Problem:
My battery won't charge (sometimes). The car has sat in my garage for months. Sometimes it will idle with the battery voltage between 12.0 and 12.8 with no accessories on. Other times it will run at 13.2-14.0 with all accessories on (A/C, subs/amp, headlights). I can't do anything to make it charge... and if it's charging, I can't do enough to make the volts drop.

Recent Realizations:
I've replaced the alternator. My belts don't seem to be turning as fast as they should be. Sometimes my belts will squeel very loudly and uncontrollably. Sometimes they squeel just to squeel, sometimes they're quiet. Sometimes I can turn the steering wheel and make it squeel, sometimes not. Sometimes turning on the A/C or headlights will make them squeel, sometimes not.

I drove the car for a while this weekend, and this is what happened:

Battery wasn't charging.
Car started to overheat after 3 minute drive around the neighborhood.
Belts squeeled at random times, some while driving, some turning, some when I came to a stop.

THEN I LOOKED INTO THE ENGINE BAY..... (for the 200th time)
the belt that connects to a pulley beneath the intake manifold, on the passenger side. Is that the timing belt? The belt seems to be turning fast, but the pulley it's on is NOT! I can actually watch it move, maybe 3-5 seconds for an entire rotation. Are the teeth GONE on that belt and it's just slipping around the pulley? Are there possibly some teeth left, and when they catch, it causes my other belts to move properly and charge the battery? Could the belt be at all related to the overheating issue (affecting water pump)?

If the timing belt isn't working properly, will that affect power steering belt and alternator, causing the squeeling? I had timing belt replaced 62k miles ago.

 

no, probly your A/C. Have you tried to tighten it? You should go through and tighten all of your belts if you can.
The timing belt and pully is completely covered except for a small hole at the bottom of the engine which you can see the bolt that turns the timing belt.

 

word - the timing belt is behind a cover and cannot slip (if it would, you would have bent valves and would not be able to run your engine.
There should be a tensioner pulley on both of those belts. All you need to do is tighten them up, and voila, it will keep the belts turning fing02.gif

 

nevermind on tightening it. You're probly looking at the A/C clutch. When your car is given gas, or when the compressor has pressurized enough, it will disengauge the A/C clutch and spin freely to turn it off.

 

how do I tighten the belts? I know how on the alternator...

what belt is it that's far back, to the left under the intake manifold

 

Sounds to me like you need to loosen the 2 bolts on the alternator, have a friend pull on it with a good deal of force, then tighten down the bolts again.

This pully is on a clutch. it is your A/C pully.




however, the water pump is connected to the alternator. so it may be your alternator belt is loose!

 

if u check webtech it shows you exactly where to adjust the tension and is really helpful. my belts were horrible when i bought the car and webtech made it easy to replace them. to get to your AC your gunna have to jack up the car and take the passenger tire off. you'll see a small little pulley slightly to the right and thats your tensioner.

 

^^ I did mine without taking the wheel off.

 

I'll try to get everything I need off webtech today. I'm really busy at work and won't have access at home.