"Reasoned Insanity" <mintclovers@@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:vMbtg.9912$PO.163@dukeread03...[color=blue]
>
> "Kevin" <kmouton6@cox.net> wrote in message
> news:3X9tg.66396$9c6.17765@dukeread11...[color=green]
>>
>> "Reasoned Insanity" <mintclovers@@yahoo.com> wrote in message
>> news:8H9tg.9907$PO.3744@dukeread03...[color=darkred]
>>>
>>> <pcalvert@rocketmail.com> wrote in message
>>> news:1152717051.056199.103190@m79g2000cwm.googlegroups.com...
>>> > This concerns a 2001 Chevrolet Prizm (essentially the same thing as a
>>> > 2001 Toyota Corolla).
>>> >
>>> > An intermittent, high-pitched squeak/squeal is coming from the
>>> > left-hand side of the engine compartment, where the drive belt (aka
>>> > "fan belt" or "serpentine belt") is located. This seemed to have
>>> > suddenly started after the vehicle hadn't been driven for a month.
>>> > It's also possible that it was happening before but I just didn't
>>> > notice it. The noise goes away when accelerating and comes back
>>> > (sometimes) when decelerating or maintaining a steady speed. Also,
>>> > initially the squeal was heard quite frequently. However, I have
>>> > taken
>>> > this Prizm on several short test drives since I first noticed the
>>> > noise, and the intermittent squealing seems to be getting less and
>>> > less
>>> > frequent with each test drive. It's almost as if the short test
>>> > drives
>>> > are helping to loosen something up, though that's just a guess.
>>> >
>>> > Anybody have an idea about what could be causing the squealing noise?
>>> > A friend suggested that it might be due to a loose belt, but I doubt
>>> > that. I'd expect a squealing belt to get noisier during acceleration,
>>> > not quieter.
>>> >
>>> > Okay, I need to add a few things because the picture changed a little
>>> > during my most recent test drive (made after I started writing this).
>>> > The squealing doesn't always go away during acceleration. But it does
>>> > seem to occur less frequently during acceleration. And I should also
>>> > mention that sometimes the squeal has a definite rhythm to it when the
>>> > engine is idling. At one point it sounded something like this:
>>> > squeak-squeak-SQUEAK (pause), squeak-squeak-SQUEAK (pause),
>>> > squeak-squeak-SQUEAK (pause)... In other words, two short squeaks
>>> > followed by a longer and louder one.
>>> >
>>> > Phil
>>> >
>>>
>>>
>>> I'm not a mechanic, but I would first check and see how loose the belts[/color]
>> are.[color=darkred]
>>> After that I would go to auto zone and get some stuff that they make to
>>> lessen belt noise. I can't remember the name of it though. If the noise
>>> still is going on, I would look at the things that the drive belts are
>>> attached to and make sure that they are in good working order.
>>>
>>>[/color]
>>
>> Be careful about using the belt dressing for noisy belts. Many here would
>> recommend staying away from that sort of product. There have been a lot
>> of
>> bad experiences using that stuff, especially on serpentine belts.[/color]
>
>
> Thanks for the advice on the belt dressing...I've never used the stuff
> myself, but I heard it was good.
>[/color]
I'm sure Kevin & I both have seen instances where belt dressing has
actually caused v-belts, at least, to sound just like a bad power steering
pump. IMO, that stuff is good to avoid. A squealing belt indicates
something is wrong. s
