[FocusedonaFocus]

So I'm trying to figure out if the little squeak I hear when I start my car up is normal. Each time I go and start the car...at least when the engine is cold...you can hear a little squeak. Also, most of the time, after I start it up and it does that, when I go and put it in gear to back out of the garage, it kind of makes a constant bit of squeaking/noise from the belt area. So I'm trying to figure out if anyone else has this oddity and if it is normal or not. Oh, and it's on a 2.0L Zetec [thumb]

 

[bluefront]

No it's not normal. Your belt is worn/stretched to the point it's slightly loose. Or....liquid of some sort has gotten on the belt. Or....something is causing an abnormal drag on the belt.

Buy a new Ford belt. When you have the old belt off off check for leaks, and see if all the pulleys spin freely.

Try starting the car out of the defrost position (that starts the AC compressor spinning)....which always causes a worn belt to make noise.

Or take it somewhere and get a new belt installed....

 

[cwatson411]

my zetec squeaks only on start up tho for like half a second. i recently installed a UDP and the belt along with it but it still makes that noise.

 

[FiFoci]

mine made a squeak yesterday. and now my car is jack up in my garage because the tensioner pulley locked up over heated then shattered/melted while i was on my way home. so, i orderd the billet pulley from cfm.

 

[allanzx3]

Ya the noise could be the tensioner or the belt. Mine does it too but only till it warm.

Once the weather lets up a bit ill pull the belt and lube the tensioner pulley and install a new belt.

 

[iminhell]

Ya the noise could be the tensioner or the belt. Mine does it too but only till it warm.

Once the weather lets up a bit ill pull the belt and lube the tensioner pulley and install a new belt.

How exactly do you plan on lubing a sealed bearing, might I ask?

New tensioner pulley/assembly is the proper remedy.

 

[allanzx3]

How exactly do you plan on lubing a sealed bearing, might I ask?

New tensioner pulley/assembly is the proper remedy.

I haven't had it apart to realize it was a sealed bearing yet obviously

 

[iminhell]

I know lol

 

[FocusedonaFocus]

Yeah, I don't really think I'm gonna worry about it too much for the time being, since as I said, it's only like a little instantaneous squeak upon start-up, and like when the revs are really low when I'm backing out and the engine is cold, otherwise, I don't notice anything while it's running.

 

[levin.matthew]

Yeah, I don't really think I'm gonna worry about it too much for the time being, since as I said, it's only like a little instantaneous squeak upon start-up, and like when the revs are really low when I'm backing out and the engine is cold, otherwise, I don't notice anything while it's running.

good call...but if it gets worse at all, you really need to get it replaced. Trust me...having a belt go on you while driving is not a good thing! [?|]

R.I.P. '79 F-150 [mecry]

 

[JFrye]

I've replaced both the belt and the tensioner, but still have the squealing problem. Think it could be just a pulley thats not spinning freely?

 

[FocusedonaFocus]

Yeah, it might just be a pulley that is a little tighter when it's cold, which would explain why it makes a little noise when I back out of the garage when it's totally cold, but not like after I pull out of a store parking lot when it's still warm from having been driven recently. I would find it kind of hard to believe though that the tensioner has a problem considering the car only has like 38k miles on it, but it is an '03, so pure age could do that too I guess.....

 

[Kamaaina]

I had that this same problem on my '03 SPI where the belt would chirp-chirp-chirp when starting up. It was a new belt and drove me nuts! I replaced the tensioner pulley and no change. Took out the alternator to check the brushes and dress the commutator & grease the bearings....no change. Started thinking that it was the water pump but what a pain to change after I just did the timing belt. Experimented a little and sprayed some soap on the ribbed side of the belt while running and sound went away for a little while and came right back. Decided to change the belt again but not with the same type. Originally I bought the 6-rib belt from NAPA and it looked like any other belt but made this chirping noise. So I went to Checker Auto and picked-up a Goodyear Gatorback with the segmented ribs, installed it and after a couple months the chirping is gone for good. Can't see how a new belt would cause it's own chirping so I trashed the NAPA belt and will only buy the Gatorback from now on for the Focus. Give it a try before you go changing parts......it might work for you.

P.S. - Happy Holidays to everyone on the forum from Hawaii.