Help!!! Belt squeal unsolved...

[wicketdreams]

Ok guys I dont mean to But I havn't had my 97 TSi AWD that long (my first japanese car) and I've read all the posts concerning this prob, and I need more input because I've had it in the shop 5 times now and the problem persist. 3 diff mechanics have checked the balancer and all the pulleys, and they all seem to be fine, but the damn power steering/ alt belt still squeals like hell, and over a week's time it gets progressively worse. it's gets realy bad when the heat is on, they've even tightened the belts as tight as they could get them. no squeal for 3 days then the squeal comes back. One shop after 2 attempts even put gatorbacks on free of charge, and the squeal came back. I dont want to randomly start replacing components just to find the squeal, but it's driving me crazy. I start a new job soon that's an hours drive away, and I don't want to have to worry about is this gonna be the day that belt breaks again, while im driving. I live in michigan in a GM town, no one around here is realy familiar with DSM's especialy AWD ones. I need something, anything, any kind of info to slove this prob.

 

[Defiant]

well those starts were over a 3 day period, and it didnt squeal,

Ah. So, we still don't know if it's the balancer or not.
Check it when it squeals again.

 

[wicketdreams]

Well I am down to nothing..the only thing I havnt done is change the balancer..so thats my next move. I did take the altenator I took off to a guy who rebuilds them here and he said the bearings were gone and he's sees about 20 of those a year. He said that usualy when people start to get that squeal which as I was already told by you guys relates to the balancer, water pump, or power steering pump, they over tighten the belts and kill the bearings in the altenator...when I bought the car the belt was so tight that it broke, i had sears put a new one on and the mechanic said that the belt was so tight that it bent one of the altenator mounting bolts and he replaced it. So the guy told me when I replace the balancer bring back the altenator I just put on and he'll give me one wit fresh bearings in it free of charge. So this is what I'm gonna do...change the balancer..reflush the power steering fluid..rechange the altenator... and 3 brand new gatorback belts...I know that may be goin overboard but I dont want to have to deal with this while i"m driving back and forth to my new job....

Now can someone tell me where to get the balancer..for a reasonable amount..or is there and upgrade that does'nt have the rubber ring on it that's better....

 

[jongreenway]

Hi All,
Sorry for making a new post but the other one is titled alternator bearing and doesn't apply to this question. I'm wondering how to test the harmonic balancer. I read about using some sort of marker and make a line across it and then see if it's separating but I really have no clue what that means. Where would it be separating? Can I do this from above the car or under? Any other ways to check if the HB is bad?

 

[wret]

Use chalk or paint to draw a clearly visible line across the rubber section of the pulley. You will be able to tell later if the outer ring has shifted.

 

[jongreenway]

Here's an even dumber question... where is the pulley. I'm VERY new to working on cars. Can I only get at it from under the car?

 

[FORMONTOYA]

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Where the red pencil is pointing is at the rubber portion of the pulley where it will crack and start to separate from either the inner or outer portion.

Draw a line from the inner to outer portion similar to as shown with the red line. If the lines don't line up after it's been run, then you know it's separated.


edit: damn, I'm slow (I really need to quit working at work).

 

[FORMONTOYA]

The pulley is located on the driver side, bottom pulley on the engine, behind the "splash" shield (if you still have it).

 

[sniver]

This just happened to me and it turned out my water pump was bad. My guess is they checked that ,but I didn't see it posted, so I thought I'd say say it in case it was over looked.

*just noticed the water pump was pointed out, my apology*

 

[ames904]

I don't know if this is any help, but the belt on my car was squealin BAD, took a look under the hood and it sounded like it was coming from the pulley right next to the timing belt chamber. I squirted some oil in the space where the belt hits the pulley, and the nasty squealing went away. Haven't heard it since....