Questions for y'all.

But first some recent history on my 1990 CRX DX...

1. detected leak from water pump weep hole.
2. took all belts off, changed water pump, put belts back on.
3. drive car to work, lose power, pull over, look at engine and notice alternator connector and ground are not connected (thanks dad for helping me put belts back on))
4. get car boosted, get new battery as other one is not holding a charge
5. car runs well for a while until I hear a squealing sound from engine.

I know the squealing is from the belts (I don't have A/C so that isn't the problem). Are the belts too tight since I know they are not loose. Could my alternator be damaged due to not being connected for about 30 minutes of driving? Could it be something else?

Thanks in advance!

 

Does the belt feel loose?

Usually squealing is from a loose belt. A loose timing belt makes a much worse noise.

 

hmm try belt lubricator stuff...i had that problem right after swapping my engine. loud and yea sounds like a squealing pig haha. but yea spray it on the pulley wheel and the belt itself, that did the trick for me. if that dont work, then check the belt tension.

 

Haven't had time to check it yet but the squealing became more apparent in first and second gear, up to about 2500 rpms, or when at idle at a stop light, usually beside some hot milf in an SUV or some ricer in his "I'm too cool for you cuz I have a gas can exhaust" import. Read up about it in the Haynes manual and it said a squealing sound could be a bearing in the alternator. Also, this just started yesterday around lunch. It did rain fairly heavily on the drive home the night before and also on the way into work. Could a wet belt have anything to do with the squealing? Any more ideas? I'm thinking of going to the salvage yard and pulling an alternator from another car if my problem is not belt tension related, but what car would have a matching alternator?


Modified by progress at 4:55 AM 9/16/2005

 

I had that same prob, turns out i tighten my alternator belt too much, so i loosen it a tad and put some kind of belt lube on it to quiet it down.

 

Thanks for all the replies people!

I went to check on the tightness/looseness of my alternator belt this morning and noticed it was fairly loose. Got my tools ready, jacked up the driver's side, took the wheel off and lo and behold, I was missing the damn pivot bolt! My dad must not have tightened it enough and the bolt wiggled itself loose yesterday after a good week and a half of driving. Thinking about it, I seem to recall hearing something metallic hitting my undercarriage on the ride into work. That must have been when the bolt "committed suicide"! Anyhoo, went to the local Ace Hardware and picked me up a new bolt and put that sucker on! Yay, no more whining! Thanks again for the replies!

 

For the record,
You don't want to put any kind of lubricant
on your belts..

If you lubricate something that is already slipping
that is only going to make it worse.

The product the previous posters are refering to
is called 'belt dressing' and it is very sticky and messy as hell..

 

Yeah it is pretty stickey and messy as hell, i din't put too much on mine, but after messin with the god damn thing all the time and sprayin it a couple times i got it to stop squelin.