Wrapper

Ray O wrote:
[color=blue]
> Also make sure that the belt is not glazed or shiny. Check both the inside
> and outside surfaces of the belts. A worn belt is not always obvious. When
> checking for belt wear, make sure that the angle part of the fits the
> profile of the pulley and contacts evenly.[/color]

The belt isn't glazed, but I did notice that it seems to have a fair
amount of powdered rust on it. The car sat for over a month, and
during that time we had a tremendous amount of rain. The humidity is
very high at this time of the year, too. I am wondering if the
powdered rust could be acting like a dry lubricant and causing the belt
to slip a little every now and then.

[color=blue]
> On a serpentine belt, make sure that all of the pulley, idlers, tensioners,
> etc. are on the same plane. If one or more pulley is not on the same plane,
> then the pulley and/or belt may make noise when passing through that pulley.[/color]

Actually, this could have a lot to do with it. I read that the 1998 to
2001 Corollas all have a problem with the belt alignment. Supposedly,
the easiest fix is to remove the pulley from the alternator and put a
shim behind it. Search Google Groups ( [url]http://groups.google.com/[/url] )
using these keywords: corolla squeal shim letter. One of the posts
listed will be called "My Letter To Toyota..."-- that's the one you
want.

Phil