Diagnosing Belt Noise squeak or squeal on a Serpentine Belt

It can be tough to diagnose if belt squealing on a serpentine belt is from poor belt tension or a bad pulley or worn water pump. This is a simple method to isolate the problem so you don't waste money on unnecessary parts.

[@traviskiernan5833]

This is rare now a days "repair only what needs to be repaired" made me subscribe.

[@SchrodingersBox]

Awesome! Thats the philosophy of the channel!

[@rahulmotwani6611]

Yeahh...everyone just wanna earn today, making you spend more!

[@Zaychapo706]

Tell the doctor that 😂

[@Higlyinlo]

@@SchrodingersBox I'm having my squealing car towed in on Monday. A good way to vet a new mechanic. Can't wait to see what he tells me. According to your video, it's a belt issue. We'll see.

[@DonCohen2649]

The liberal comment guarantees I'll never watch this jackass again.

[@dskater411]

Nice vid. Just wanted to point out a couple of quick points/tips: 1. Belts are usually not the root cause of noise. Of course they can be, but often people replace that first, a new belt is quiet, but a couple thousand miles later the squeal is back 2. Lots of cars these days use decoupling pulleys on their alternators, and they typically can fail after 70-100k miles. Very quick and easy check is to pop the pulley cap and check for red dust, or remove belt and see if it is hard to turn. If it needs replacement the pulley is half the cost of a new alternator and typically factory alternators are of much higher quality than $150 aftermarket ones. Save your original if it still works and just replace pulley. 3. If alternator is good usually its usually an idler or tensioner. If you've had the squeal a long time, odds are extra vibration/misalignment has put stress on these parts, if they have a lot of miles on them already (100k plus) you might want to replace all of them at this point. Idlers are cheap, tensioners are usually a little more.

[@sherryfrazier8958]

Good points.

[@labradormcgraw2409]

You can literally save thousands of dollars by listening to this guy! Thorough, professional and straight to the point without any advertising or promotional bullshit. Huge thumbs up to Schrodingers Box.

[@SchrodingersBox]

Thanks man!!!

[@Lokipc]

Maybe. If he kept his opinions to himself.

[@sherryfrazier8958]

Seeing this years later. Helped me from getting ripped off. Thank you from a mechanicaly inclined chick. Long time since I had to work on anythng. All under warranty. This was so helpful. Awesome video!

[@Bunkie57]

This was the exact noise I experienced after I changed out my power steering pump. The pulley needed to go in a bit more. I was about to replace stuff till I watched this video. Can't thank you enough!!!

[@alisterfrance9445]

Thanks bro very informative

[@pandi0495]

Me too. I was trying to find the exact noise I had and this is the sound.

[@hughtufnail302]

Great video! I'm a retired engineer and my issue is not hearing high pitch squeals. The water spray is a good first test,most likely the belt. Thanx guys.👏🏽

[@SchrodingersBox]

@Paper, I agree with your assessment and I am confident that your squealing problem will disappear with tension. One other possible cause of this by the way is a small dripping of coolant on a pulley or belt when engine is at rest. The belt squeaks briefly upon startup but soon stops because while running the drip is no longer on the belt for whatever reason (fan blows it, whatever).

[@Jasonstyles480]

Yes sir....I never would have thought of that...this video deserves an award.......I sprayed my belt and it went away...so I bought some belt prolonged conditioner and it got me a few months so I could save some money and change my belt.....man......great tip thanks a million

[@mattbovee2587]

Very helpful video. Thanks. A couple of things to note based on my recent experience with it -if there's a lot of crap on the tensioner, idler or other flat-surfaced pulley wheels, that could be the source of the squealing, too. -if there is stuff on the flat surfaced pulley wheels, depending on what it is spraying water on them can cause the belt to slip off (as happened w/my old Dodge van). Once the belt came off I shut 'er down, then cleaned the wheels and belt. Inspected the belt (AOK), then used soap, water and a cloth for it (no solvents that might degrade the belt and nothing abrasive that might cut or scratch it). My old van had so many spots of dried grease, road tar, and God knows what else on the flat-surfaced pulley wheels (idler, tensioner, and water pump in my vehicle) I used an abrasive sponge, soap, windex, and ultimately gasoline and a small wire brush that allowed me to get in there and clean despite the small working space. Didn't quit until the wheels were smooth and dry to the touch When the wheels and belt were smooth and clean I coaxed the belt back into place, minus looping over the tensioner. My van needed a metric wrench (15) to fit the tensioner. You might want to check that you HAVE the right size wrench in advance, especially if you're a "shade tree" mechanic, like me. To work the tensioner at the same time as you finagle the belt into place you'll probably also want a cheater bar for extra leverage. I did. Otherwise it's tough to get enough leverage when leaning/laying across the engine to reach the belt at the tensioner. You may want to have the belt behind the tensioner wheel before you start, too (between the wheel and the engine), so that your wrench/lever isn't in the way when you want to slip the darned belt on. Once cleaned and back on, I bumped the starter a couple of times to ensure the belt was seated properly, verified that, then fired 'er up. Most, but not all, of the squealing was gone. Just a chirrup or three. One final tip - when I got out the squirt bottle to test the pulleys again, a very VERY light shot on the idler wheel (so I could hit near the flat side of the belt) caused the last little squeaks to go away. So another use for your method is to allow just enough slippage for the belt to seat and align itself!

[@PatrickjazzguitarBro]

We had the same issue on our '91 Ranger 4.0. We had replaced the tensioner and that helped a couple of years ago. We replaced the power steering pump today and the squealing was back. I went through various forums online and remember going through all of the same answers that were there last time. Some of the solutions seemed really unlikely and, frankly, a waste of time. I found your video and liked your logical approach and trouble shooting. Following your suggestion, we checked the alignment of all the pulleys and noted the power steering pump pully was about 1/4 inch out. We used a pulley puller and adjusted the pulley forward until it seemed to be aligned and crossed our fingers as we started the Ranger and the horrible squealing was gone. The truck never sounded better. No belt conditioner, tensioners, expensive belt, or cheap ones. Thank you for taking your time to do the videos. You helped me to look at a solution that I probably would not have found otherwise. Excellent!

[@MatthewLewisAtlanta]

Very informative and live the delivery and terminology of the host! Puts it in laymen's terms without dumbing anything down.

[@craddlerobber1]

Dude! I'm 70 yr old woman, I can't wait to run out and check this tomorrow! In freezing weather, I'd hear a squeal, always needed a jump. Got a new battery, and water pump. Still having problems with battery dying. I don't think it's the alternator. Thanks! Going to subscribe!

[@donjohnson3701]

I had a squeal in my Ford Ranger at around 16 below, lived with it thought it was just the cold, discovered it was the alternator bearing that was squealing on startup. Discovered it when the alternator bearing froze up - breaking the belt and one of its mounting bolts.

[@1ZZFE]

I really like your video. No frills no nonsense, and you are so generous to share your real knowledge at this time and age, where you tell us what really is the problem. That's v generous of you. Thank you.

[@subzero8983]

VERY HELPFUL. 3 MECHANICS 2 DEALERS AND 1400$ later. i decided to watch this video and fixed the issue . wow i cant beleive .. i wassted all that. time and money. your smart budd

[@deadmallnana7388]

Do you know how much your videos help us old girls who have to take our old cars to a repair shop? Sometimes we turn up the radio and ignore the noise because we assume the cause means an expensive fix. I keep calm and look on KZbin! Thanks again.

[@SchrodingersBox]

+Dead Mall Nana You're welcome!

[@fsback1965]

Excellent guide, saved me lots of time and money! Even though it seems like common sense I never stopped to do a simple alignment check before trying to diagnose a squeaking belt problem. Thanks so much, you rock!

[@RobertBoyett]

"Parallax" - good word. You are obviously an excellent engineer and problem solver. Great video!

[@tomisupsic]

I need to inspect my PS pulley tomorrow, been pulling my hair out for a month now. replaced the tensioner, wp, alt, two different brands of belts, cleaned the grooves with a wore brush. I replaced my PS from a junk yard two months ago. thank you,sir!

[@OneWayDesigns]

I really didn't know that a bab water pump could make the squealing noise. I was worried that is was something else. The squealing didnt start until the water pump issue. Thank you sir.

[@jbmar-jx7uv]

great vid! i thot if you if you spray the belt and the noise goes is still there, than its the pulleys ( bc the water trick eliminates the belt)?

[@mattiawilliams9093]

"More annoying than listening to a liberal" You sir have just earned yourself a thumbs up!!!

[@Jewell579]

Had to laugh out loud at that one myself. Just wasn't expecting it but heck I'd give it two thumbs up! :-)

[@reekoe5163]

😂💯

[@Pittski]

Got one from me to for that comment hahaha

[@williammathis9367]

Trey Chastain

[@bojohnson8851]

Mattia Williams you dumbasses can't even define liberal

[@bg147]

I had this issue a month ago and performed some poor diagnostic work. The belt had been replaced 2.5 years ago and I cavalierly assumed it wasn't the belt. In addition, the idler pulley was replaced a year ago and I eliminated that. So, I pressed the end of a hammer handle against the tensioner pulley and the tone of the squeak was altered. Hence, I replaced the tensioner. The problem did not go away. Next, I sprayed the belt and the squeak dissipated. Oops. This time, I purchased a quality Gates belt, not the $17.99 model I purchased last time. I could have returned the $39.99 tensioner, but the truck is 18 years old, and I left it in. Great video.

[@deletesoon70]

Thanks for the insight, great vid. This kind of stuff is major "slippery slope" territory, people live in fear of problems like this. Lots of money can go missing if you're not careful.

[@INDUSTRIALIST1234]

Exceptional video. Videos like this save people thousands trust me. In Canada if you took you vehicle to these crooks they would force you to change everything associated with your timing belt. Thank you so much !

[@SchrodingersBox]

Marinko Jezabek It's definitely worse in Australia from what I have heard... the women rob and the men plunder.

[@jeffreywilsonrubikscubeonb2428]

Schrodingers Box I was going to try an post something witty in this little thread but I got a sudden urge for a Vegemite sandwich….gotta run :)

[@SvddenDeth]

Schrodingers Box +Schrodingers Box hey can you please help me, i hear a squeak when im in neutral and just rev up the rpms And when i accelerate they do the same thing when in neutral and accelerating the noise gets louder as the rpms get higher any idea what this is? i have a timing chain so it would clunk if it was that is it the serpentine belt or what part should i look to see is bad? thanks. and i have a manual transmission

[@jeffreywilsonrubikscubeonb2428]

SvddenDeth What kind of vehicle is this? Year make and model?

[@LT-nn6fi]

I just wanted to thank you for creating and posting this video! I kept seeing videos of people putting soap on their belts to quiet them down but that just didn't seem right! I knew there could be a more serious issue at play and your video helped me pinpoint it! Loooove your approach and the info you provide! You rock!

[@annieclaire2010]

I was all set to purchase $50 worth of idler pulleys until I saw your site, sprayed water on the belt and whamo, just a belt issue. Thank you.

[@SchrodingersBox]

+Kevin Udell Lucky for you!! I see people replace pulleys all the time for no reason because they misdiagnose this simple cause.

[@annieclaire2010]

Can't thank you enough!

[@jdccool]

The comment "More annoying than listening to a liberal" did it for me! I'm subscribed and thanks for the info.

[@assyrianvoice]

Haha same here!!! 😂

[@carolwicklund1931]

Saved this old lady a lot of time & trouble! At least I know what I need done when I go to get it repaired. They tend to take advantage of older women getting their cars repaired! Spraying stopped it so I know my A/C belt is misaligned. Thank you very much for the easy to follow video on car repairs.

[@SchrodingersBox]

Michael this well could be a tension problem- remember when the AC clutch engages a loose belt is more likely to slip.

[@ctfford58]

Thanks for the great help and video!! Belt looked good but I figured that if I were going to adjust it I might as well replace the belt. Took it off and it was cracked all over the place. I could not see it in the engine compartment. New belt and tension took care. Now I have a happy wife! Life is good again

[@ChiNoMaRtiNeZ19934]

Just what i was looking for this video was very helpfull thanks

[@Manvillebrady]

Nice to see someone post a video that is a true Troubleshooter and not a "Parts Swapper" or "Memory Mechanic". Good video!

[@SchrodingersBox]

Never heard the term "memory mechanic"- what is that exactly? Sounds like someone who makes a repair based solely on what he remembers his parts-changing technique finally fixed for a previous car with identical systems.

[@Manvillebrady]

Schrodingers Box 1. “The Parts Swapper” You know; everyone’s had to deal with the service guy that spends all day running back and forth to the supply house getting another part to swap out to see “if that’ll fix it”! All of that running around costs money and it’s reflected in the exorbitant bill you have to pay for all of those new parts that you really didn’t need! 2. “The Memory Mechanic” He’s a great guy to have around if you’re dealing with the same issues time and time again but you have to wonder - why do those issues keep re-occurring? What happens if something new fails with your system! Is the “Memory Mechanic” going to be able to fit that?

[@MichelleSPodcast]

Thank you!!! You rock for this video. So appreciate!

[@arontesfay2520]

Best automotive diagnosis channel on KZbin to my knowledge. Extremely happy subscriber here.

[@akornylak]

This liberal loved your video. New subscriber.

[@Wes0602]

9 years ago and still the best informational video

[@applepiebetty]

I can’t believe how many people write telling you they tried the water test," but that it only worked for a minute, what should they do? What where they watching when they wrote? Did they even have the volume on? &^%? You told them, and you showed them… Come on people, stop being so stupid. I’m a 63 year old women, and even I can figure that out. It’s only ignorant not to know, but once you have been told and taught and you still ask the same stupid question… “You’re stupid.” Go buy a new car, you’re not cut out to fix didily.

[@SchrodingersBox]

Haha amazing isn't it? Ignorance has no lower limit it seems. I don't think I could have made this simpler for them and still I failed lol

[@applepiebetty]

Schrodingers Box I think it's a good thing we don't know what else you would have had to do. lol

[@SchrodingersBox]

Applepiebetty Betty, you should see my video on diagnosing a battery that dies overnight. One of the most often asked questionsin the comments is "My battery dies overnight, how can I know if it's the battery or the alternator?". There is no hope for us. None. Christ, look at the comment right above yours.

[@JamesHoughStudio]

Thank you so much! Your video helped me silence the squeal in my 2001 Chevy Silverado. It has been driving me and my family nuts off and on for years! After several trips to several mechanics and coughing up close to $1K, I watched your video, spend $18 at Harbor Freight, and re-aligned my power-steering pump pulley myself. The silence is golden.

[@javierochoa432]

James Hough I got a 2001 Chevy suburban with a squeaky noise so far I changed the belt , tensioner and idle pulley and still have the noise... how did you re-aligned the power steering pulley??

[@michaelluciano1980]

All these triggered comments making political assumptions on a 2013 video 😂😂😂😂 Just proves his point even more

[@SchrodingersBox]

Great observation lol!! Emotions don't really pay attention to detail I guess hahahahaha

[@yoshilljuae4613]

Michael Luciano Yes, all stereotypes are correct 100% of the time.

[@michaelluciano1980]

Yoshill Juae Of course

[@yoshilljuae4613]

Michael Luciano So the stereotype of an angry (emotional) person of little detailed knowledge being the image of lower class Republican must be correct. Although people are individuals, trends fluctuate and social classes evolve.

[@soniablades7031]

Thanks my dude, I just woke up this beautiful winter morning in Phoenix AZ and turned on my war horse 22yr old Honda Accord and heard that noise. I was like hmm sounds like a belt component or a belt goin bad then I watched your video and heard .2 seconds of that shit and was like….right again. Thanks for the help.

[@RADIOSCATRACHASUTAN]

Ok , you found the missaligment.. Where is the fix? Unbolt the nut and re set it?

[@k.s.4209]

Sweet, thanks dude for the walk through. I have an '05 pacifica that just recently started screaming at me, once I figured out it was the belt I knew where to go and now I get to have fun fixing it. Thanks again! =D

[@novaplum1617]

"This is gonna be more annoying than listening to a liberal." I'm actually one myself and this was fucking hilarious.

[@spelunkerd]

That's a nice explanation of an old school technique. It makes sense that if the sound is from lateral slipping of the belt, lubrication with water would improve it. And it also makes sense that inadequate tension from a failing tensioner would worsen with the lubrication of water spray.

[@buscador2007]

that squealing was so annoying as sarah palin.

[@dvquadros]

+buscador2007 you are a moron

[@hectorsalamanca9089]

@@dvquadros Liberal: someone who isn't a racist homophobic fuckwit.

[@texasaggieproud]

@@hectorsalamanca9089 you're a what???

[@lisacortez8079]

Your an idiot!

[@TheBadguy42]

Your the bomb . mine was making the same noise. Now the power steering belt came off. No more of that horrible sound. Now I need a new belt and realignment.

[@joeo6456]

Haha liberal joke. You deserve a thumbs up sir

[@yamchagodofdestruction6327]

Bro I'm weak af

[@Epro95]

I watched this video a few times last year before I put it in storage when I was trying to diagnose a belt wear issue on my LT1 Camaro. Just recently subscribed though as you can tell by all my recent comments. I was going through belts every 200 kms or so. They were wearing near the front of the belt (towards rad) about one rib length. The water test indicated a misalignment but because not all my pulleys had the same lip thickness, a straight edge wasn't very helpful and it was hard to compare smooth surface pulleys to ribbed pulleys. I did buy a gates laser alignment tool and everything looked perfectly aligned. I checked multiple times. I did notice a new wear pattern on my power steering pulley that was approximately 1 rib wide and it seemed to have a tiny bit of play in it. I could move the pulley back and forth a small amount. So I hate to admit it, but I took an educated guess and installed a new pump and pulley. There's about 100kms on it and I don't see any wearing on the front of the belt like last time. If I'm wrong, I'm thinking a thermal camera would show excessive heat where the pulley is misaligned. They're used for tire misalignment, so my logic is it should work for front engine accessories.

[@SchrodingersBox]

Good idea on the thermal camera!!

[@KETODiamond]

LOL Loved the Liberal comment! And I am SO HAPPY to have found you! My truck is driving me nuts!

[@MeezusChrist]

mine have coolant up there, how would i get it off? or would i just buy another belt?

[@SchrodingersBox]

Just use a solvent to clean it off.

[@QuintTheSharker]

“More annoying than listening to a liberal” LOL. Earned a sub right there.

[@bad_dreams2346]

Schrodingers Box Thank you for your help first off. I diagnosed my problem to be an alignment issue, my question is and this may be too broad of a question with so many engines out there, but are the power steering pulleys the only ones that are really adjustable? I had no idea that this could be an issue before. Its an 07 tacoma 2.7. The power steering pulley is kind of further away than the rest of the pulleys, and tommorow I will be climbing under the truck with my straightedge to measure all of them. The pulleys that are really close to each other are mainly at the bottom of the engine. The belt looks good, however it does favor one side of the power steering pulley a bit. Not much, but I dont know how much it would take to cause a squeek either. My last question, if I need a pulley adjusted, is it worth it to buy the tool, or just have someone get it aligned for me?

[@cybilized6853]

I knew there was a reason that I love you! "More annoying than listening to a liberal." LOL. Thank you for this video. Once again, you have helped me save the day.

[@khalilrazak6486]

So you love to listen to a sexist, perverted, lying, conniving REPUBLICUNT who treat women like shit. So sad.

[@cybilized6853]

@@Tman53535 Let's go Brandon.

[@MerohDIY]

I have a question: A not continuous squeaking noise comes and goes (Once every few days), can it be a pulley problem? Or pulleys noise is continuous and does not disappear when spraying silicone spray for example or cleaning the belt? Can engine oil cause this squeaking if it comes on the belt by mistake when changing the oil? Thanks for the good video!

[@ks5580]

like the liberal comment right at the beginning.subscribed right then. Also learned a trick or two

[@SchrodingersBox]

Lol thanks, glad you found the channel!!

[@williammathis9367]

k S.

[@howiboy]

thumbs up for that comment yes!

[@JERBEAR5658]

Loved the comment about liberal

[@ZarifIslam]

My current issue is an off and on noise similar to this. Tends to happen at higher rpms, so every time I pull over it has shut up again. Pissin me off. Looking into the alignment bit now. Much thanks for the humor and information, man.

[@SchrodingersBox]

Ok what did your data indicate was the issue?

[@ZarifIslam]

Well, after several hours ( I drag ass a bit). Figured out it wasn't the alignment of the pulleys. Power steering pump/ bearing seems to be getting out of whack. When I turn the wheel all the way left or right and give it some gas I get a nice high pitched noise out of it. Now tomorrow at some point I just gotta narrow down which in particular it is so I can get to fixing it. Neighbor dude seems to think its the pulley rather than the pump, but I haven't gotten into that yet.

[@SchrodingersBox]

I don't understand how that can take several hours when the diagnostic takes under 30 seconds???? You must definitely drag ass!!!! It is already obvious it is a tension issue. Did youi even watch the video?

[@ZarifIslam]

Hah, yup, master procrastinator. Just got 101 other "oh it could be this" type things comin in. Just gunna sit down tomorrow and get this damn thing fixed. I watched it, gunna rewatch it and turn some wrenches. I appreciate the heckling hah.

[@nixonwasframed]

That belt screech is more like a Cruz or Phil Robertson.

[@guapagrande4789]

Exactly

[@ZEPPELIN2739]

I've been looking for an video that was actually informative on squeezing belts. I bought 2 new ones, and finally took it to a dealer on vacation because I couldn't stand the squeal anymore. Their answer, buy our belt. Thanks for the video! Going to work on getting rid of this squeal.

[@FireEater]

More annoying than listening to a liberal I love it so true

[@luckydad7]

This is an old video and yet it helped me a lot. I didn't think any component on my car (2015 Chrysler 200 AWD 3.6L) could be out of alignment, (nothing is really "adjustable") but it appears that the previous owner must have replaced the A/C compressor, (or at least removed it for some reason) and although the new one looks correct, there is about a 3/8" gap between one of the 3 compressor mount points and the engine block. Maybe there used to be a bracket of some sort there? In any case, over time the compressor was slowly twisting to close the gap, and a chirpy squeal developed, just like in your video (I could have been listening to my car it sounded exactly the same). The very simple solution was to loosen all 3 mounting bolts, then shim the 3/8" gap with washers, tighten everything down, and purrs like a kitten now. I had just replaced the tensioner, belt, and 2 idler pulleys and it did nothing for the squeak, I was getting a little nervous about this problem, but watching your video gave me some hope of an alignment problem. The only way to see the problem was lying underneath the car staring up (the A/C compressor is on the bottom) and noticing that the A/C compressor was a bit twisted compared to the alternator which is situated above it (honestly I was shocked to see such an obvious issue). After staring at it for a bit, I found the odd 3/8" gap and was able to figure out that was the likely source of the chirping squeal (which it was; shimming the gap and straightening the A/C alignment completely resolved this issue). Many thanks!

[@paulmvn5431]

"more annoying than listening to a liberal" that made me subscribe.

[@SchrodingersBox]

Hahaha, you will love this channel. No emotional reaction to problems. Reason and logic only.

[@SchrodingersBox]

***** I am sure he would love my channel too, if he existed.

[@marklee81]

Schrodingers Box An atheist anti-liberal? So what, you just love working to keep billionaires hands clean? That's awful nice of you. :)

[@SchrodingersBox]

mark lee I don't see how that conclusion is necessitated from the premises- explain, please?

[@marklee81]

Schrodingers Box I'm obviously a liberal and an atheist and I guess I find it hard to believe someone that is clearly intelligent and non-religious...votes Republican, but I guess you have your reasons. I just can't imagine what they would be.

[@tarikj9]

Do u have a video showing how to replace one of the pulleys? The bottom pulley under the water pump has a torn "rubber outer lip" and everything else is fine with it. And it does have a squeak at certain times of driving but it isn't constant and doesn't do it alot.

[@SchrodingersBox]

Idler Pulleys are simply bolted on with a single bolt. Should be as straighforward as it gets.

[@Noble909]

That liberal joke was spectacular.

[@Rob774]

+Noble909 Indeed... because going political really aided me in understanding my serpentine problem.

[@SchrodingersBox]

+Rob774 Intelligent people will always be able to filter information despite distraction. Hopefully you can do that.

[@bojohnson8851]

Noble909 can you even define liberal?

[@scratchpad7954]

+Noble909 Spectacularly offensive.

[@LORDRA1DEN]

@@SchrodingersBox Liberals are the ones designing cars because republitards are too stupid.

[@12vgs8606]

I did not understand how you fixed it though. Is there a lateral adjustment on the pulley? Or all you had to do was to tighten the bolt? Suppose the bolt was tight enough; are there spacers/washer to adjust the plane of the pulley?

[@MrCes1966]

"More annoying than listening to a liberal"!! You got a thumbs up solely on that comment. Thanks for the laugh!

[@stevemyname131]

After your warning, it was music to my ears. I knew it would be a very good analysis.Thanks

[@brodycampbell770]

Ha! Liberal joke, love it. We all gotta have a sense of humour. Good one.

[@khalilrazak6486]

It's better to listen to a truthful Liberal rather than a lying REPUBLICUNT.

[@HVYMETL]

A lot of us do-it-your-selfers don't have a pulley press tool. I'm wondering how the pulley can get misaligned in the first place. Most info on belt squeal blames either bad belt tension or bearings out in the PS pump or alternator.

[@SchrodingersBox]

+HVYMETL If the cause is those oither things, great but if the cause is a misaligned pulley then you'll need a pulley press tool. I fact I made my own with a bolt, bearing and washers. Hardly rocket science when you're just turning a wrench!

[@TheHangovrgrl]

"More annoying than listening to a liberal" I about died laughing!! Marry me?!.. Thanks for the video!!

[@Aceboogz100]

Thanks for the great vid, very informative. One question is I have the same sound w my 06 Audi A4 2.0T but usually only below 1500 RPM, similar issue?

[@SchrodingersBox]

Maybe. what did the diagnosis indicate?

[@EvermontKing]

Bernie Sanders 2016! oh yeah feel that Bern!!

[@brandonbollinger9921]

Evermont King Bern sold out. He was too far up killarys ass...

[@JB-eb3cp]

Great video. Funny intro!

[@ziggy51079]

I know u deal with people who dont watch your videos or pay attention so let me start over. I DID watch and did the alignment test. The power steering pulley and harmonic balancer are percectly planed. The alternator is about an 1/8 inch in too far according to a straight edge. But the problem started before i replaced the alternator. Its a bolt on style pulley on alternator so i should be able to take it off. Can i shim the pulley? Still doesnt make sense that it started with a little squeal and progressed to a constant screetch. Especially after all the pulleys i replaced. But it does stop with water like u showed on video. What can i shim the alternator pulley with?

[@SchrodingersBox]

Washers

"More annoying than listening to a liberal" .... hilarious!!

[@the3sounds]

I laughed out loud at that too, and I'd be classed as liberal, sort of :-)

@@the3sounds I grew up in Tree Hugger, liberal California yet I love my liberal friends. My boomer age just is that. We can have differences but we still get along, hang out etc....

[@the3sounds]

@ That's great. Good that you can entertain an idea/ideology, without necessarily having to adopt it. Best way to be I think :-)

[@TheVineyardChannel]

I’m still laughing !!!! 😂

[@ChooseWiselyAlways]

😂😂😂❤

[@ArnoTrek]

I have a nissan truck with a chirpy ac v-belt coming specifically from the compressor area. Spraying water causes the noise to die down. Turning on the compressor causes no changes. Since its a manual tensioner, I've tried very loose to very tight. Tight causes more noise but with loose its still there. The tensioner pulley and ac pulley aren't pressed on like a PS pulley and eyeballing it looks aligned. I'm thinking its either the belt or the ac pulley bearing. Thoughts?

[@SchrodingersBox]

If the noise goes away with spraying water on the belt it is very unlikely to be a bad pulley bearing- water will not affect the bearing. Removing the belt and inspecting the pulley bearings can easily be done if desired but I would not lean in that direction. In my admittedly limited experience, this test is pretty consistent and if you duplicated the results from the video I would lean towards misalignment-a visual inspection for misalignment is not sufficient. Even with the gross misalignment in the video it was not apparent visually.

[@favorites258]

That liberal joke was life itself. Lol

[@ajgentry7474]

Got snowed in a few weeks ago and my car started making this noise. This video really helped. Thanks so much. :)

[@mariakristinahawl1640]

sorry, I disagree.... Listening to a liberal is far worse than hearing the squealing. Lol!!!

[@DIZEMANPHOTO]

Schrodingers Box --- But, how did you fix the alignment of the pulley?

[@SchrodingersBox]

just press or or pull it using a puller until it’s aligned.

[@stevenz931]

Lol more annoying than listening to a liberal hahahaha, that’s a like on this video

[@davez325]

I have that exact issue on my 99 Plymouth Voyager....and my diagnoses with a spray bottle yielded the same results. The question I have that you kind of sped over is, what tool was that you used to "change" the power steering pulley's elevation to match the crank pulley?. I was under the impression that the power steering unit is a "fixed" unit and just bolts in but, you indicate that the pulley is adjustable somehow?. Thanks in advance.

[@SchrodingersBox]

Use any universal pulley installer or even a bolt with a ball bearing and washer like I did. Nothing to it.

[@davez325]

Thank you!..

[@rwnroadrunner]

"More annoying than listening to a liberal" Love it!

[@bojohnson8851]

rwnroadrunner I got money says you cant define liberal

[@Andre-op1wm]

Is it possible to fix the alignment of a pulley without that tool you had.I have just your basic tools which consists of vise grips, a couple of socket wrenches, some chewing gum and a butter knife. Thanks for the video.

[@SchrodingersBox]

Yes mine is actually just that- fabricated from a bolt, washer and bearing. Nothing to it- total no brainer. No need for the special tool that costs like $60

[@jerrycallan4456]

Your right, that squealing is more annoying than a liberal, but certainly not more annoying than Trump. I'd hammer a chopstick into my ear, before I'd listen to Trump.

[@GreaseMonkey-zm2ex]

Jerry Callan this video was uploaded way before Trump. not every conservative supports Trump. use your skull

[@jjforsyth3]

how does the pulley press tool work? Is it turned (or ratcheted) once attached?

[@SchrodingersBox]

Yes exactly

[@jjforsyth3]

Schrodingers Box Are you just slightly moving the pulley using that tool until it is aligned? The reason I ask is because it seems that all the other videos using that tool are completely removing the pulley.

[@SchrodingersBox]

Pressing it in until aligned. simple as that.

[@estebanjulioricardomontoya6168]

That engine sounds like a mix of Obama & Hillary

[@yoshilljuae4613]

Esteban Julio Ricardo Montoya de la Rosa Ramirez sounded like a problem with the alignment.

[@JacanaProductions]

Is the alignment thing just for certain brands of cars - never heard of it on my vehicle.

[@SchrodingersBox]

ALL belts need to be properly aligned on any vehicle.

[@WavesofAndrew]

Thumbs down. Really, after the first 100 days of Trump, lmao. Just be a mechanic on videos please.

[@SchrodingersBox]

Typical liberal - you are unable to derive savule due to semantics. This is the first indication of a fool.

[@LORDRA1DEN]

@@SchrodingersBox Your comments are more annoying to read than the news about your love affair with Trump or your membership in NAMBLA.

[@SchrodingersBox]

Is that all you haver Adam? The result of not thinking rationally but instead reacting emotionally. Think rationally. Just give it a try. Unless you are too stupid and incompetent because you depend on rich people like me to live.

[@patrickab01]

It’s true

[@scraplifetrashtocash4551]

Liberalism is a mental disease. All liberals are morons and Commuinst Bastards. And are the leaches of Society

[@jackanderson9424]

2003 Mini Cooper s. Had a bad squeaking sound that started last week so I completely replaced tensioner pulley and belt, was fine for a few days but now it's back. I have noticed that the car doesn't make the sound at my car idles or after a good 40 mins of run time. Any suggestions, water pump was also replaced and doesn't seem like it's coming from there.

[@SchrodingersBox]

So what did the simple diagnostic indicate?

[@dixieleehodges5387]

If disagreeing with what the current president is TWEETING and DOING - makes me a "LIBERAL" - than, damn skippy - I am a liberal. And my brother is a liberal and a better car mechanic than you.

[@SchrodingersBox]

That doesn't make you a liberal by definition, so you're lucky. You still may be on the right side. The rest of your comment is irrelevant and merely bitter emotional response without even reviewing the facts. Wait... yeah, THAT would make you a liberal.

[@travisnapier2693]

My current president has done a lot for me actually it's a shame the first black president will be jailed for sedition.

[@LORDRA1DEN]

@@travisnapier2693 Sedition? Moron. Trump hasn't done shit for you unless you're a Nazi or in the 1%.

[@scraplifetrashtocash4551]

@@LORDRA1DEN Lmao. Liberal response. If Trump was a Nazi's like u say? Your Ass wouldn't be making that comment'' dumbass. U morons don't even know what a Nazi is or capable of what they could do. That's why everyone laughs at u moronic freaks...

[@AuDHDQ]

cry harder

[@kenstephens2248]

If you do have grease or some type of contaminate on your belt. What do you sue to clean it? Will spraying brake cleaner on it and waiting until it dries work? Thanks.

[@SchrodingersBox]

Good question. The best grease remover I know of is Acetone- in the paint section of any hardware store (or auto body section in an auto parts store). A damp rag of acetone removes all traces of grease and oil with ease. It also helps you find any cuts in your skin with equal ease lol.

[@seizuresalad91]

Lol, more annoying than listening to a liberal.

[@nunyaok]

My belt was squeaking like this, even after I had sprayed some belt conditioner on it. The car broke down while driving tonight, I am wondering since now I can not turn on the car to do this test if any of the problems mentioned in the video would be more likely to correlate with a squeaky belt and the car breaking down/not starting? Would the water pump be the most likely of the problems mentioned to break down the car? (I will mention the squeaking seemed to start after the car ran out of gas due to a broken gas gauge) Thanks

[@SchrodingersBox]

Carrie Oldenburg What diagnostics have you done to confirm your idea?

[@imchris5000]

Carrie Oldenburg dont use belt dressing on your serpentine belt it will cause the belt to slip at first then when it drys it will become tacky making the belt ribs more stick aggressively making the noise worse and damage the rubber belt dressing is for neoprene based belts your belt is ruined and needs to be placed because it will continue to squeal also you need to clean your pullys with brake cleaner

[@afv571]

im confused - so ive heard a lot about the water test, all saying that if its stops squealing, it means its the belt and not the pulleys - but in this case its the crankshaft pulley?

[@SchrodingersBox]

Exactly. Not sure what is confusing- the test worked exactly according to plan and found the problem that it predicted.

[@leadegen7835]

Thank you for this! Can you see a situation in which an issue with the belt would cause the speedometer sensor to malfunction, too? Every time the squealing occurs in my 2004 Honda Civic the speedometer starts acting up, too.

[@SchrodingersBox]

I could- it is was slipping and alternator was not charging properly. this could cause low battery charge which can cause such symptoms.

[@Unlucky13ification]

Thank you for your simple explanation! I didn't want to guess the problem only to find out that I fixed or replaced the wrong thing.

[@sunilayya8948]

Great clip. But, is spraying water next to alternator safe?

[@SchrodingersBox]

Yes it is. Ever get a car wash? Way more water hits the alternator than a spray bottle

[@angelaeaglesbeauty3892]

what bearing would cause the same noise as a misaligned belt? I have an 03 trailblazer that i replaced the idler pulley,tensioner assembly,and serpentine belt on.. but i am still hearing a chirping noise. i have noticed that the noise seems to get louder with acceleration.

[@SchrodingersBox]

What did the diagnostic test indicaste the issue was?

[@koobra87]

Question, would it not be better to align pulleys using the inside edge that the belt actually rides on? My concern here is that the outside width could vary between pulleys, for example if you've had to install an off brand alternator.

[@SchrodingersBox]

koobra87 Agreed- I think I also mentioned this specifically if your AC compressor pulley is suspected due to the clutch being in the way, but either way- ensuring you are measuring the belt contact area when aligning is of course necessary. I believe professionals actually use a laser device for ensuring aligtnment in fact.

[@TheYamaha109]

Okay so I have a misalignment problem, but how does that happen? Is there a bearing that is walking? I come from the motorcycle world so this is a bit different for me

[@SchrodingersBox]

It can be a bad bearing, incorrect installation of a pulley, or excessive vibration walking the pulley out of alignment. If it’s misaligned it’s best to replace the misaligned pulley and replace belt tensioner.

[@cheyannegroomer4979]

2007 ford focus with an annoying squeel here, but there is a noticable rocking on the water pump pulley. Replace pump and pulley?

[@SchrodingersBox]

exactly.