Nixter

Hi guys, I posted this problem a while ago thinking it was my fan belts but I'm thinking otherwise now.

Basically it seems to happen a while after, or the next day after I've washed the car OR when it's cool out. Pressing the throttle emits a high-pitched squeel from the engine bay. The pitch and intensity is matched to the amount of throttle. Also, it happens when I gear down and release the clutch, the squeel will match the pace of the engine as it revs down. If I push the clutch again, it goes away. So when I'm coasting with the clutch down, there's nothing.

Sometimes I'll pull over for a sec, even just a minute, and the problem goes away!

The noise is so high-pitched and annoying though! AHHH!

The reason I'm thinking it's not my belts it belts is because the noise sounds so metalic in nature. Also, my belts feel taught.

Any ideas folks?? I know diagnosing a noise is a tough one.


Nix

Miles965uk

try taking one belt off a time (very breifly) and see if the noise goes away
or try and get someone to press the trottle and you have a look in the engine- you can spray a little fluid on things to see if it helps- then you can locate wheres its coming from.
sometimes get a long metal screwdriver and put it to suspect noises and put your ear to the screwdriver- this can help you take out all the other noises going on in there.
good luck

Nixter

Thanks for the reply Miles!

How briefly can I remove the belts? Can I drive or only parked? The sound never happens at startup so I'd have to be driving around for a bit and wait for the noise then pull over, remove belts and drive again. Is this safe? The thing is, the sound would go away anyways if I was pulled over for a sec so I still wouldn't be able to tell!

Nix

pjc

Yeh, I agree with Miles, try taking the belts off - it could be a dry bearing giving you grief. Many of the small bearing on auxiliary equipment have sintered bearings (they are porous and are 'oil loaded'), as time moves on they dry out and can squeal.

PJC

Miles965uk

well you should 1 belt for a/c, alternator and fan.
with the fan- best to do it with a cold engine and watch the temp.
and with the alternator make sure you have a good charged battery- youll be able to run the car- just dont use too much battery intensive stuff and stay close to home if the batt dies- but i doubt it if you do it breifly.
regards
Miles

Miles965uk

yes you can drive it for a bit- just enough to hear if the noise has gone. your sound only happens under load- which could be you alternator bearing- i have this problem now with mine which im going to have to do myself soon.
but before that spray a little lubracation on one fan belt at a time.... only a little tho just dont go spraying mad. do this first before taking the belts off.

BHMSC

Your car should only have two belts (one for the fan/alternator and one for the air conditioning). I would be hesitant to drive the car with the fan belt off (even for a brief period) for fear of overheating. To find out if it's the belts squealing, use some of the spray "belt dressing" on them (any auto parts store should have it). If it's not the belts, I guess I'd have to start worrying about the alternator bearings/brushes.

Kurt V

How old are the belts? Have you checked the adjustment? For that matter, belts are cheap. Just replace the damn things and see if the noise is still there.

Nixter

Thanks so much for the opinions guys! Now I have some ideas at least! I'm going to try some of the belt dressing but I have the sneaky feeling it may be the alternator bearing/bushings as a couple of you mentioned. If this is the case, what's involved? Change a few parts? The whole thing? I'm quite mechanically inclined even though I'm not overly familiar with these engines. Can I do this myself?

Thanks again,

Nix

Nixter

If it's the bearings, would some lube help in the short-term? Are they accessable or would I have to remove/open the alternator?

Nix