Squealing Belt in Car

[IT Guy]

I have a 98 Toyota that has a squealing belt. It sounds really bad on the first start up in the morning and then goes away for the rest of the day until the next morning. This just started about a week ago.

Any ideas on this one? Do I need to replace the belt?

Thanks

[porschevy]

There are a couple of possible problems, one of them being normal belt wear and tear, as the belt frays there is more frcition between the belt and the pully's. Another may be the belt tension. Too loose or too tight and it will also squeal.

Whatever the problem, get it fixed right away. When you belt goes, there is nothing to turn the water pump (keeps the engine cool) no power steering or alternator and maybe some others depending on the car itself.

Good Luck...

[Dan Thiem]

Could be an idler pulley bearing too.

[IT Guy]

Why would the squeal stop after 5 minutes until the next morning?

[rmrakt]

If it is the belt....the belt warms up with the friction and grabs like it should...or better then when it was colder and dryer.

[IFallsRon]

If you have a serpentine belt, on't use a conditioner spray that was designed for the traditional V-belts. Something in the formula makes the serpentine fall apart.

[Jeremy airjer W]

What kind of toyota is it? Sienna, tacoma, camry, corrola, highlander, rav4, 4runner, sequioa, tundra, echo, prius? Any of these could have any number of combinations of engines, belt configurations, and/or known belt problems.

rmrakt has the correct answer, although I would like to add that with the cooler overnight temps I have noticed dew on the grass which, if you open the hood of your vehicle in the morning, you would also see it covering everthing in the engine compartment. Moisture on the belt = belt squeal.

Now for the fix. Tightening the belt will only give you a temporary fix. At this point the belt is old (I would guess that the vehicle has at least 80,000 miles and these are the original belts) and now that it has been doing this for the last several morings it has become more than likely glazed. The best solution is to replace! Use a good quality belt. Those o.e. ones semm to last a long time!!! Last tip make sure you get them tight enough. Most noisey belts we see are brand new and where just replaced by the owner of the vehicle. If the belts haven't glazed then a quick tension adjustment and the problem is solved!

Good luck!! One last thought if its a camry, carolla, or rav 4 those power steering belts can be a real bear!! Unless the car is on a hoist and the passenger front tire is off!!

[Jeremy airjer W]

Quote:

---

If you have a serpentine belt, on't use a conditioner spray that was designed for the traditional V-belts. Something in the formula makes the serpentine fall apart.

---

WHAT!!! I think you may have been misslead? In any cause this tuff is a band-aid and not a fix, not to mention that it makes a horrible mess that I don't care to deal with and charge additional labor for my time to clean all this stuff off from the engine and accessories!!! The only real fix for belt noise is an adjustment or a belt replacement!!

[Fishin4Life]

Quote:

---

If you have a serpentine belt, on't use a conditioner spray that was designed for the traditional V-belts. Something in the formula makes the serpentine fall apart.

---

Yeah don't use that stuff. My buddies uncle (who is my mechanic) shunned em for this (without knowing it). I thought eh what the heck (before knowing better) squirted some of that stuff on the squeeling belt. Made a horrible mess!

My mechanic asks me...

I think you have a bad power stearing leak or something! I say, why is that? He says, cause there is sh*t all over the place in there, musta leaked and hit the belt and sprayed all over. I say, oh yeah , he says, you want me to take a look at it. I say, no no no, it'll be fine. What do you know the power stearing didn't leak another drop

[IT Guy]

It is a 98 Avalon with 104,xxx miles. I'm not sure if it is an original belt or not. I just got the car a month ago after a waterhead fell asleep on 94 by Rogers and took out my previous Avalon with his Lincoln. I had a nice view of Cabela's as I spun around though.

I've always wondered about the belt dressing wrecking the belts or not... I've heard both stories and don't know who to believe.

Thanks for the help so far!

[efgh]

I would loosen the belt and check the altenator, tightner and water pump bearning, It might be one of these making the squeeling sound.

[Jeremy airjer W]

The water pump is timing belt driven, there is no tensioner (tightner) and if it was the bearings in the alternator (this is a toyota so this is a slim chance) it would make the noise all the time and would typically be a chirp or a growl not a consistant squeal.

Stay away from the belt dressing products!!! While where at it stay away from the "fix-a-flat" products as well!

[john.wells]

Quote:

---

I just got the car a month ago after a waterhead fell asleep on 94 by Rogers and took out my previous Avalon with his Lincoln. I had a nice view of Cabela's as I spun around though.

---

What is it with that stretch of road????

Glad you are OK, buy a new belt.

[IT Guy]

I tweaked the tightness of the belt last night and now the squeal appears to be coming from the alternator. Sounds like a metal on metal (probably not a good sign). Kinda sounds like fan blades scraping something would sound. Still really loud when I start the car, gets better when it warms up but never really goes away.

I've been driving that stretch for 15 years and dodged a few bullets in the past. Never saw this yahoo coming until he hit me. It was a cowardly attack from the rear. I almost messed myself!

[marine_man]

There is a very good chance that the bearings in the alternator are going due to the increased belt tension.

marine_man

[PierBridge]

Sounds about right...

Another good trick that I have seen work is taking a medal brissle brush and cleaning the pulley it self, while the car is running so be careful.....

[Fishin4Life]

Yes and if the bearing is going out, I would get it fixed before it siezes. Had mine sieze on my blazer a few years back. By the noises it was making I thought I threw a rod or something major in the engine! The engine wouldn't turn at all. Just growned and tried too. Mechanic said it was the most siezed up alternator he had every seen in his lifetime of working on cars.

[Dan Thiem]

One way (may be dangerous) to pin-point a noisy component is to listen through a pry bar or screw driver. Handle end to the ear.

[IT Guy]

I had the belt replaced last night and all is well. Apparently the belt has metal cords on the inside (like a tire) and a small portion was exposed. Everytime that section hit the pulley by the alternator it made the "scrapping" sound. She purrs like a kitten again.

Thanks for all the ideas and help.

[Jeremy airjer W]

And all you guys where doubting the fine engineering of Toyota!!!

Glad to here the fix was simple and ralatively inexpensive!!

Actually the bearing problem with the balzers was an engineered failure so that you had to replace your serp belt before it broke and left you stranded!