YACT: 2003 Impala

[mcvickj]

Recently I noticed a high pitched squeal from my Impala. It is really noticable at low speeds and only when you are coasting on the gas. When you are under power it tends to go away.

For example I will be driving through town at 35MPH. I am just sitting on the gas and this ear piercing squeal will show up. If I let off the gas it goes away. Get back on the gas and it returns.

I have also noticed it if I am in P and just rev the engine ever so slightly and when I am in R backing out of a parking spot.

I have an oil change set for this Monday and I was going to run it past the mechanic then but I was wondering if someone on ATOT might have an idea as to what is causing this.

 

[iamwiz82]

have you looked at the accessory belt?

 

[mcvickj]

Hmm. No I haven't. Maybe shoot some WD-40 at the pulleys?

 

[OS]

Originally posted by: mcvickj
Hmm. No I haven't. Maybe shoot some WD-40 at the pulleys?

lol, check the tension

 

[Mermaidman]

Originally posted by: mcvickj
Hmm. No I haven't. Maybe shoot some WD-40 at the pulleys?

No no no! Don't lubricate belts.

 

[radioouman]

AHAHAHAHA

WD40 on the belt! ROFL!

If you are going to spray anything on there, spray some belt dressing on it.

 

[Safeway]

Our 1996 Impala SS had the same issue ... although the 1996 Impala > 2003 Impala.

It turned out that the main drive pully for the accessory belt was slipping. Not the belt on the pully, but the two piece pully had separated, and was turning inside itself.

 

[mcvickj]

Originally posted by: OS

Originally posted by: mcvickj
Hmm. No I haven't. Maybe shoot some WD-40 at the pulleys?

lol, check the tension

Oh. Time to look for a auto manual. The car has a little over 80k. Any general estimate for what the belts are rated for?

Mermaidman - No worries. I wasn't going to spray the belt. I was talking about where the shaft meets the pully.

 

[giantpinkbunnyhead]

I had a nasty ear-splitting noise similar to what you're describing (though it wasn't on an Impala). I KNEW it was coming from the fan belt area... but nothing cleared it up... all new belts, noise was still there. Finally, I found the culprit: One of the long bolts that hold the a/c pump to the engine, had backed out ever so slightly... just enough that the head of the bolt became within contact of the side of the pulley. The chirpish noise was the pulley grating away at the bolt, one revolution at a time. So... check those bolts! I re-tightened the bolt... problem solved.

 

[tfinch2]

I've had that happen, on a different car though, and it was the tension of the belt. One of the bolts broke on the alternator mounting bracket, the alternator moved a bit, and some of the tension on the belt was lost causing a horrible squeal.

 

[iamwiz82]

Originally posted by: mcvickj

Originally posted by: OS

Originally posted by: mcvickj
Hmm. No I haven't. Maybe shoot some WD-40 at the pulleys?

lol, check the tension

Oh. Time to look for a auto manual. The car has a little over 80k. Any general estimate for what the belts are rated for?

Mermaidman - No worries. I wasn't going to spray the belt. I was talking about where the shaft meets the pully.

A lot less than 80,000 miles. I usually change them at 60,000 miles.

 

[mcvickj]

Safeway - Thanks for the suggestion. I'll run it past the mechanic.

giantpinkbunnyhead - That would be sweet if it was that simple. I'm looking for little to no cost.

iamwiz82 - Alright. I'll have them pull up the records to see if it was ever replaced. I purchased it used back in March.