Hey guys, I'm having a problem with a screeching noise in my car. A few months ago I started my car and get a screeching noise when I started to drive which went away after a few seconds of driving. I automatically thought it was a slipping drive belt and went to a local shop to get them replaced.

They used aftermarket belts and the problem never really went away. Particularly on cold days it would screech for quite a while. I went to the shop and they checked the belts and said they were fine. I continued to drive for a a few months and the noise would continue to happen whenever it was really cold.

So today I finally got tired of it, bought OEM belts from the dealer and got them installed at the same place. I left and all was well, I went to the SF Internation auto show for 4+ hours and then came back to my car on this cold rainy day only to have it screech again (for quite a while).

I'm going to the shop again on Monday but before I do that, could there be anything else that I should be looking at? There are only two drive belts (both replaced twice now). For a shop that handles that much traffic I can't imagine that they don't know how to properly do a simple belt change.

 

you have to spray wd40 on the belt pulleys and the timing belt as well!

 

Maybe one of your pulleys is going bad?? I know a lot of people have had less than satisfactory results using aftermarket belts, but you went back to OEM so they shouldn't be the issue. Unless they need to be tightened just slightly.

 

I had a bad experience with aftermarket belts on mine. I had to switch to the oem belts. Spend the extra cash.

 

x2 on one of the tensioner pulleys being bad. One of mine went bad (on the A/C compressor side) and it sounded strangely like a squeaky belt. Usually they sound more metallic when they're going bad, but this one didn't.

 

I used gates belts and had no problems

You said it made the noise when it rained, if the belts get wet they will squeak.

I've never heard of any problems with aftermarket belts.

 

I have the same problem with mine also.... but its only make that sound in the winter when it is 50 degree and below.

 

What are the chances of a tensioner pulley going bad at 92k miles? It's a pretty cold morning here in SF so I'll start the car in a bit to see if it does it again. If so, I'll stop by the shop and have them spray some WD and tighten them.

 

Wouldn't WD make it slip more?

 

Do not listen this idiot, he has no idea. He also has no idea to what the Proper OCI for his engine is let alone to give advice on anything.

 

So I started my car this morning to go to the gym, it was freezing out (freezing for the bay area, maybe high 40's) and the car started normally, without noise. I left a little over two hours later and the car started normally again. I spent about an hour and a half at home and it started again without issue. Could the screeching I heard yesterday just be the belts settling in after an initial install?

 

I believe our cars don't have timing belts.

 

^ They dont, He has no idea, do not take any advice from him...

Belts might stretch a little after install, but I dont think they will contract after install.

I had screeching noise, I just had to tighten my belts a bit.

 

My AC belt squeaks... or rather chirps, when it hits redline with the AC on

 

^ your AC hit Vtec?