What causes a drive belt to squeak?
Your engine belts make a screech or squeal noise usually because the rubber belt is slipping on the metal pulley and just like your tires spinning on the road, this causes noise. The belt may be slipping due to improper tension or because it simply has gotten old and the surface has become glazed, cracked or brittle.
Can I put WD-40 on a squeaky belt?
Spray just enough WD-40 onto the belt to lightly cover the area where the squeal occurs. Oversaturating the belt will result in severe slipping, which can permanently damage the belt. WD-40 is a water displacement lubricant and should remove the moisture from the belt ribs.
How do you diagnose a squealing belt?
One method to determine if the noise is a chirp or squeal is to use a water squirt bottle and spray the rib side of the belt while the vehicle is running. If the noise gets louder, it’s a squeal. If the noise goes away, it’s a chirp.
What are the signs of a bad belt tensioner?
Grinding or squeaking noise from the belts or tensioner The most common symptom of a bad or failing drive belt tensioner is noise from the belts or tensioner. If the tensioner is loose the belts may squeak or squeal, especially when the engine is first started.
What are the signs of a bad alternator belt?
Symptoms of a Bad or Failing Alternator Belt
- Battery light is on. When the battery light on your instrument cluster comes on, you will need to pay attention.
- Dimming or flickering interior lights. The lights on the inside of your car are used primarily during the nighttime hours.
- Engine stalls.
How long can I drive with a squeaky belt?
That’s why it’s recommended that the serpentine belt is replaced early when the squealing symptoms are first noticed. Although it may be safe to drive with the squealing for a few days or weeks, the belt will eventually need to be replaced, and for safety, the earlier it’s repaired, the better.
Why does my Dodge Caravan have a squeaky belt?
I had some serious squeaking coming from under the hood in my Dodge Caravan. Turns out it was the tensioner pulley. I bought one from Auto Zone for $16.99 + tax. Getting the serpentine belt off is a bit tricky but just needs a 15mm socket and either a wrench or breaker bar. Either will work.
What can I do about my belt squeaking when I start my car?
Otherwise, the squeaky belt can be lubricated for the purpose of silencing the noise. Only two lubricants should be used on belts: bar soap or belt dressing. The latter can be purchased at an auto parts store and the former should only rubbed to the interior of the belt in dry conditions.
What causes the pulley on a car to squeak?
The serpentine belt powers the car accessories like air conditioning, alternator, power steering, fan and water pump. There’s three types of serpentine belt wear, pilling, glazing and abrasion. Pulley wear will cause your pulley to squeak.
Why does my alternator make a squeaking noise?
It is generally easier to determine when alternators are the cause of the squeak since they tend to be closer to the top and front end of the engine. After turning off the engine, the belt can be visually inspected for wear and tear. It can also be checked for tension by pushing down on it. Loose belts are more likely to squeal in warm weather.