Thread: squeaky fan belt

If its a TDI....loosen the tensioner nut enough to allow a 5cent piece to be slid in between the engine and tensioner at the 10 o'clock position as you look at it. Doing this will align the tensioner, believe it or not!!

my 300tdi does this when it is cold. Goes away after 10 minutes or so of driving

Yeh did the 5 cent piece, but mechanic took it out and is now worse. It is defiantly coming form the idler pulley as it jumps around the imperfections on the belt, Pulley bearing wouldnt be 10,000k old and squeaks like a canary on heat. Its driving me crazy.

The rubber of the belt may have been contaminated with something - there are a lot of contact points with all the ribbing. I do have the 5 cent piece at the 9 oclock posi and it does work, but then I got a lot of coolant on the belt and even with cleaning the belt couldn't get rid of the noise again (drove me nuts too). Got a new belt, cleaned all the pulleys with brake cleaner (metho or something else that evaporates totally works too). Fine again now - kept the noisy belt as a spare.

The old cure used to be a very quick squirt of WD 40 while the engine was running. Yes I know you shouldn't.... but it works as long as you don't apply too much so that the belt slips.
You also used to be able to buy 'belt dressing' in spray can, not sure if this is still available.

Both of these were a quick fix in the automotive trade. If you're keeping it then a new belt will probably fix it.


Colin

the other thing too do is take your belt off and give all the pulleys a bloody good wiggle I ended up finding that my power steering pulley was rooted it started off as a squeek and then I started noticing n a new belt that I lost one of the ribs because the belt wasn't running true. changed the pulley and never had a squeek again or a damaged belt.

Apparently the 10c trick does work..however I would reccomend you check everything before doing it could you could easily just be hiding something wrong.

The other thing is check your belt if you have a belt with a shiney/glossy back change it for one with a rough back this also makes a big difference as I found the glossy backed oned squeeked until the engine warmed up and then stopped...basically the belt tensioner was struggling to get traction as it were and was infact slipping until the belt got warm

Gates also have info on troubleshooting V belt squeaks
Troubleshooting V-ribbed Belt Noise - The world's most trusted name in belts, hoses & hydraulics | Gates Corporation
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I had the same problems with mine from new and tried different belts with softer compound etc but it still comes back now and again.

The 10 cent piece worked for me. Did it about a year ago and so far all is good.

Dave.