. Only problem is: How do i know how to change the alignment to get it to stop? If its a new alternator and its misaligned would it still squeak the way it does?
Yeah, there's an alignment issue somewhere. Mine does it. I'm about to rip the whole thing apart and install the heads/cam, so I'm just going to fight it then. I don't know how the alt can be misaligned, but it is if that's the only change.
You can also put a wrench on the tensioner while it's running and tighten it. See if you're getting belt slip. If so, you might need a new tensioner or a 1/2" shorter belt (don't know if the alt has an overdrive pulley on it).
Or - it could be dirty. Take it off, clean the belt with soap and water and clean all the pulleys with soap and water. Let it dry and try again.
You can also put a wrench on the tensioner while it's running and tighten it. See if you're getting belt slip. If so, you might need a new tensioner or a 1/2" shorter belt (don't know if the alt has an overdrive pulley on it).
Or - it could be dirty. Take it off, clean the belt with soap and water and clean all the pulleys with soap and water. Let it dry and try again.
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Thread Starter
Staging Lane
Joined: Mar 2013
Posts: 68
Likes: 0
From: South Carolina
Yeah, there's an alignment issue somewhere. Mine does it. I'm about to rip the whole thing apart and install the heads/cam, so I'm just going to fight it then. I don't know how the alt can be misaligned, but it is if that's the only change.
You can also put a wrench on the tensioner while it's running and tighten it. See if you're getting belt slip. If so, you might need a new tensioner or a 1/2" shorter belt (don't know if the alt has an overdrive pulley on it).
Or - it could be dirty. Take it off, clean the belt with soap and water and clean all the pulleys with soap and water. Let it dry and try again.
You can also put a wrench on the tensioner while it's running and tighten it. See if you're getting belt slip. If so, you might need a new tensioner or a 1/2" shorter belt (don't know if the alt has an overdrive pulley on it).
Or - it could be dirty. Take it off, clean the belt with soap and water and clean all the pulleys with soap and water. Let it dry and try again.
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