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I think its the alternator belt but it squeeks so loud when i start er up only lately because here in S'toon we just got dumped on with made snow like 3 feet so its tough going if someone could tell me what to do so i can do it when it warms up a bit thanx again guys

It may need to be ajusted.. also if the belt is warn you may need to replace it.. I would say bring it to a mechanic and get him to look at it and tell you if you need a new one.

Do a search in this forum, you'll get lots of information.

Tightening the belt isn't hard, if that's what needs to happen. You can do that yourself (the tensioning bolt is on the aft side of the alternator).

But be damn sure you do it right, or you'll snap that bolt like a breadstick. That happened to me. But first it bent and stretched and made me wonder why the HELL the belt wouldn't tighten.

If the alternator belt is worn and frayed, it should be replaced. That's a tricky operation, because it involves removing the power steering belt in order to put in the alternator belt.

If you've got the dough, just take it to a mechanic. He should be able to fix it in about seven seconds, if it just needs tightening.

And sorry about the snow, dude.

belt needs to be dry and if it still squeals and its pretty new, and youre sure its just belt squealing not cause it needs retightened, Ive heard some soap helps, just rub soap on inside of it and it should stop

Another thing you can try is beefing up the grounding system. This can help because if the grounds are bad, the alt has to work a lot harder to get the electrical system up and running properly.
I had the same problem for a long time. I was going throught belts once a month. The last time I changed the belt I also added a 4 gauge wire from the alternator to the battery and I haven't had a problem with the belt in over a year. Try it. I intend to beef up all the ground pointsd as soon as I get the time.

Hope this helps

Spotted wrote:Another thing you can try is beefing up the grounding system. This can help because if the grounds are bad, the alt has to work a lot harder to get the electrical system up and running properly.
I had the same problem for a long time. I was going throught belts once a month. The last time I changed the belt I also added a 4 gauge wire from the alternator to the battery and I haven't had a problem with the belt in over a year. Try it. I intend to beef up all the ground pointsd as soon as I get the time.

Hope this helps

Could you be more specific about where the wire goes? Which battery terminal, and should the other end just be soldered to the alternator housing or what?

if u recently replaced the belt, its probably squeaking b/c the belt you bought is crap quality & stretched.

if its an old belt, it could be a sign your altenrator is either straining (bad connections) or going out & needs to be replaced soon. Replacing the belt on a alt that is worn isn't going to fix the problem for long..it'll recur until you have a charging problem or failure.

belt will need to be retightened after you put it on and drove like 100 miles

Just remember to adjust the power steering belt too.

Too tight is bad too ... ... . .. . .. driving home from a meet and the belt burns up - then your car starts to overheat.......


Well, just do it right the first time - mazda belt, tightened to the correct specs, tighten both belts, and you'll be quiet in no time

I ran the cable from the negative battery post to one of the bolts securing the alternator to it's mounting bracket.
I soldered the cable ends to the cable itself, nothing to the body of the alternator.
I have not had a problem with the belt since then. No retightening or anything.
Sorry about hte long delay in response, life gets in the way.

when i was too lazy a few times to tighten/replace my belts, i used a product called belt dressing. a couple different companies make it and its available at most auto parts stores. couple bucks for the can, spray the belt while the eingine is running and it will stop for a while. not indefinatly, but a while.