I've been having problems with belts squeaking over the past few months. When I changed my fan clutch I put a new duralast belt on (had no squeaking before that, just decided to change it). It was fine for a couple of weeks and then started squeaking/chirping. It would chirp quietly for 1 or 2 minutes after starting and then stop. It progressively got worse to the point where it squeaked/chirped constantly. After some head scratching I put the old gates belt back on and the problem went away. I took the duralast belt back to autozone and swapped it for the more expensive dayco belt.
This one was fine for about a month and then started doing the same thing as the duralast. It started quiet and only at startup and eventually got louder and constant. I put the old gates belt back on again and it went away. So I took the dayco belt back and got my $40 back, then went to napa and got one of their belts. I put it on and it seemed like it was a little shorter, thus holding the tensioner tighter. I thought that belt would fix the problem and was happy that It seemed like the chirping/squeaking was gone. It was fine for about a month and a half.
Today I started her up and guess what, it's chirping quietly again. I haven't tried putting the 3 year old gates belt back on yet, but I suspect that the squeak will go away if I put it back on.

Is it really possible that duralast, dayco, and napa belts are all no good anymore or am I missing something obvious? The tensioner was replaced 3 years ago when the old gates belt was put on it.

damn gremlins!

 

Idler Pulley and Tensioner Pulley from Napa are cheap enough and easy enough to replace to just go ahead and swap them. 3 years on the old parts may just be a month too long after the new belt. Once the old tensioner/idler settled into it's favorite position, and then you swapped the belt, you introduced it to a different angle, tilt, "spot." Now.... squeak.

IndyDurango

 

I would go with what Indy says, and then go big or go home on a Gator belt by goodyear. Best belt ever! And lasts longer then any belt I have ever seen for sure.

 

I've heard talcum powder works to quiet belts permanently...never tried it so I don't know for sure. But I do know that graphite powder will shut it up, used it once myself. Worked instantly and permanently.

The squeaking belt don't bother me much. What really bugs me are brake pads that have wear indicators that will squeak for 10,000 miles before the pads need to be changed. I just changed pads in the front of my Neon today...they'd been squeeking for a month so I figured they had to be close. Pulled 'em off and they had at least 3/16" left on both pads, both sides.

 

When you install new pads, bend the squeak tabs back to where they just touch the material at the last of it's life. Then when you hear the brake squeal, you know it is time to swap the brakes. Just don't extend the drive time after the squeak sets in.

The reason the tabs cover so much material in the first place is that once the brake squeak starts, most folks don't have it looked into right away. They just continue to drive for months... squeaking all the way to a larger repair bill.

IndyD

 

$25 per pulley is expensive to me, then again I am a college student. ill try the graphite & talcum powders and see if they work. If not I guess I'm just going to put the old gates belt back on until I have money to replace the pulleys.

and yes brake pad sensors are annoying, that's why I usually bend them back further when I change them so that they start squealing closer to when they actually need replaced

 

just thought I'd give an update.

The napa belt started chirping alot so I ordered a new Gates belt online and put it on this morning. So far no chirping yet so I'm keeping my fingers crossed that this belt won't start chirping, becuase my next step is to replace the tensioner

 

I had a similar problem and it ended up being the alternator. Turn all the pulleys with the belt off and if one of em squeaks then it's that one. Also try running it with the belt off as it could be the crankshaft pulley. Fingers crossed it stays away though.

 

I've already replaced the alternator twice (yay lifetime warranty!) thinking that was the problem, but I still had the chirping. I really hope this gates belt will shut up the noise

 

I feel your pain.

My '99 squeaks and squeaks. New belts (Sadly I've only located the Dayco replacements locally) and new tensioners didn't cure it.

I spray my belt with silicon tire dressing every month and it keeps it away.

Everything I've seen and heard the Goodyear belt is the cure. I haven't felt like replacing mine yet, but I will when I hit my mileage replacement interval for it.