Hi Guys,

I went to my mechanic the other day and replaced:

EGR
O2
Plugs
Plug Harness
Air Filter
Fuel FIlter
Timing belt
TPS
Cap/Rotor

And when I got it back one of the belts was screeching, so I brought it back and he said that it was just the P/S belt that needed adjustment, I brought it home and last night it was still screeching, I passed by a 24hr gas station with a mechanic on duty and he sprayed some Silicon spray or something on the belt and it seemed to have stopped. I am just worried that it might come back again, btw these belts are only about 9 months old at most. If the noise comes back again what can be the cause and what should be done?

 

I think your mechanic should be able to tighten the belt enough so that it is not screeching. The "belt dressing" that the gas station mechanic use is just a temporary solution, it will screech again when it wears out. Another possibility is that the inside of your belt has become 'glassed', but this happens only to really old belts, I think. But your mechanic should be able to fix this, perhaps by replacing the belt if need be.

 

if the belt was slipping bad enough, it might have glazed the surface of the 9 mo old belt from the heat. now it's smooth and shiny, instead of "regular" rubber.. may never stop squealing now.

best bet is to replace the belts and tighten them all properly the first time... check the belts to make sure they're at proper tension now though..


and yes, you CAN get them too tight. belts too tight are much worse than not tight enough. if they're not tight enough, the biggest problem you'll get is squealing and maybe ruin a belt. if they're too tight, you can ruin the bearings and shafts on parts of the car such as alternator and power steering pumps and pullies.

found this out the hard way a few years ago when changing belts on my old mitsu truck. tightened down the alternator + water pump belt too tight, and it cause the water pump to fail 120 miles from home. I got to replace a water pump on the side of the road in the rain with only a few hand tools and a flashlight.
not fun. do it right the first time.

 

Now THAT had to suck!!

 

Hey Matt,
I just bought the ASP underdrive pulley for my 92 SE. I have read in other posts that some of the belt sizes suggested by ASP are not correct. Some people have written that they purchased different sizes to fit better, but before I went out and bought the belts, I wanted to verify who had the correct sizes. I think I remember you saying you had the ASP pulley and I trust your judgement so I figured I'd check with you. Thanks Matt.