CAN'T STOP SQUEALING 2003 Wagon

2003 Taurus Wagon. Can't stop squealing. We replaced bad accessory pulley, tension pulley and belt. Also discovered when belt was off that the alternator was real noisy when spun. We had to go to 3 different parts stores to find a rebuilt alternator that didn't sound crappy when we spun it by hand. Got one from advance which was the best of the three. We replaced the alternator, put everything back together and the car ran great and QUIET. I got 30 miles down the road and the squeal is back worse than ever. It sure didn't take long to act up. $200.00 for a rebuilt alternator? That doesn't last a half hour? Now I am stuck with using advance again for a warranty. If all they do is clean them up and replace brushes, how can they charge 200? They still sound like crap. I should have taken my old alternator to a shop that rebuilds them right, but, like I said, I am stuck in a warranty whirlpool now. Any guidance?

Are you sure the squeal is 1) related to the accessory drive belt, and 2) not the A/C compressor? Maybe 30 miles down the road is when you decided to turn on the defroster and the worn compressor loaded the system causing the belt to slip and squeal. Does the sound change with engine speed? If you spray the belt with brake cleaner does the noise go away for a second or two? Is the squeal definitely a squeal, or is it more of a tinny rumble sound or possibly a chirping sound?

BTW, I like your username. ;)

-Rod

It's more like crickets, and gets louder as I accelerate. I did not have the defroster on, and my friend asked me to turn the a/c on to see if it changed, but it did not. It sounds like it did before the alternator was replaced. I can't believe it was great for only 1/2 hour.

I'm not sure if your 2003 is prone to the same issue as older Taurii with the 12V Vulcan and camshaft position synchronizers that cause chirping noises. You might try searching this forum for keyword "synchronizer" and see if you symptoms match those of others.

-Rod

Thanks Shorod,

I read the sync threads, but my chirp is definitely on pass side front. Right where all pulleys and alternator are. I did see a trick in the threads to remove belt and briefly run car to make sure it is something connected to serp belt. However, my friend and I had a heck of a time getting belt back on around the bottom pulleys when we first changed alternator.

I wonder if I can move tensioner enough to slip it off alternator so I can spin it by hand. I don't want belt falling to ground though. It was such a pain to route back on.