[RESOLVED] Belt Squeaks at Start Up

[Jordanbutter]

I'm stumped, My alternator belt squeaks for about three seconds everytime I start my car up cold. I've pulled the alternator all the way out but the belt still seems a bit loose but not that much. The Pully looks fine and is not wobbly and the car holds volts fine and the belt never squeaks after those first three seconds. Any ideas?

 

[Defiant]

Oh, for god's sake. That's DEFLECTION, not torque. It's not 100 foot-pounds, it's 100 Newtons, which is 22 pounds, and the deflection should be about a third of an inch.

 

[Jordanbutter]

There has got to be an easier way!!! I'm changing the belts right now, the power stearing belt was cake, but the alternator belt is a pain. What I did was get the belt around the water pump pulley and then around the alternator pulley and now I'm left with the belt being a go two CM short all the way around the crank pulley I've pulled and pryed all I can but its just not working. Is there a better way to do this? Also the alternator isn't really pivoting I've loosened all the bolts but its not moving on the bracket any more than a millimeter or so. Is there a way to have it pivot like the power steering pump does?

 

[Jordanbutter]

Ok I got it!!! The only thing is everytime I try to tighten the adjustment bolt it pops out but I started the car and there is no more squeak!!! I think it was the Power Steering belt cause it was crap and I believe was the Standard Mitsu belt from the Factory (aka never been changed) But for now everything is good! Thanks to all who gave input and thanks everyone who scared me about the crank pulley. Ha ha.

 

[tcpx]

Thats odd. I have that problem after it rains or the snow melts and the belt gets wet it squeaks consistently until it dries. I also spray a little wd-40 on the pulley and it stops right away and doesnt come back(could be good could be bad)

is it safe to spray WD-40 on a squeaking belt? I'd like to try it out to see if it resolves mine.. since I think I have the same issue as the original poster did

 

[blaster1812]

is it safe to spray WD-40 on a squeaking belt? I'd like to try it out to see if it resolves mine.. since I think I have the same issue as the original poster did

Don't use WD-40 on belts as it will deterioration and wear the belt out. It's only a short term fix and will come back. Usually if a belt squeakes it needs to be tightened.

 

[ECLIPSEESPILCE]

If a belt squeaks there is a problem somewhere. But to keep a customer happy (shhhh) a small amount of valve grind compound or pummice soap on the belt might quiet it.

 

[Defiant]

The amount of WD-40 you'd spray on a belt to quiet it down won't hurt a thing.

 

[tcpx]

sorry for the noob question again but... where is the belt tensioner for the alternator exactly located and what does it look like?

 

[Johnny123]

try checking your timing belt..the timing belt wont squeak but the cams can make a sound like that or something..cause mine used to make the same noise and it wosnt any of the belts..and a week later my timing belt broke..luckily it didnt bend a valve..but it check to make sure..cause your water pump could be out and spitting water onto your timing belt.

 

[Jordanbutter]

Well I'm glad this didn't get locked because here I am a few months later and I've got the same problem again. Only this time I have checked everything. All belts are tight, only like six months old, the marks I made on the crank pulley are still there and have not moved a MM. However I noticed that when I start it and its squeaking the belts move slower and once it stops squeaking they speed up. I've also noticed that if its cold and the car isn't all the way warmed up and I have the lights/heater/rear defog on it will start squeaking in idle too. So i'm stumped guys. Thanks for the help.

 

[terdferguson]

I had this same problem recently after I changed belts. I had to change belts at work in my parking spot ( one broke as I pulled in the parking lot ). When I tried to tighten the Alt. belt, the adjustment bolt kept popping out of the bracket. So I thought that would be tight enough, I was wrong. It squealed for about 3 - 5 secs on cold startup. I used a flathead screwdriver under the head of the adj. bolt to hold it in place and tightened the belt real tight. I used some CRC brand Belt Conditioner from Autozone for good measure and it has been quiet ever since.

 

[knochgoon24]

I've also noticed that if its cold and the car isn't all the way warmed up and I have the lights/heater/rear defog on it will start squeaking in idle too.

This is because all of that is electrical and puts strain on the altenator. That means it isn't your A/C, since you don't mention it being on.

Retighten the belt. I replaced all 3 of mine when I broke one. After a month of wearing in, they had stretched and needed retightened.

Also, maybe you glazed the alt pulley with it slipping. I'm not sure but you might be able to hit it with some sandpaper and clean some of the glazed rubber off.

NOTE: The WD-40 made the belts slip more, only it didn't squeak as loud. I'd hardly say that is a fix. If you must, use belt dressing as a quick fix. It gets tacky and makes the belts stick more, not less.

 

[Jordanbutter]

Yeah I hit it with some WD-40 right before reading this last post. Now it squeaks way worse. At closer look the pulleys do look a bit glazed so I'm going to try and get a new belt tomorrow and while I'm swapping it out I'll get some sand paper on the pullys and and rough them up.

 

[hypnoticpimp]

Yeah I hit it with some WD-40 right before reading this last post. Now it squeaks way worse. At closer look the pulleys do look a bit glazed so I'm going to try and get a new belt tomorrow and while I'm swapping it out I'll get some sand paper on the pullys and and rough them up.

Go to an auto parts store and theres this thing called Belt Conditioner it comes in a red can. It prevents slippage, adds traction and eliminates squeaks (reading off the can)... It really works great


*found it - CRC Industries Automotive

 

[r6speed]

Call me crazy but I had the exact same problem, did all the exact same things you did, and then was told my a local mechanic to take a wire brush and hold it on the underside of the belt while it was turning....squeek has never came back...just a trick thought

 

[Jordanbutter]

Thanks for all the help guys. I replaced the belt today and no squeak now! I took some sand paper to the pulleys because they did look a bit glazed. However I noticed the belt was really hard, like plastic, on the inside so I guess thats from all the slipping it was doing and thats why it got worse, cause it was getting worse. Lesson learned if it squeaks once shame on the belt, if it squeaks twice shame on me for not fixing it already.

 

[knochgoon24]

Then mark this thread "resolved."