Squealing Belt on Start Up

[kong]

Hi All,

I have a 1998 Toyota 4Runner 5 SPD 2.7 L 3RZ. I just hit 110K miles and decided to change the belts on my car, as they were making noises indicating that they were about to go. That was a week ago.

Now, when I start the car, one of the belts squeals for a second (just for a second), and will run fine until after I shut the car off and do not run it for a few hours. Again, please note, this usually just happens in the mornings. If the car is warmed up/has been driven, it won't make the start up squeal.

My question is -- it is a tensioner issue? One of the belts is extremely tight, and the other two are somewhat lose, so before I take the skid plate off and start fooling around, as I do not know much about cars, I was wondering if this was a common symptom of new belts simply not tightened enough?

Thanks!

 

[02SE]

Squealing is a sign that a belt is too loose. Over-tightening a belt is worse, as over time it can ruin the bearings in whatever component(s) the too-tight belt is driving.

Yes, it's tension issue. Adjust the loose and tight belts so they all have proper tension.

 

[TideRunner]

i replaced mine a couple weeks ago, mine was the belt to the alt. made alot of noise on start up. you can put a load on it and see if it chirps at you again. mine did at least. everything ive seen on here recommends the belts give about 1/4" when pushed/pulled. hope i helped!

 

[kong]

Thanks guys! Looks like I have a small project ahead of me this weekend. I appreciate the stickies--I'll be leaning on the guide there for this project.

I will circle back and provide an update on the issue once I have addressed it.

 

[Illestreker]

mine does the same thing as you described but typically only occurs after its been raining and its wet. If its dry, on a cold start up it will occasionally have a 1 second chirp/squeal but if its wet it will squeal like a dieing pig for about 5 seconds.

 

[kong]

Hi Guys,

I tightened all the belts. The bottom two (AC & Alternator?) were extremely loose compared to the one on top (Power Steering?). All in all, it was a fun project...and the squeal on start up has gone away! The damn skid plate was a pain to put back on. Looks to be a two piece? Regardless, I accidentally bent the small hook in the back that it was supposed to rest on, connecting it to the other piece. It's a skid plate though and will still do its job! Anyway, thanks a lot guys. I appreciate it.