Belt Squeal at start up help please

Question

i changed both belts on my car. and then they started squealing. i tried more tension - less tension and belt dressing and they still squeal how do i stop this. also it only happens for the first minute or so. Thank you for the soap idea but i dont have room to get to the under side

the belts matched size and width of the old ones

Answer 1

Since you didn't state what kind of car we are talking about, I am going to throw a generic diagnosis at you based on actual experience.

You mentioned the vehicle had more than one belt and that you had adjusted them. This tells me we are dealing with an older vehicle that uses "V" belts instead of serpentine drive.

Since this happens after start up and continues for several seconds maybe even a couple of minutes, I am going to suspect it is the alternator.

I am basing this on the fact that Fords used to do this on some of their heavier trucks. A cold engine is harder to turn over than a warm engine. This means the starter is using a lot more amps to start the vehicle and the battery requires a healthy charge once the vehicle is started. If you have any doubts that it is the alternator, simply remove the alternator belt and try a cold start.

Does this mean your alternator is bad? No. It may not mean your starter is bad either. The first thing I would check is if your battery is good and the connections are clean and secure. This doesn't mean just look at them. Remove them and make sure the connections are clean and secure. Make sure the ground cable is secure to the engine. If there is any doubt, remove and clean it. I would also highly recommend running a second ground strap from the engine to the frame.

Once you are certain the battery is good and the connections are clean, you can start suspecting an aging starter. If it is drawing too many amps it could be taxing your charging system on a cold start.

While all this seems unlikely, I can tell you from first hand experience I have dealt with a cold start belt squeal on 2 different vehicles and on both occasions it was either a bad connection from the battery, or a bad battery.  

Answer 2

It is very likely that the alternator belt is slipping.  It tries to hurry up and get the battery charged up after starting and takes quite a bit of torque.  (this is the likely cause--there may be other explanations)  Be sure the alternator belt is fiddle string tight.  If there are two belts to the alternator and the belts are not from the same batch they might be slightly different  length even though the numbers are the same.  You can test this by checking to see if they have the same tension in place.  Push on each in turn and the same pressure should get the same flex.

Answer 3

Sounds like a bearing squeak. Go ahead and tun it until you have a consist squeak then have it checked. The bearing may be getting dry or starting to go out. It may also stop once the belts stretch a little also. That is if you didn't have a squeak before replacing them

Answer 4

NEED NEW BELT

Answer 5

The alternator or another pulley could be partially siezed - if the belts are tight and there is still a squeal

Answer 6

Try belt dressing, its just a spray can about 2.00 at the auto store and normally well help with that since it is a new belt.