YACT: Weird noise

[ThePresence]

Car: 2000 Nissan Maxima SE with about 150k miles
Problem: Loud screeching noise when cold-starting. If I drive it around and start it within a few hours, I don't get the screech, only when cold-starting. Any help/advice is much appreciated, thanks.

 

[scorpmatt]

sounds like a loose or wet belt. get under the hood and see if the belt needs to be tightened or if it is wearing out

 

[ThePresence]

Originally posted by: scorpmatt
sounds like a loose or wet belt. get under the hood and see if the belt needs to be tightened or if it is wearing out

Belt tension is fine, I checked that.

 

[scorpmatt]

Originally posted by: ThePresence

Originally posted by: scorpmatt
sounds like a loose or wet belt. get under the hood and see if the belt needs to be tightened or if it is wearing out

Belt tension is fine, I checked that.

you check the wear of the belt? Could also be one of the pulleys, any guess on how many of them there are?

 

[ThePresence]

Originally posted by: scorpmatt

Originally posted by: ThePresence

Originally posted by: scorpmatt
sounds like a loose or wet belt. get under the hood and see if the belt needs to be tightened or if it is wearing out

Belt tension is fine, I checked that.

you check the wear of the belt? Could also be one of the pulleys, any guess on how many of them there are?

I'll check on the wear, thanks. But if it's the wear or the pulleys, why would it only happen from a cold start, it should happen all the time, right?

 

[natto fire]

More than likely it is the belt. Does it use a single serpentine, or accesory belts for each accesory? It could also be the alternator, P/S pump, or water pump.

Might only happen at cold start because of the bearings, once they get heated up the problem goes away. My power steering pump did the same thing on my Honda. I don't have power steering anymore 😉

 

[scorpmatt]

Originally posted by: ThePresence

Originally posted by: scorpmatt

Originally posted by: ThePresence

Originally posted by: scorpmatt
sounds like a loose or wet belt. get under the hood and see if the belt needs to be tightened or if it is wearing out

Belt tension is fine, I checked that.

you check the wear of the belt? Could also be one of the pulleys, any guess on how many of them there are?

I'll check on the wear, thanks. But if it's the wear or the pulleys, why would it only happen from a cold start, it should happen all the time, right?

you'd think so, but no, once they get warmed up they shouldn't act up as bad.

 

[archcommus]

My car did this for a long time. Changed the belt, fixed it for a few months, then it started doing it again. Turns out it was the tensioner.

 

[ThePresence]

Originally posted by: Captain Howdy
More than likely it is the belt. Does it use a single serpentine, or accesory belts for each accesory? It could also be the alternator, P/S pump, or water pump.

The alternator is relatively new. It has 2 belts, one for AC and one for everything else.

 

[ThePresence]

Originally posted by: archcommus
My car did this for a long time. Changed the belt, fixed it for a few months, then it started doing it again. Turns out it was the tensioner.

Yeah, but that was replaced when they put in a new alternator about 4-5 months ago. I guess it could be going bad anyway, but I would think that's unlikely.

 

[Zenmervolt]

Either a loose belt (check tension) or a failing bearing. Or, if it's a Ford V8, it's the normal idler pulley noise. 😛 (Ford V8s have a notoriously noisy idler pulley that acts up on cold starts if the temperature is below about 50 degrees, goes away in 5-10 minutes of running.)

Are you sure that the alternator was new? Or was it rebuilt?

It definitely sounds like belt or pulley-bearing noise. It's possible that one of the bearings is "sticky" and the belt is slipping for a little bit until that pulley frees up with some heat.

ZV