screaming and squeaky belts!!

[T4Ralabama]

sometimes when i crank my 1998 4runner SR5 the belt SCREAMS sometimes it does it cause the climate controls are blowing even on low it screams and squeaks when i turn it off it usually stops...and other times i crank it and it screams for just a second and stops on its own...other times i will be backing up or turning out of my driveway or a parking space and i turn the wheel it squeaks and screams (the belt,least i think thats what it is) for a second depending on how hard and much i turn the wheel...and last night when i turned off the highway with the heat on and the blower on high the belt also screamd in the turn... its very annoying. Any ideas on this it doesnt always happen but its getting worse anyone had this problem?? thanks guys for your help..could it just be loose or do i need a new belt? anyhting along those lines? ive tried the basics.. beltdressing...ect but it doenst seem to work... thanks!!

 

[kball]

New belts should solve the problem. The squealing means they are slipping. Once they start slipping, they ususally just get worse.

 

[TheDurk]

Did you try tightening the belts? Sounds like both AC and PS belts are slipping. Do we know how old these belts are? OEM Toyota belts have serious longevity but at some point they start to go. Mine were complaining when I swapped all 3 accessory belts along with my timing belt and water pump at 120K. If yours are at that age, I would just swap them.

 

[wes smith]

i had similar symptoms and it turnd out that my water pump and pwr stering pump were on the verge of a slow painful death, but your problems could be different-imo, take it to a toyota dealer, they know what they are doing-most of the time-

 

[96743runner]

I would just have them changed.

At around 50k or so with mine the pwr steering belt started making noise when the wheel was turned all the way to either side. It became worse to the point where I couldn't stand it and I had the belt replaced at 60k. Good thing too, it was really worn out. Guess my belt was defective or something since it didn't last as long as it should've.

 

[JeremyH]

I would just have them changed.

Changing the belts is an easy task. Doing the work yourself is something that will save you some money versus taking it to a shop.

BTW, I agree, you need to change the belts. I've had excellent luck with Gatorback belts....

 

[psquared77]

Hey all- Can I add a twist to the problem/solutions offered above? My runner just started squealing when the weather turned cold here in NJ. I had new belts put on this summer (not the timing belt though-did that 2 years ago with water pump) with no complications until about 4 weeks ago...Any cold mornings, I start it up and then it squeaks for 3-5 seconds before going away. If it is really cold, the screaming comes back when I push the accelerator. Eventually, by the time I am out of the neighborhood and the engine is warmer, it goes away....until the next cold start. Any ideas? I have an '02 sport with 197,000 miles. No other complications I can determine...Any suggestions would be helpful.

 

[JeremyH]

Same thing with the belts. They are rubber and can expand and contract with different ambient temperatures....

 

[Tomsriv]

Hey all- Can I add a twist to the problem/solutions offered above? My runner just started squealing when the weather turned cold here in NJ. I had new belts put on this summer (not the timing belt though-did that 2 years ago with water pump) with no complications until about 4 weeks ago...Any cold mornings, I start it up and then it squeaks for 3-5 seconds before going away. If it is really cold, the screaming comes back when I push the accelerator. Eventually, by the time I am out of the neighborhood and the engine is warmer, it goes away....until the next cold start. Any ideas? I have an '02 sport with 197,000 miles. No other complications I can determine...Any suggestions would be helpful.

It could also be bad bearings on an idler pulley or one of your components. But most likely it is a loose belt, try that first.

To check for bearing noise get a long screwdriver and touch the end to say the alternator housing or the AC housing. Put your ear against the handle and you can hear bearing noise. Try it on different components and you can quickly tell if one sounds bad.

 

[psquared77]

Thanks guys. Will let you know what it ends up being.