Changing Serpentine Belts on 1994 Corolla

Hello, I have a 1994 Corolla with 178K miles on it and it is making a very loud squeaking noise. I put some Belt (Dressing) Conditioner on the belts and the noise actually got louder. The belts were last changed about 40,000 miles ago and they do not look that worn. However, I do not know what else to try to make the squeaking noise go away. Can anyone offer any advice on changing them? I used to have a Ford Escort and the repair was very simple. All you had to do was release the tension on a tensioner and switch the belts. I am not sure if there is a similar mechanism on the Corolla. Is it a difficult repair? Thanks so much.

Reply to
mwalessi22
Loading thread data ...

While I was reading your description of the problem, what I was wondering was, what is the condition of the tensioner? Even on Toyotas, these things go bad over time and make a squealing noise similar to a belt noise.

If you're lucky (or not depending on your POV...) it's the tensioner and will be held in by a couple of bolts. ~$50 and maybe an hour or so of your time.

Might as well replace the belt, too...

Reply to
hachiroku

I have a 2002 Corolla which I think is the same engine type...? Anyway, I had a weird squeak that was annoying the hell out of me and as hachi just said, it was a bad tensioner/pulley. Once that was replaced the sound went away. I also had them change the belt too.

I thought at one point there was a TSB covering some years and faulty tensioner pulleys but RayO or someone else would know for sure.

Good luck!

Reply to
mrsteveo

There were some TSBs about bad tensioners that Toyota replaced for free. But on the 94 you also want to check belt tension. A loose belt slips and squeal. You also want to make sure the alternator, PS pump, and AC compressore are not seizing on you (bad bearings).

A ~$20 simple gauge from local NAPA store helps:

formatting link

archive:

formatting link

Reply to
johngdole

I am not a fan of belt dressing because it either masks the underlying cause of the noise or it makes the noise worse, as you have discovered. I have a shelf full of automotive chemicals but do not have belt dressing or any "stop leak in a can" products because I believe that stuff can do more harm than good.

I am pretty sure that the 1994 Corolla does not have a serpentine belt or tensioner pulley. A belt will stretch slightly over time and slip, making noise. You can loosen the alternator and apply a little more tension on the belt. Do not put too much tension on the belt because it can cause premature alternator bearing failure. Go to

formatting link
and look at their repair guides for your car, which is listed.

Reply to
Ray O

Found this out the hard way, didn't I?

Reply to
Hachiroku

Don't feel bad, over-tightening the belt is a common mistake. At least you learned from your mistake, many do not.

Reply to
Ray O

MotorsForum website is not affiliated with any of the manufacturers or service providers discussed here. All logos and trade names are the property of their respective owners.