So I got my serpentine belts replaced at a Midas in Charlotte back in mid August. Ever since they put the new belts on they have been squealing when I start the car, turn on the AC etc. I came back up to WV as soon as I got them put on so I wasn't able to take it back and now it's past the 90 day work guarantee (there is no Midas up here either). How do I get these bitches to stop squealing?

At first I just thought they had the tension wrong, but they look tight enough and I took it to a place that said the tension was fine too. I'm pretty sure it's not a good idea to put any belt lube or anything on em b/c you want to keep em as dry as possible and I've heard stories about the belts flying off on the highway and such. I was told that you can rub bar soap on the belt surface and that would help, but the space is too small for me to reach down there.

Any ideas? I really don't want to spend another $120 to replace brand new belts.

10/23/2008 2:14:45 PM

year make model

10/23/2008 2:28:07 PM

YEAR
MAKE
MODEL
FLUID LEVEL, CONDITION
MILEAGE
LEVEL OF RETARDEDNESS BEHIND THE WHEEL

10/23/2008 2:34:36 PM

my guess is that it's a Tahoe, given the user name.

That said, you really do need to state explicitly what you drive in order for us folks here in the garage to offer any advice or information that's of any pertinence.

BTW, you could have a worn out tensioner that's either (a) not applying enough tension or (b) has a worn out bushing that's allowing the tensioner pulley to cock sideways a little bit

[Edited on October 23, 2008 at 4:56 PM. Reason : blah blah.]

10/23/2008 4:55:39 PM

Oops, duh. 1993 Honda Accord SE 170k

10/24/2008 1:02:37 PM

They ain't tight enough. 'nuff said. Especially if they used el cheapo belts. Like the Drive Rite line from Advance. the damn things stretch too much. Dayco Top Cog or in your case Poly Cog belts are much better and hold their tension much better.

New belts will stretch a lil bit. If they're squealing when you crank up or when you hit the AC, then it's due to the sudden higher-than-normal load on the belts, which aren't tight enough. Unless your battery is really close to shitting the bed, and the transient load on the alternator is way abnormally high. I think the damn things are just too loose.

10/24/2008 1:10:15 PM

The problem is that most shops use this:



and not this:



to check belt tension, too loose and they slip, too tight and it destroys the bearings. Its very easy to get it right the first time, if you take an extra 30 seconds and use the right tool.

10/27/2008 7:55:37 AM

My thumb is a very useful tool, thankyouverymuch.


at least yo gf liked it

10/27/2008 8:11:04 AM

only in her butt

10/27/2008 8:30:11 AM

the 69'ers are playin the packers tonight

10/27/2008 8:35:00 AM

nigger titties

10/27/2008 9:38:41 AM