Real minor squeel from front of car Need Advice.

[bigbabybills]

I drive a 1998 GSX with 68k miles, and recently a minor annoyance of a squeel seems to be coming from the front of my car. I researched around the forums, and found some direction, but I am at the point where I just need a little advice and I might be able to narrow it down.

The problem is when I am driving down the road I get a real light high pitched squeel (Kinda like the sound when your window is cracked just a little bit). It seems to be coming from underneath the hood, but is only happening when I am moving down the street. Which lead me to my first conclusion that maybe it was a wheel bearing.

I surfed around the forums and read a few posts on wheel bearings, and it said to jack the car up give the wheel a little shake and if it is bad it will wobble a little bit. Both of my front wheels are rock solid. There is no wobbling these babies so I figure I should be good to go in that department.

Now I figure maybe it could be my timing belt. I changed it about 6k miles ago, but the job me and my friend did went pretty much flawless. I mean everything clicked everything made sense and we did it with pretty much no problem(He has changed multiple belts on aother cars, and I researched this job for a little while on the forums). Other than the fact I spilled some coolant, but thats another story all together.

I was also thinking it might be a boost leak somewhere, because of the sound it is making like my window being opened. I checked all my hoses (which have been changed since I bought the car), and connections and they all seem good to go.

My main question is what belts really come under tension while driving down the road or do they all pretty much stay under the same constant strain? The belt that goes to my Power Steering pump intially gave me a little squeekage when I did the T-belt/Waterpump. I retensioned it, and the constant squeek went away, but every once and awhile if the car sits for a few days I get an initial squeek when I turn the car over. I figured if it was that belt I would hear it the whole time, and not just when the car is moving.

Sorry for the novel of the post, but I know how it is when trying to describe a noise to someone without a .wav or .mp3 file.

 

[Allboost429]

When I first purchased my car i had the same problem im not sure how loud yours is squeeling but mine was the throwout bearing touching the pressure plate. Anytime my clutch was released it would squeel.

 

[-TunedDSM-]

Is the sound a squeak or a squeal? I would check your accessory belts for missing teeth and make sure they are tight. Sounds like they may be slipping. If they are shot, replace them and make sure they are tight.

My car would do they same thing on startup, I would get a squeal and it would go away. Then it started to happen anytime I would shift in 2nd or 3rd. Then eventually my alternator and battery lights came on and I lost all accessories and nearly drained the battery.

 

[bigbabybills]

The noise I am really going after is kinda like if your window was just minorly cracked from the weatherstripping. It makes the annoying noise while I am moving. Though my one accessory belt does squeek upon start up which it did this morning. Going down the road is there more tension on that belt perhaps to make a constant real minor squeel?

 

[Splitpi]

Just an odd question but your at and past the 60K mark on your car. Did you do your 60k Maintance of replacing the Timing belt, accessory belts, BS belt, pulleys and tensioners as well as the water pump and possibly the fuel filter?

I would start with replacing those and see if it goes away. If not, you just performed great a great maintance work which will help your car last and so it is not a waste of your time or money and will elliminate the chance that it is a belt issue.

 

[bigbabybills]

I did the accesory belts at the 60k maintenance along with timing belt, water pump, and tensioners. The belts I used were kind of old, because I had purchased them in plans to do it when I bought the car with 32k on it back in 2000. I think I may just go ahead and replace all the accesory belts again before I go after anything too major.