Squeaking

[acole1]

Recently I started getting this annoying squeaking sound around my alternator. It started about the same time all this rain started (about 2 weeks ago), and my guess is that it's just a wet belt or something... but I'm not sure.


I sprayed the belt/alternator wheel with some WD40/Silicon spray and it stops the noise for a short time. But after I get a few miles down the road it starts up again.

I'm thinking it's my moist belt rubbing on my alternator wheel (from water or humidity), or one of those huge puddles I have gone through got into some bearings in my alternator and rusted them.


Which one is more likely? And how can I fix it?! It's driving me nuts, and it sounds like I have a 15yr old rust bucket when I drive down the road now.

Thanks!

 

[steppinthrax]

Originally posted by: acole1
Recently I started getting this annoying squeaking sound around my alternator. It started about the same time all this rain started (about 2 weeks ago), and my guess is that it's just a wet belt or something... but I'm not sure.


I sprayed the belt/alternator wheel with some WD40/Silicon spray and it stops the noise for a short time. But after I get a few miles down the road it starts up again.

I'm thinking it's my moist belt rubbing on my alternator wheel (from water or humidity), or one of those huge puddles I have gone through got into some bearings in my alternator and rusted them.


Which one is more likely? And how can I fix it?! It's driving me nuts, and it sounds like I have a 15yr old rust bucket when I drive down the road now.

Thanks!

Have you tried spraying WD-40 directly on the alternator bearings. It sounds almost like the belt or tensionor is bad.

 

[Zenmervolt]

There's no way you'd get enough WD-40 into the bearings to quiet them down if they were making noise. It's pretty much guaranteed to be a belt.

ZV

 

[acole1]

So replacement of the belt would be the best solution?


What would happen if I just let it be till we dried out? It's sposed to stop raining soon, I think.

 

[acole1]

Originally posted by: steppinthrax

Originally posted by: acole1
Recently I started getting this annoying squeaking sound around my alternator. It started about the same time all this rain started (about 2 weeks ago), and my guess is that it's just a wet belt or something... but I'm not sure.


I sprayed the belt/alternator wheel with some WD40/Silicon spray and it stops the noise for a short time. But after I get a few miles down the road it starts up again.

I'm thinking it's my moist belt rubbing on my alternator wheel (from water or humidity), or one of those huge puddles I have gone through got into some bearings in my alternator and rusted them.


Which one is more likely? And how can I fix it?! It's driving me nuts, and it sounds like I have a 15yr old rust bucket when I drive down the road now.

Thanks!

Have you tried spraying WD-40 directly on the alternator bearings. It sounds almost like the belt or tensionor is bad.

It could be the tensionor. When I sprayed on the belt I'm sure quite a bit got on the tensionor.

 

[imported_Truenofan]

ok, rubber grips right? and the pullies are there for the belts to grip and spin to power whatever its attached to.....so then why would you go and spray a lubricant on something thats supposed to grip. wd-40 is a anti-corrosive/lubricant/cleaner for rust and things you need to break lose.....not for belts....spraying wd-40 is going to cause it to slip more if anything. that and wd-40 dries up very quickly. it can only be the belt, or bearings like stated before. try replacing the belt which is the cheaper solution, and if that doesnt fix it, you know you have to replace whatever it is that could be making the noise.

oh, and dont believe me its a lubricant.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/WD-40
and this
http://www.wd40.com/Brands/wd40_faqs.html
so please, dont use it on brakes, and belts and things of that nature, its meant to lubricate, not take noises away on critical components on a car.

 

[Zenmervolt]

Originally posted by: Truenofan
ok, rubber grips right? and the pullies are there for the belts to grip and spin to power whatever its attached to.....so then why would you go and spray a lubricant on something thats supposed to grip. wd-40 is a anti-corrosive/lubricant/cleaner for rust and things you need to break lose.....not for belts....spraying wd-40 is going to cause it to slip more if anything. that and wd-40 dries up very quickly. it can only be the belt, or bearings like stated before. try replacing the belt which is the cheaper solution, and if that doesnt fix it, you know you have to replace whatever it is that could be making the noise.

oh, and dont believe me its a lubricant.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/WD-40
and this
http://www.wd40.com/Brands/wd40_faqs.html
so please, dont use it on brakes, and belts and things of that nature, its meant to lubricate, not take noises away on critical components on a car.

First of all, the accessory belt is hardly a "critical component". Second of all, the little bit of WD-40 sprayed on the belt isn't going to have any problematic long-term effects. Finally, putting a small amount of lubricant on a rubber belt to see if the squealing goes away has been used for a long time to see if the problem is the belt or not.

Even if you sprayed it on your brakes, it would rub off in almost no time and have very litte effect on stopping distance.

To the OP: Replace your accessory belts, that's by far the most likely cause. Bad bearing will typically have more of a "screaming" or "grinding" noise than a simple squeal.

ZV

 

[steppinthrax]

When your belt is lose it squeaks around the pulleys because it's not gripping correctly. When you spray WD-40 on it the squeaking stops. Almost like spraying WD-40 on a squeaky door hinge. Furthermore that is why I think the tensioner is bad because I had the same thing happen to one car. Back in the old days they used to put a bar of soap on the belt as it ran. The soap lubricated the belt much longer and if the squeaking stoped on the belt you can say for sure either the belt is bad or the tensioner is bad. Either way you have to replace both.

 

[steppinthrax]

Originally posted by: Zenmervolt

Originally posted by: Truenofan
ok, rubber grips right? and the pullies are there for the belts to grip and spin to power whatever its attached to.....so then why would you go and spray a lubricant on something thats supposed to grip. wd-40 is a anti-corrosive/lubricant/cleaner for rust and things you need to break lose.....not for belts....spraying wd-40 is going to cause it to slip more if anything. that and wd-40 dries up very quickly. it can only be the belt, or bearings like stated before. try replacing the belt which is the cheaper solution, and if that doesnt fix it, you know you have to replace whatever it is that could be making the noise.

oh, and dont believe me its a lubricant.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/WD-40
and this
http://www.wd40.com/Brands/wd40_faqs.html
so please, dont use it on brakes, and belts and things of that nature, its meant to lubricate, not take noises away on critical components on a car.

First of all, the accessory belt is hardly a "critical component". Second of all, the little bit of WD-40 sprayed on the belt isn't going to have any problematic long-term effects. Finally, putting a small amount of lubricant on a rubber belt to see if the squealing goes away has been used for a long time to see if the problem is the belt or not.

Even if you sprayed it on your brakes, it would rub off in almost no time and have very litte effect on stopping distance.

To the OP: Replace your accessory belts, that's by far the most likely cause. Bad bearing will typically have more of a "screaming" or "grinding" noise than a simple squeal.

ZV

It's critical if the water pump and or alternator runs along this.