Belt squeaking during high load

[justin0469]

My alternator belt doesnt squeak at all until I turn on three or four different things. Most common is headlights, wipers and turn signal, or headlights, circulation fan, turn signal or something. Voltage drops to below 12 and then stops squeaking once a turn something off and the voltage gets over 13. It is just not tight enough or bad alternator or what?

 

[fourreGsixty3]

Perhaps the belt is sliping when your alt. is trying to make enough power to power everything you want.

 

[justin0469]

So you think its not tight enough?

 

[fourreGsixty3]

It could be your problem...cant be 100% unless I see it and hear it myself. Well my bet is, is that it is loose, check that and post back with your findings.

 

[justin0469]

Well, I'm lost when it comes to measuring deflection but it seems pretty tight, I suppose all I can do it tighten it more and see what happens.

 

[justin0469]

So I tightened it a good amount. It still drops below 12V under those loads except it just doesnt squeak when it does it. In fact, voltage is lower then normal now that it is tighter. Normally when I started the car it would stay at about 13.8V for awhile, now its at 13.0V

 

[fr33b1rth]

when you aren't drawing that much amprege from an alternator, it isn't that hard to turn. once you start to increase the amprege (by turning on major accessories) it becomes harder to turn. if the belt is loose, it might not squeel at idle when there is no load, and then when you turn something on it will.

now that you have tightened it, it is possable that your car idles a little lower. there is more resistance on the crank pully, making the motor work harder to turn. it is possable that you tightened it too much. you should be able to push down on the belt and have it give from 5mm to 1cm any less and it's too tight.

We all cuss and swear at cerpintine systems sometimes, but other times they are so nice. Honestly sometimes i wish my cars had a cerpintine systems, and other times i'm glad they don't...

 

[justin0469]

Alright I will take a guess at the deflection and maybe loosen it. Thanks, I'll let you know.