rbuswell

I've had some belt squealing on our 1998 Maxima GXE automatic, that was sporadic, for a several months. It recently started to squeal much more loudly and consistently and the alternator concurrently needed to be rebuilt (idiot light came on) which, we thought may have been part of the problem. I had the Nissan-made alternator rebuilt by an exceptional automotive electrical component re-builder with 40 plus years of experience. He has rebuilt at least half a dozen other components on my several elderly cars. Always perfect. He showed me the parts and it definitely needed rebuilding. He was amazed the alternator still worked until it failed. The good news was the alternator had over 210,000 miles on it. I know this to be true because we've driven the car that many miles and the alternator has never been worked on. Go Nissan!

When I put it back together with a new belt the squeal was still present. I tried another new belt by a more reputable parts maker and it still squealed. I replaced the Nissan-made Pulley Assembly, which seemed to be working properly, with the upgraded Genuine Nissan part #11925-31UOC. The inflection on the belt was spot on with every install attempt because I measured it. I also tried changing the tension tighter or more loose to see if that mattered. It squeals about the same. It seems to diminish after driving a few miles but it doesn't always stop. The A/C compressor seems to be working properly and still does a good job cooling the car. When you turn on A/C it doesn't make it start squealing or to squeal more loudly. When viewing the engine with the access panel behind the right front wheel removed, the belt seems to be rolling perfectly in exact alignment (no wobble). All the pulleys appear to be spinning correctly. When I run it with the serpentine belt completely off but with the power steering belt still on, it doesn't squeal . That would seem to eliminate a bad bearing or other issue.

I'm out of ideas. Anything else I should be trying?

BTW I also added this post to a thread called Belt Squealing but it appeared in the bottom of the thread so I was concerned that no one would see it.

JvG

Perhaps your belt tension is too high or too low.

Excess tension puts excessive force on the bearings of what the belt powers. That would result with constant squealing . While a loose belt would mean squealing authentic car accelerates, but stop once it's at a constant rpm

rbuswell

As I noted in my thread I have used the factory standard for setting the inflection of the belt. I have both loosened and tightened the belt tension by a pretty wide range from that setting with no change. I may also be wrong, but it seems like a bearing would continue to squeal continually if it was under stress by belt tension as you noted. It does stop sometimes after driving for a while.

I have replaced this belt before without this problem. I don't recall a belt needing to seat in but that could be what's happening here. Unfortunately I had to cut the belt that was on it because the idler wheel adjustment was jammed up with rust so I can't go back. The noise is so obnoxious that my wife and I really don't want to drive the car in scenarios where it causes embarrassment with friends or clients when we leave or arrive. We both love driving this car so we hate to see it just sit in the garage.

JvG

So if the idler wheel adjustment is bound up with rust. How are you adjusting the belt tension.
Please send a photo of your "idler wheel"

I suspect that you need to buy a new " idler wheel " assembly. I feel that's where your noise is coming from.
it has a bad bearing.

rbuswell

As noted above, the idler wheel and assembly has been replaced. I had taken the original out and cleaned the adjustment threads as well as the rest of the assembly so I believe that the adjustment was working properly. It worked smoothly and held adjustment fine. I replaced it anyway with the latest version of the factory Nissan pulley assembly in case my problem was caused by a sporadic binding of the idler wheel itself. I could have bought only the wheel but decided that for the small increase in cost it was wise to buy the updated assembly. It had no effect.

I have some news however. I drove the car yesterday. It still squealed but it stopped after about 1/4 mile of driving and didn't squeal again after about 30 miles of driving. When I started to drive home, it squealed louder than usual. It was about 82 degrees out so the theory of it squealing because of cool weather doesn't seem to hold up. The A/C was on. This time it was different because it stopped squealing instantly after about a 1/4 mile, like a switch had been turned off. Usually the squealing would tail off. This time it seemed really abrupt. I am now suspicious of the electric clutch in the A/C compressor, as a contributor, at least. I don't think it can be the only cause unless the clutch can bind and unbind sporadically and only when first starting out driving. And why would it stop squealing for a few dozen miles after? I don't know much about the workings of the condenser or clutch but it does seem like a clue.

JvG

I've encountered squealing like that with other cars.
Especially with traditional V belt systems.
Such as the heavy metal cooling fans of prior decades.
Or with their AC compressors.

I usually tighten the adjustment device a bit more.
The troubles go away.

An old standard for tighting.......
1. Find the longest segment of the mounted belt.
2. Place thumb there. Press thumb on belt with moderate pressure. Belt deflection should be 1/2 inch.

if problems persist, consult a mechanic.

Don't park or sell your car because of this minor issue.

rbuswell

Good counsel and rule of thumb. In this case, it's a grooved serpentine belt. The factory service manual calls for 1/4 inch deflection (actually .28 inches since they converted it from metric, I'm sure) measured between the crank pulley and the A/C compressor which is the longest span. You place a straight edge between them and then measure how far the belt can be pushed down from the middle. Not really that precise but that's how I did it. That's actually very tight. I think there's a risk if you tighten it more than that ... there would be excess pressure on the bearings.

The squealing has started to quiet down a little and lasts for a shorter time each time we drive it. The belt may simply be seating in. One of the supposed benefits of serpentine belts is that they are usually plug and play. They aren't supposed to have this problem. When I replaced it last time, it didn't make a noise at all. I'm hopeful that it will eventually stop squealing altogether. In the meantime it is more than a nuisance and causes concern that something other than tightening has gone wrong. It's my wife's daily driver and I hate that she has to put up with the racket.

And, rest assured, I am far too stubborn to let this problem beat me. We've driven the car for over 210,000 miles. It is an honored member of our family. I've used many of the performance tips and modifications I've learned from this forum and others. One of the fun things I learned was how to defeat the US DOT nanny state top speed limiter of 110 MPH in the computer. I have an unlabeled switch on the dash that turns it on and off. It looks factory. When I use it I sometimes have to clear the CEL code but that's all. You don't want to raise red flags with the exhaust emissions testers. It easily passes emissions. In Japan there is no speed limiter and the rated top speed for a 1998 4th Gen is 144 MPH, if memory serves. With my many mods, mine is a little faster than that, shall we say. Don't worry; it has mildly lowered Koni suspension, sports pads and brakes, tuned injectors, 2.75' Y-tube Magnaflow exhaust, SE spoiler, auto transmission programming, SE steering rack and SE wheels with Z-rated tires that can keep up. I did all the work myself. It is an ugly duckling sneaker car that can give the random V-8 BMW or 300ZX all they can handle. What fun for a plain ol' family sedan!

JvG

Excellent.

Perhaps the belt will cooperate soon.

I was not aware how long you have owned your car.
Some members trade in and out of cars quickly.
They sell at a loss due to small issues.

I've owned my 1996 SE for 17 years.
the SE supposedly was not speed limited by the factory.
The fastest I've gone in 95 mph.
I usually push the posted speed limit a bit.

Have fun !

rbuswell

We are living with the squeal right now. It is definitely a problem with the A/C compressor and very likely it's the clutch. It now squeals when we turn on the A/C as well. I've hit a busy patch with my business so I've only done some research but haven't bought parts. Rock Auto has a complete kit for reasonable money so I plan to go that route. If any of you guys know how to source and replace only an A/C compressor clutch, that would obviously be much better.

JvG, I've had the existence of the speed limiter confirmed because I tried to exceed the 110 MPH speed when it is supposed to cut out and it won't go over. After I installed the bypass switch I could go well over 110. Non-US 4th Gen Maximas are supposedly able to go to 144 MPH. I've tricked mine out quite a bit so I think it will go well over 144. I haven't really taken a top speed run. Pretty sure it was a US DOT requirement for all cars in the model year range. I don't know if it still applies now since I've been way over 110 MPH in newer Porsches. You may give it a try on some open road with light traffic and see if yours cuts out at a 110 MPH. That's not a lot higher than where you stopped accelerating. It seems unlikely that the Auto would have a limiter and your Manual doesn't. I don't think Nissan would limit anything unless the government made them do it.

BTW, if any of you readers are considering hot rodding your Maxima and bypassing the speed limiter, I'd strongly recommend that you upgrade brake pads, suspension, and go with Z rated tires. As I wrote earlier, I also did a lot of engine performance up grades. Lots of fun and a very fast sleeper car.

The Wizard

iTrader: (43)

Get a stethoscope from Harbor Freight and carefully position the end near each pulley and listen. You'll figure out the culprit in minutes. Easy peasy.

JvG

RBusswell.

I did mention that the fastest I've driven my SE is
90 to 95mph. It had ample power, and was willing to go faster. I'm a senior citizen. I have no reason to go any faster than 80 mph. It's good to know that the car is capable of accelerating and stopping beyond what I'd ever ask of it.

rbuswell

I have one of those and I will try it. Always good to confirm.

aq12

Any update? I recently was dealing with a squealing belt myself after i had replaced my belt and alternator. Turns out the nut on the idler pulley had come loose, causing the belt to squeal really loudly. Once I tightened that sucker up to spec the noise was completely gone. Next thing for me is to swap the power steering pump and belt

rbuswell

It was the A/C compressor clutch all along. I replaced it and it was totally fixed. I had no idea how common this problem is until I did some searching. There are dozens of YouTube videos on this repair. Replacing the clutch is pretty simple but it is NOT EASY especially if the objective is to keep the refrigerant. Not only is the squealing belt totally gone but the A/C is quite a bit colder. I'm guessing the clutch was worn out for a while and wasn't efficient.

Thanks again to all who chimed in on this ordeal. It was a mystery but now we can add this to the troubleshooting checklist as something to check and probably replace on a high mileage car. Bought the parts on eBay for not a lot of money. The eBayer claimed they were new, Calsonic OE parts but I have my doubts. Factory parts from a Stealer were a bunch of money. Pretty sure it was the original clutch so it didn't owe me anything given the high mileage of the car and the fact we use the A/C and defrost quite a bit in Colorado.

JvG

Thank you for posting this final update.
This is how one can share knowledge so that everyone benefits.

The Wizard

iTrader: (43)

Indeed. It would be great if he also explained HOW he ultimately determined the failing part though.... could be beneficial to many in the future.

JvG

I understand that there are shorter belts which bypass the AC pully. Those are used when the AC clutch has siezed .

One could buy that belt, then install it.
The noise would stop entirely if the AC clutch is faulty.
Or the noise would remain the same if something else is the cause.

Sometimes it's worth sacrificing a few dollars to do an experiment. It's less costly than consulting a mechanic.