Chuck S

This time of year when folks cycle their AC on in older cars I occasionally hear a bit of belt squeal when the compressor clutch engages.

New belt may not cure the squeal (if the noise is from somewhere else) but if the indicators show beyond the end of the scale the belt needs changing regardless. You can tell if the belt is stretched by looking at the indicator marks on the tensioner. Top photo I posted earlier shows this. This was at 50K miles and 10 years on the belt. From the almost invisible markings on the belt I removed it seems to be the belt that came on the car. Honda OEM.

As mentioned by CA spin the idlers and pulleys when the belt is off to ensure there's no bearing noise. My daughter's high school car suffered a seized bearing in one of the idlers and it really squealed! And smoked.

-- Chuck

9KEVERYDAY

I definitely agree with changing for preventative maintenance. As you can tell by my list of performed services already, I like to get the car in excellent mechanical working order Thanks again, Chuck

9KEVERYDAY

The old belt definitely needed changed but the noise is still there after changing. The tone may have changed or I could be crazy but it definitely sounds like a combination of a cricket and brake pad squeal when the pads get low. The car makes the noise fairly consistently now. I did not check the Tensioners. How would I check the tensioners anyway? Bearing noise? Freeplay in the pulley? I didn't feel any freeplay as I was installing the belt. I will check at lunch today and see if I can look further into the tensioners. I did a coolant flush over the weekend. Proper procedure per DIY and billman. All is well. Driven nearly 100 miles without heat on and stayed strong at 3 bars, no higher.

windhund116

Drive the car around, for a bit. Then, listen to the engine. New belts sometime benefit from this --- esp if they have some "memory" from how they were packaged.

Good luck!

Car Analogy

Ugh. You idiot! JK. Its easy. Remove belt (no need to take it all the way off, just remove tension and slide it off the tensioner.)

Now spin the tensioner pully and also the idler pully (they are the pullys without grooves). Do they spin smooth, quiet? If they are at all gravely feeling or noisy, replace. Its way cheaper the just replace the bearings, instead of the whole assembly. Both take same bearing. If one is gone, other probably not far behind. Do them both. There is a good diy. Be careful when hammering out bearings not to crack pully.

Option B, remove belt completely, start engine. Noise gone? Its something belt driven that is making the noise. Troubleshoot from here. Obviously dont run engine long with no belt.

Sent from my SM-G920P using IB AutoGroup

9KEVERYDAY

Ha, thanks Car analogy. I removed the belt and the belt tensioner at the top of the engine, can wiggle back and forth a good amount. I had found a youtube video with about the same amount of play that I have. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tsw6TMjvj48

EDIT: After all my research and finding nothing online, I stumbled onto this via youtube too and this is similar to the noise I have but mind is more piercing when it happens.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eMTUdXOfyJw

I was so focused on the wiggle, I didn't try spinning them. I checked the wiggle on the pulley to the bottom left of the tensioner, and it has a VERY minor amount of play. Nothing close to what the tensioner has. Alternator and pulley to the left of the alternator were fine.

9KEVERYDAY

Ok, the car has been parked for a few weeks, I replaced both bearings in the Tensioner pulley and the idler pulley today. The noise is still exactly the same. Granted the bearings were in need of replacement as well as they made noise. Now however, this hasn't fixed my issue. Valve adjustment is next on the to do list to figure out if this is a possibility. Any other recommendations? I'm all ears.

Still sounds like a low brake pad squeal noise. If I run it all the way to VTEC, the noise is there the entire time I am in VTEC. If I stay in gear, drive it up to 5-6K RPM, then left off the throttle gently, let the RPMS fall as I slow down, the noise will happen several times while the rpms drop.

9KEVERYDAY

I am going to remove the belt and try driving it a short distance and see if I hear the noise...

EDIT: Removed belt, drove down the road, still heard the noise....

9KEVERYDAY

I drove the car around after work for about 20-25 minutes and the noise dissipated to the more I drove. Firing it up this morning, you could hear the noise easily again.

9KEVERYDAY

Noise is still there but seems to be getting more consistent as the cooler mornings are here. Car still has plenty of power and drives 100% normal. Only has the noise. I recently modified a valve spring compressor tool to change the intake retainers/keepers to AP2. I may do the exhaust side as well (I know, stay with AP1 retainers/keepers on the exhaust side but AP2 on the intake side). Could this noise be coming from a cracked retainer?