Squeaky Belt

My 98 forester has the same deal..and intermitten but obnoxious squeal from the belts..the belts are rather new..not sure what to do...it seems to be worse when the weather is cold...any clues?

Tighten the fan belt and see if that makes a difference. Probably won't need much.

Last summer I had the dealership replace the AC, alternator belts, as well as check all of the other belts. I had some squealing after that as well. I took it back to have them check the belts, and was told that all of the belts were at the proper tension, and all looked good. I still get some squealing at times!

I have seen it happen that, with worn pulleys, even properly tensioned belts can squeal. Only at all likely on high mileage cars, though. In any case, I'd try them a bit tighter. Usually, there's an acceptable range of tension. I'd set them so they are at the tighter end of the range.

(This is one area where belt dressing can be a real help. It increases the friction between the belt and pulley, and can last for a fair amount of time, weeks or even months. You have to decide whether the gain is worth the hassle...)

Larry Van Wormer

Me too. Bought in January and was fine for a month. Its starting to squeek now in the morning. Squeels more when I turn the wheel to its extreme so I am assuming its a power steering pump belt of somr sort. Only when its first started I think.

Buy a can of Belt Dressing from an auto shop and see if that helps.

I bought some Belt Dressing, applied it four different times, and I still get squeaking. The weather has gotten much nier (~65) but when I start it up after the engine has been off for a while, it squeaks.

Is tightening the belt something I could manage without a mechanic? And, should I keep at it with the belt dressing?

Thanks.

I don't think it's worth continuing with the belt dressing. It's a good product, but likely you need to tighten the belt. If you have the basic tools needed, it's easy enough to do. (You have checked that it's the belt that's squeaking? If you are not sure, spray a bit of water on the belt while the engine is running, and the belt is squeaking. If it really is the belt, the water will quiet the squeak for a few seconds, as a confirmation.)

Larry Van Wormer

I suppose I can try that this weekend when I have someone around to start the engine. It only squeaks right when I start it up, for anywhere from 1 to 10 seconds or so, and then it stops completely.

What tools will I need?

I appreciate the help. Thanks.

On my MY02 Impreza, it's as easy as I've seen on any car. There is a separate belt tensioner, positioned very conveniently. For best ease of access, you have to remove a plastic guard at the top, then it's very straightforward to adjust the belt. Slightly loosen the nut that locks the idler pulley in place, then turn the tensioning bolt to tight the belt as needed. Re-tighten the pulley nut, replace the guard and you're done. To do that job most easily, I would use a ratchet, extension, and

10 and 12 mm sockets. A 12 mm box-end wrench would be a help to get at the pulley nut.

If you are not familiar with how tight bolts should be torqued, pay attention to how tight they feel coming off. The 10mm bolts on the plastic guard just need to be nicely snug, don't tighten those too much or they will break. The 12mm bolts can take more torque, but don't overdo them, either!

Can't help too much if your MY97 is a different setup, but it should be pretty much self-evident once you have a look at it. Perhaps someone with a 97 can confirm if it's the same?

Larry Van Wormer

Hey, It sounds like it might be fairly easy. I also just checked the Haynes manual (probably should have done that first) and I think I can handle it. I'm just not sure how much to tighten it, but I can probably figure it out from the deflection.

Thanks for the help, Thomas

Or just after starting when the alternator is working hard to replace the charge which has just been taken from the battery to start the car.

Agreed, but alternator belt squeal denotes a problem with the belt, it's tension or the pulleys.

Under normal circumstances, the alternator belt should not squeal even at full load.

Bugalugs wrote: