I have taken my Voyager to the shop several times for a terrible squeak – sometimes fairly soft and other times very loud. It begins when the car is first started and continues for 10-15 minutes and then stops. Doesn’t seem to matter if the car is idling or accelerating. The shop said the noise was a belt that must be getting damp and slipping but then dries out so the noise stops. I was advised to bring it back to the shop again so the water and oil pumps could be checked out – maybe there was a leak that sprayed onto the belt. I tried some belt dressing this morning and it made no difference so I think that shoots down the slipping belt theory. Will a bad bearing make the same “screaming flock of birds” noise? I would say the noise is definitely coming from the front somewhere.
If the belts are squealing you need new belts, not belt dressing.
Yes, a bad bearing in the water pump, alternator, or idler pulley can make almost the same squeal as a loose belt.
Why has this not been fixed in several trips to the shop? I think you should consider going elsewhere.
The oil pump is NOT leaking onto the belts. The water pump maybe, but not the oil pump.
The timing belt was replaced about a year ago. The shop said the belts are fine and the tension is correct. I tried the belt dressing to make sure it was not the belt slipping. I think you’re right – it’s time to try another shop.
Thank you for your help.