Hello everyone, the last few times I have started my truck I have developed a fairly loud and annoying squeal coming from something? The sound seems it may be more to the driver side of the engine bay. It is loud enough to where I cant pinpoint it. It could be coming from the a/c compressor cant say for sure though. Anybody had similar squeals, and how can I be sure where it is coming from. Help silence these squeals! The belt has no cracks in it whatsoever.

 

hAVE YOU TRIED THE OLD HAND SOAP TRICK TO SEE IF ITS THE BELT. iF NOT YOU CAN very carefully HOLD A BAR OF HAND SOAP ON THE BELT WHILE THE ENGINE IS RUNNING AND IT WILL STOP THE SQUEAK IF ITS THE BELT. Now if its the belt try to tighten it and if that dont work then you have an assory starting to fail such as the water pump or altinator or it might be the tensioning pully. Some times these things drive you mad tring to figure them out. tHE MAIN THING TO KEEP IN MIND IS TO KNOW WHERE YOUR HAND AND FINGERS ARE AT ALL TIMES WHEN APPLING THE SOAP CUS THOSE THINGS UNDER THE RADIATOR SHROULD WILL BITE YOU SO PLS BE CAREFUL.

 

my idler pulley made one heck of a squeal until replaced.

 

I've developed the same problem on my 01 5.2. I tried the soap trick, wasn't it. I'm not sure what it is either though, which is no help. But at least you're not alone, and missery loves company I've been told.

 

A couple of months ago mine ended up being the water pump starting to fail.

 

Thanks for your help, some times it squeals, some times it don't. I guess I'll wait and see what gives out first. Hopefully it wont leave me setting in the woods or along the interstate.

 

take a long metal screwdriver and place it on each piece in the engine water pump alternater, etc, put your ear to the other end of the screwdriver and listen for the sound the louder it gets the closer you are getting to your problem, once you find the loudest part(making the noise) you found your problem. Of course caution should be exercised as you must do this while the engine is running. (the screwdriver will work as a stethoscope)


How I found my WP was going bad.

Hope it helps

 

Take the belt off and turn every pulley you can and see if any are hard to turn or feel for any roughness while turning. Check for any play too, by trying to wiggle the pulleys by one edge front to rear.

 

would it not be safer to spend 12 bucks and get the stetheoscope?

 

if thats all they cost get one i paid $30 check idler and tensioner pulleys most likely to be ur problem