where do i start trouble shooting to make it stop?

my girlfriend has a 98 Neon and when the car first starts up, the belts squeel like crazy. sometimes its for a while, sometimes its for a quick second or two... and other times it doesn't at all.

should i be focused on the belt? the tensioner? or a pulley... or all of the above?

thanks

 

All of the above. Chances are she just needs a new belt. Shouldn't be hard to figure out which one by sticking your head under the hood and inspecting/listening to them all. Once you find the offending belt, pull it off and spin any pulleys/tensioners/idlers related to it and make sure they spin freely and quietly.

I'd recommend replacing all the belts at once, just makes life easier in the long run.

 

to check what belt is squeeling, you can spray WD40 on the pulleys (when engine is running). And see when the belt stop squeeling.

Cehck if that belt has correct tension, it may be loose.

 

Quick fix is a bar of soap on the inside of the running belt, or a shot of belt quiet spray.

I'm about to replace all of mine at once.

 

although i know i could easily change it... i can't primarily because my left arm is in a cast.

plus, the engine bay is so fvckin cramped! stupid mopar tongue.gif

thanks for the ideas