Author Topic: New Belts / New Noise (Read 2822 times)

Marauder42 · « **on:** June 01, 2012, 07:57:44 PM »

Recently replaced all 3 belts on my car. About 3 weeks after doing so, I started hearing a loud squeal when I start it up. A few notes:

Car only squeals if it's a cold start
Squeal gets louder if I turn the steering wheel
Squeal only lasts about 15 seconds

My thoughts are that the power steering belt is the culprit. Is it too tight? Too loose? Something else?

Nelson_40 · « **Reply #1 on:** June 01, 2012, 09:00:27 PM »

Since it squeals when turning it's the PS belt. Generally belt squeal is too loose, but in an extreme case it could be a bad bearing in the PS pump if you way overtightened it. I couldn't quote the right amount of deflection in the middle of the belt, maybe someone else can chime in.

Marauder42 · « **Reply #2 on:** June 01, 2012, 09:35:32 PM »

If the ps belt is too loose, wouldn't it squeal all the time?

Geoff · « **Reply #3 on:** June 02, 2012, 06:30:05 AM »

a new belt will stretch a tad after say a hundred miles and need to be retensioned. this can make a new belt squeal. the reason it does it when you turn is turning makes the power steering pump work harder (more resistance to spinning) and the loose belt makes noise. while going strait ahead there is less resistance to spinning, so no noise.
Geoff

Marauder42 · « **Reply #4 on:** June 02, 2012, 06:17:06 PM »

Quote from: Geoff;112932

a new belt will stretch a tad after say a hundred miles and need to be retensioned. this can make a new belt squeal. the reason it does it when you turn is turning makes the power steering pump work harder (more resistance to spinning) and the loose belt makes noise. while going strait ahead there is less resistance to spinning, so no noise.
Geoff

Makes sense, but why does the noise go away completely after 15 seconds or so? The noise wont reappear until the car is cold again.

Geoff · « **Reply #5 on:** June 04, 2012, 09:09:33 AM »

probably the scenario is the belt is slightly loose, so it make a noise on start up. it goes away because after a few seconds of slipping the pullys catch up to each other and the noise goes away. the danger here is the new belt will get a glaze on it from slipping and be even more prone to do it. the other possibility is there is too much resistance to turning from the pump because of issues to the pump bearings. I'd loosen up the belt and see if the pump seems to turn by hand with no grinding or other obvious signs of distress. If it seems good, retension the belt to where it has the proper amount of tension and see what happens
Geoff