I have a 97 Honda CRV. When it is damp, humid, dewy, or raining my Honda squeals. The sound goes away after a awhile but only if the rain stops. I thought it might be a belt, so I treated it with alittle belt dressing and it still didn’t stop ( the day was rainy). Then I couldn’t stand the noise anymore and I took it to my mechanic. He heard it too and we thought it was a bad bearing in the alternator. The part had to be ordered so I wasn’t able to leave the car until the next day. Next day- sun shines, NO NOISE! It is driving me mad. The mechanic checked the alternator and it is charging fine and I have not had any problems with starting or dimming lights. WHAT IS IT??
It’s still most likely a slipping belt. How old is the belt? If it’s more than 3 or 4 years old, it’s probably too worn. Did the mechanic check the tension on the belt? You can do it yourself – it’s in the owners manual.
By the way, how many miles on the car, and does the noise appear any time the engine is running (not just when in motion)? Does it correlate to any actions, such as turning the steering wheel? Finally, have someone check if any splash shields are missing – that could allow the belt to get excessively wet (and slip… and squeal) when driving on a wet road.
Both belts are new because they were replaced when I had the timing belt changed right after I bought the car in January. I thought it might be a power steering noise too but it happens when the car is idling. I will check the tension of the belts or pray that the sun keeps shining. the thing about the sheild is that it starts squealing right after taking off without there being any water splashing up from underneathe. Thank you for your reply.
It’s probably a loose, worn belt. I’d install a new belt, because, even if it’s not the original, all that slipping has accelerated the belt wear.
A new belt, properly tensioned, may be the solution.
Belt dressing is definitely NOT the solution.