My 2001 Tahoe has been squealing like a pig for a while now. The squeal used to stop after about 10 mins but now it doesn't go away. I have seen people report the same problem and have found that the tensioner was the culprit.
I am planning on taking a look at it this weekend. A couple questions:
- Is there an easy way to verify that the tensioner is the problem?
- Is there any way to lubricate the tensioner or will I need to replace the whole thing?
Regards
I have replaced the bearing in some idlers. Never a 2001 Tahoe. Most use a easy to get ball bearing, but they are hard as heck to get out. I have a press and lots of time:)
Al
Ya might want to throw a new serp belt in while you are at it
Squealing like belt squeal or squealing shot bearing noises?
Doc
Remove the serpentine belt and wiggle the wheel on the tensioner. If there is any slop in the pulley wheel, change the whole thing. The time and trouble you would spend replacing the bearings in the pulley would be more than the cost of replacing the unit entirely.
With the belt off, spin the pulley wheel. If it doesn't spin freely or is rough, sloppy loose or grinds when spinning then change the whole unit. If for some reason you think that a shot of lube will cure the problem, it won't. By that time it already needs to be replaced.
When the belt is off, also check the idler pully if it has one (this is a single pully mounted somewhere along the belt path that isn't turning anything except itself). If the idler pulley has any of the above mentioned issues, replace that as well.
Last but not least, when reassembling the belt, inspect the rubber for chips or cracking, exposed cord, worn areas or melted/burned areas. If you have any of these, go ahead and replace the belt also.
Cheers - Jonathan
When mine went bad I used the ol' rubber hose trick to locate the source of the noise (one end to the ear - the other sniffing around for the sound). Keep your knuckles out of the fan.
NAPA's got an entire assembly for, I th> My 2001 Tahoe has been squealing like a pig for a while now. The
Thanx everyone for the responses. I like the rubber hose trick :-).
Turns out the weather suddenly got warmer and the squealing stopped (for now). I know it'll start up again when the temp dips.
Regards
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