Chirping 98 Lesabre

[Smith1000]

My sister's car is making a chirping noise from the belt. It sounds like a bearing. My brother-in-law replaced the alternator and idler pulley, but the chirping continues. It does not seem to be coming from the ac. It chirps with the ac off too. The belt on it looks good, or like new- no cracks, etc.

My brother-in-law said it may be the belt that is making the noise. He has a new one and plans to install it today. He said that another possibility is that a motor mount going bad may cause this. Someone he works with mentioned this. Does anyone have any ideas on this? I recommended he remove the belt and spin each pulley individually. He did mention that once the car warms up, the chirping goes away. Thanks.

[imidazol97]

Originally Posted by Smith1000

My sister's car is making a chirping noise from the belt. It sounds like a bearing. My brother-in-law replaced the alternator and idler pulley, but the chirping continues. It does not seem to be coming from the ac. It chirps with the ac off too. The belt on it looks good, or like new- no cracks, etc.

My brother-in-law said it may be the belt that is making the noise. He has a new one and plans to install it today. He said that another possibility is that a motor mount going bad may cause this. Someone he works with mentioned this. Does anyone have any ideas on this? I recommended he remove the belt and spin each pulley individually. He did mention that once the car warms up, the chirping goes away. Thanks.

With a cold motor start the car and see if the noise is still there? Run only a few seconds so that the water doesn't heat up inside that's not being circulated by the pump.

If the noise is not there, then rotate each pulley spinning it and twisting and trying to move in and out looking for excess play.

If the noise is back with the belt on, I've sprayed water on a belt to see if the belt itself on the pulleys is causing the noise. I use a spray bottle for misting plants. Do not use any kind of belt lube or dressing on the belts.

[HotZ28]

Even though the belt may look good, it may be glazed & hardened, which will cause chirping. If you can find a Goodyear Gatorback belt at Auto Zone, they last longer and are quieter than the Dayco or Duralast brands. Gates has a similar design, but still not as good as the Gatorback! Always check the idler & tensioner pulleys while belt is off!