Squealing from engine while accelerating. Why?
Noises from the power steering unit. What is it?
How do I know if a V-belt needs to be replaced?
Is it necessary to replace belts periodically?
What are symptoms of improper belt tension?
What precautions should I take while replacing a Vbelt?
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| Squealing from engine while accelerating. Why? |
Answer: An irritating
squeal is heard as you accelerate, turn a corner, or slow down. You may also notice that
the noise is more frequent when the air conditioning is turned on. This type of problem
gradually becomes more noticeable.
The probable causes are:
1) The drive belts are
slipping.
2) The drive pulleys for some engine accessories are misaligned.
3) You have
turned the steering wheel to the limits.
4) The drive belts are loose. |
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| Noises from the power steering unit. What is it? |
Answer:You notice a whining or moaning from the steering when you turn the steering wheel all of
the way in one direction. Everything else seems to be fine except for the noise. The
problem seems to be getting worse over time.
The probable causes are:
1) The power
steering drive belt is loose.
2) The fluid in the system has air in it.
3) The fluid in
the power steering pump is too low.
4) The mount for the power steering pump is loose or
damaged. |
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| How do I know if a V-belt needs to be replaced? |
Answer:One way to find out is to examine the belt. If a V-belt is full of tiny cracks, frayed,
has pieces of rubber missing, is peeling or otherwise damaged, it needs to be replaced --
NOW. Also, if a belt is oil soaked or "glazed" (hard shiny appearance on the
sides of the belt) it also needs to be replaced. Either of these two conditions can cause
the belt to run hot, which can weaken it and increase the danger of it breaking.
Unfortunately, a visual inspection alone isn't a sure-fire method of determining the true
condition of a belt because internal wear that you can't see is just as important as
external wear that you can see. All belts are reinforced with cords. The cords are what
give the belt its strength and keep it from stretching or breaking. But as a belt ages,
the constant flexing, heat and strain weakens the cords. Eventually the cords reach a
point where failure can happen suddenly and unexpectedly. The belt may still look good as
new on the outside, but be on the verge of snapping internally because the cords have lost
their strength.
So the other factors that need to be considered when judging the condition of a V-belt
include the belt's mileage and age. A V-belt that's more than three or four years old and
has more than 40,000 or 50,000 miles on it may be a belt that is nearing the end of its
useful service life. For this reason, you might be well advised to replace a high mileage
belt even if it still looks okay. |
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| Is it necessary to replace belts periodically? |
Answer:Yes. Although the auto makers don't usually specify a replacement interval for V-belts or
serpentine (flat, multi-ribbed) belts, most belt manufacturers do recommend periodic
replacement for preventative maintenance. Here's why: the incidence of belt failure rises
sharply in the fourth year of service for the typical V-belt, and the fifth year for
serpentine belts.
What's more, eight out of ten V-belt failures and ten out of ten serpentine belt failures
end up causing a breakdown! That's because belts have the uncanny knack of always picking
the worst possible moment to fail -- like when you're heading out of town on that
long-awaited fishing trip, when you're hurrying to pick up a hot date who told you NOT to
be late, or when you're giving your dear mother-in-law a ride to church.
A broken belt is always bad news because when it snaps, all drive power to whatever it
turns is lost. That means the water pump quits circulating coolant through the engine, the
alternator quits producing amps, the power steering pump ceases to assist steering, and
the air conditioner quits cooling. Many newer vehicles have a single serpentine belt that
drives all of the engine's accessories, so when it fails everything stops working.
The good news is that replacing the belts periodically can go a long way towards
minimizing the risk of a breakdown caused by belt failure. After all, it's a lot easier to
replace a belt at your convenience than having the belt fail unexpectedly Heavens knows
where.
For optimum protection, most experts recommend replacing V-belts every three to four
years, or every 36,000 to 48,000 miles. A recommended replacement interval for serpentine
belts would be every four or five years, or 50,000 miles. |
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| What are symptoms of improper belt tension? |
Answer:Belt squeal, especially on the fan, A/C compressor or power steering drives.
A battery that keeps running down (due to belt slippage).
Excessive sidewall wear on a V-belt that causes it to ride lower than normal in the pulley
grooves.
Severe cracking along the underside of a V-belt.
Noisy alternator, power steering pump, air pump, A/C compressor or water pump bearings
(from excessive belt tension). |
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| What precautions should I take while replacing a Vbelt? |
Answer:Replacement V-belts must be the same length and width as the original. A belt that's too
long or too short may not allow enough adjustment for proper tension. A belt that's too
wide or too narrow will not ride at the right depth in the pulley grooves.
CAUTION: When installing a new belt, do not attempt to "stretch" it over
pulleys. Doing so can break the internal cords causing the belt to fail. Always loosen the
pulleys so there is adequate clearance to slip the belt over the pulleys.
Once the belt has been installed on the pulleys, a belt gauge should be used to adjust
belt tension to factory specifications. The old rule of thumb of allowing 1/2 inch of
"give" between the furthest pulleys is not a very accurate guide for today's
engines. So follow the manufacturer's recommendations for belt tension.
Once tension has been adjusted, it should be rechecked and readjusted (if necessary) after
a short break-in period (say after 500 to 1,000 miles of driving). It should then be
checked twice a year or every 5,000 or 6,000 miles thereafter.
On vehicles with a single serpentine belt, tension is usually self-adjusted automatically
via a spring loaded tensioner. No additional adjustment is necessary.
If your engine has been eating or twisting belts, misaligned pulleys may be your problem.
Alignment can be checked with a straightedge. If a pulley is bent or not in the same plane
as the rest, the problem should be corrected otherwise the "bad" pulley will
continue to ruin belts. |
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