Squeaker

[CarolAnn]

Today it was actually warm enough to open the window while the car was running - and my gosh! My car sounds terrible! How bad is a squeaking belt? (Beyond annoying - is this a sign of a belt going bad?) :-/

[conundrum]

Well, it is surely a sign to investigate. If you have an older vehicle that still uses V belts, it could be the tension needs adjustment.
If a newer vehicle that uses a serpentine belt it may be the tensioner is wearing out. Serpentine belts are wide and have multiple ribs on the underside and are normally tensioned by a spring loaded pulley with a small bearing inside that can squeal when they start going out.
Either style of belt, take a close look for signs of edge fraying, splits, cracking or checking-if you see any of that get it/them replaced. If you think it is a bearing, use a piece of old heater hose held up near your ear and carefully move it near the suspected area-you will hear the difference immediately.
Please remember-there are whirling components where you are trying to listen-pay attention to what you are doing. If you are unsure about the listening bit DO NOT TRY IT!!

[CarolAnn]

Thank you, Conundrum!

My car is a 2001 Olds. As soon as it gets above freezing again, I'll get under that hood and check out the belts to see if they're fraying.

Can I push down on them to see if things are loose, and if so, is there a rule of thumb about how to tell how tight, or how much give there can be? (Of course, the engine will be OFF when I do that!) ;D

I don't think I'm qualified to tell what's wrong by listening to where the squeak is coming from while it's running - just wondered how long I dare let this go, since I'm unemployed right now.

[conundrum]

Hey-I sent you a PM about this-hope it helps. No rapid starts for awhile, and please do get it dealt with as soon as you can. You are not in a area right now to be stuck alongside the road. Stay warm!!

[CarolAnn]

Thank you again - although I PM'd you about it, I wanted to post here in case anyone else experiences it. It took a 3-second spray on the belt with WD40 to silence it. AMAZING! It was screaming like a banshee and it shut right up. (Hmmmm....Would this stuff work on mother-in-laws? . . . Never mind!) ;D

Actually, I didn't know if a spray lubricant would damage the belt, but it wasn't loose or frayed, just a little dried out. The guy at Valvoline said that it won't hurt it a bit, but it might dry out later and need another shot. I can do that!

[fud24682000]

In the "old days' we put a few drops of brake fluid on squeeky V-belts and that worked for a while. That's only if the belt was glazed and had the proper tension.
Don't do this while engine is running!
Ray Mac.

[annabella1]

The squeaky may be something the belt is running like the water pump or the air conditioner compressor. But if the wd 40 worked, it may be just sliding over the shafts instead of turning them. Watch to make sure you don't over heat or if the air is still working.