Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Any good solutions to a drive belt that is giving out high pitched squeals in lower gears? Consulting a dealer tells me that it will cost $200 to replace which seems like a LOT!
Dunno what kind of car, but many brands/models have pulley dampeners, that may or may not have to be replaced, (and are often the cause of squealing, esp on cold start up). Not trying to spend your dough, but have the mech check pulley(s) and assure proper contact of the replaced belt(s), and non-eccentric rotation when the belts run. Agree on a decent Indie vs a dlr.
GL, mD
Any good solutions to a drive belt that is giving out high pitched squeals in lower gears? Consulting a dealer tells me that it will cost $200 to replace which seems like a LOT!
It may not be the belt, like what motordavid suggested, it could be the bearings on whatever the belt drives. Depending on what the belt drives, and the model/year of the car, you may have to replace the entire component because they will not sell the pulley/bearings seperatedly.
Getting your vehicle serviced at a dealership will cost you a lot more, so go to an independent service shop like usafracer suggested.
Any good solutions to a drive belt that is giving out high pitched squeals in lower gears? Consulting a dealer tells me that it will cost $200 to replace which seems like a LOT!
If you post up make, model, and year (as in 2007 Toyota Camry) and engine if there were optional engines (usually enough to say I-4 or V-6, V-8, whatever). At least approximate mileage would help too.
In general a good independent shop will do better work for less money than the stealer.
Going by memory here but I believe that has either three V or ribbed belts instead of a serpentine belt.
Either way, at 78000 miles it's time. It will only get worse with the coming colder weather.
If it has ribbed belts like a Subaru, awhile back one of the belts on our 92 Legacy managed to get offset by one rib on one of the pulleys, it squeaked all the time, more of a whistle really, until I figured out what had happened. Loosening the tensioners, I pushed it back on straight and that was that.
3-steps is right though - the belts have done nearly 80K miles and don't owe you anything more. Change them now at the time and place of your choosing, rather than wait for mid-winter when the car may pick out a time and place. Cars in my experience are lousy with logistics, they pick out an inconvenient time, inconvenient place, and you usually don't have the tools or parts on hand either.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
