2000 Windstar Serpentine, Squealing, Stalling

Good evening,

It's been way too long since I've been back here, and I have a laundry list of problems with my windstar and my f-150 to deal with, but tonight I've got a big worry and little time to research it properly.

A couple days ago, the van started squealing a bit, and today my wife reported that it squealed really bad and the stalled out on her. She was able to hobble back home, fortunately she was only a couple hundred yards from home when it died.

I've been idling it in the driveway listening to it. I've read several posts here but I'm not really sure what I'm looking at/listening to. The belt seems to be in OK shape - some cracking etc., but I'm wondering if it could be one of the many devices it's hooked to that's causing the squeak and the stall? I'm not sure what all it's connected to, besides the alternator. I tried looking for a belt diagram sticker somebody mentioned in another thread, but didn't find it. Not in the owner's guide either. I have a haynes manual somewhere, but haven't seen it since we recently moved. Any ideas on where I should start looking on this?

She has 180k miles, we've not done any work on it in recent months... we did replace the tranny and steering pump a couple years ago. and have had no problems since then.

My wife has felt it lurching a little bit, like slipping gears slightly, just the last couple weeks. So we were gonna take it in and have them just check out the tranny and make sure everything is still good. But now I'm wondering if it wasn't gears slipping, but maybe an engine sputter or something she was feeling.

There are no codes being thrown at the moment.

??????


Farns

I suggest removing serpentine belt and checking all idlers and pulleys and also start the engine and see if the noise is still present if so check your camshaft synchronizer, the syn also runs the oil pump so if it fails completely you can ruin your engine.

Is this the noise you are hearing??? video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=NTK3ejLGcP8

I would do what tempfixit said. Here is a diagram of the 2000 3.8 belt routing and what each pulley is...you didn't say if yours is 3.0 or 3.8. If your belt has some cracks in it, you may want to consider replacing it.
http://i737.photobucket.com/albums/xx13/peneguy102309/Belt_Diagram_1_zps0509adf2.gif (http://s737.photobucket.com/user/peneguy102309/media/Belt_Diagram_1_zps0509adf2.gif.html)
http://i737.photobucket.com/albums/xx13/peneguy102309/Belt_Diagram_2_zps585117de.gif (http://s737.photobucket.com/user/peneguy102309/media/Belt_Diagram_2_zps585117de.gif.html)

I agree with replacing the belt too. While you have the belt off, spin the tensioner and idler (5 and 8 in the diagram) by hand and see if you can create the noise you hear (albeit slower). Ive had a tensioner go bad and be the cause of noise. Also, regardless of what you'll read you can change the 2000 serpentine belt by hand without any tools. I've done this lots and am no massive body builder but it does take strong hands.

Also, regardless of what you'll read you can change the 2000 serpentine belt by hand without any tools. I've done this lots and am no massive body builder but it does take strong hands.

I actually thought about trying this the other day, but I ended up using the serpentine belt tool since I already had it.

And just in case, farns, it rotates counter-clockwise to make slack.

HI there, sorry for the late reply to this. I ended up deciding to put it in the hands of a mechanic I know really well shortly after posting - I looked at my schedule and had zero time to deal with it. I normally try to make these repairs myself, and have done the alternator before - so I know I can get the serp on and off my self already... but I just wasn't going to be able to attack this. He did replace the belt, and the idle and tension pulleys were both shot. So we replaced all three... however, he noticed the clutch on the AC compressor is also about shot... so that's something else we'll have to deal with soon. Awesome timing, now that summer is coming! :)

Thank you for the input on this, I did learn a couple new things, and I appreciate it. The urgent situation is good for now, but we'll be back under the hood before I know it too :(

It can be really hard to determine exactly where the noise / problem is originating.
I had a issue ONLY above a certain RPM, and you can also have it show up only under certain loading conditions.
In my case, the hardest to track down was the idler pulley bearing.
It felt smooth, but, the issue was only above a certain RPM, then it was LOUD (started out not loud but got progressively worse).
The idler pulley and tensioner pullies are not expensive, but I really had to pound on the bolt that holds them in place to break them free.
It likely would have taken a real mechanic, with real tools, less time and effort to do in my case. I ended up using a breaker bar, a length of 2x4 and a heavy sledge hammer, not a pretty sight.