SUBS TOO POWERFUL FOR ALTERNATOR?? CAR SQUEAKS!!!

[umcamara]

If you've changed the belt and it still squeals, then you probably have a bad pulley somewhere. The bearings are probably seizing up, or the pulley doesn't spin true anymore. Belt dressings are just a cover-up for the real problem.

[Savin]

WD-40 is just a temporary fix. The sqeak will be back within a few days. Just do what you can to properly fix the problem.

[mattsmx3]

ya thats whatr he called it belt dressing

[94mx3precidia]

run a bar of soap for a quick second against the belt as the engines running. Ive never tried this myself but ive been told that it works.

Ive also been told that furniture polish like pledge also works but i think that it would just make the belt even more slippery.

[Ryan]

I agree with umcamara, we need to fix our problems permanently, without sprays, soaps or lubes. Check pulleys. If it stops raining I'll go pull my belt off and wiggle and spin stuff and see if I can find anything odd. On my RS, its a 12mm bolt holding the alternator in place.

[mattsmx3]

ok so i went to can tire
bought some belt dressing
but its so hard to get it on the belt i can only get a few parts
should i just take the belt off give it a good coat and put it back on?

[Ryan]

If you're daring and don't plan on suing me, do it while its running....
Thats something I would probably do

although, I went under my hood again with a 12mm wrench, and a 3' crow bar and reefed the alternator using the engine mount as the leverage point. It doesn't squeak, and when I push on it it flexes less than a centimeter. I don't think you could ever over tighten it. Sometimes in cold/wet weather it still does though...

[umcamara]

It's like putting perfume on a pig, it's pointless. It might smell a bit better for a minute or two, but it's just (poorly) covering up the real problem.

[porkchop]

just joined today so that i could learn this car better, i am into the car audio scene and also cursed with these tiny alts. i know that the first and foremost step in any true high end aftermarket system is to upgrade the electrical componets , doing the big three upgrade , high output alternator , and makeing sure u have a good battery upfront is essential for good performance for your system as well as the cars electrical needs. sooooooo, this is where i am trying to learn the car better, the only alt i have looked at so far is 180 amp and it is about 375 shipped, and the big three upgrade is definetly needed up front, but looks a little challenging. look to talking at u more later on it and seeing your system ,gotta go.

[amnguitars]

i am also having the same problem. I just bought a 1994 mx3 and it was sitting for a while so i had to change to alternator and the alternator belt both. A couple days later after it finished raining i started it up and it make a really loud squeaking noise and it didnt go off. I tried putting it into gear but it still did it for a couple minutes then stopped. Then yesterday i started my car up and it made the same noise, so i figued to rev it but when i reved it, the squeak became even louder. i dont know what to do?

[Savin]

Well, its obvious that your belt is sqeaking. What you need to do is check to see if the belt is still good. If it is, then just adjust the belt via the alternator I believe. If the belt is bad, the replace it, it doesn't cost too much, and it'll most likey stop the squeak UNLESS, oil or something has gotten onto your pullies. If so, just make sure the area is clean.

[amnguitars]

I dont know if something leaked on it but when i start my car it smells a lot of gas coming somewhere near the engine i dont know what it is. Im not a mechanic so i dont know what the problem could be

[Savin]

Gas smell? You're leaking gas? That's not good Jimmy Neutron. (I say that a lot in person)
You could just be running rich, that would explain the smell. If you are leaking gas, check your fuel lines and filters, make sure they're not dripping onto the belts. I can't help you much, I can only point you in the direction to look. You're on your own until you inspect things.

[amnguitars]

i checked the car to see if it is leaking while running but it doesnt. the mechanic that i got to installmy alternator said that i have more oil then i need. Could that be the problem?

[MCNano117]

Sounds like the alternator is leaking oil that smells like fuel.

J/K but if you smell fuel, then you're either running rich or you have a fuel leak somewhere.