# Squealing/screeching noise from cars belt **URL:** \ **Category:** Maintenance/Repairs\ **Created:** [March 9, 2019, 4:56am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/squealing-screeching-noise-from-cars-belt/136102 "2019-03-09T04:56:47Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![iag360\_141684](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/df705f/32.png) [@iag360\_141684](https://community.cartalk.com/u/iag360_141684)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2019, 4:56am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/squealing-screeching-noise-from-cars-belt/136102/1 "2019-03-09T04:56:47Z")
What’s the squeaking noise coming from my belt ? Is it the belt itself? Pulley? Alternator? Is this dangerous please don’t tell me so. [https://gfycat.com/imperfecttotalhypsilophodon](https://gfycat.com/imperfecttotalhypsilophodon) 2004 Kia amanti ---
**Author:** ![oldtimer-11](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/e79b87/32.png) [@oldtimer-11](https://community.cartalk.com/u/oldtimer-11)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2019, 5:16am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/squealing-screeching-noise-from-cars-belt/136102/2 "2019-03-09T05:16:59Z")
We can’t hear it from here. could be belt. tensioner pulley, alternator, air conditioner, or power steering. Is it dangerous, well you could lose your power steering in the middle of a curve or be stranded by a dead battery. It is not going to get better by itself and it isn’t going to get cheaper to fix. None of these things are hard to diagnose with the car in front of you. Just take it to a mechanic, you don’t need a dealer, but I would avoid tire shops lube shops or national chains. As ---
**Author:** ![RandomTroll](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/randomtroll/32/12184_2.png) [@RandomTroll](https://community.cartalk.com/u/RandomTroll)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2019, 3:49pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/squealing-screeching-noise-from-cars-belt/136102/3 "2019-03-09T15:49:42Z")
My alternator belt squealed. It turned out all I needed to do was tighten it. Because it only squealed for a minute or so, it didn’t compromise my car’s performance. I’d try tightening every belt, then replacing every belt: that’s cheap & easy. I tried ‘belt dressing’, spray goop that is supposed to improve belt traction: it made no difference. If that doesn’t work, get it fixed by someone who can. ---
**Author:** ![iag360\_141684](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/df705f/32.png) [@iag360\_141684](https://community.cartalk.com/u/iag360_141684)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2019, 7:30pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/squealing-screeching-noise-from-cars-belt/136102/4 "2019-03-09T19:30:31Z")
Mine doesn’t exactly squealing though. It’s more of a constant chirping noise ---
**Author:** ![RandomTroll](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/randomtroll/32/12184_2.png) [@RandomTroll](https://community.cartalk.com/u/RandomTroll)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2019, 10:15pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/squealing-screeching-noise-from-cars-belt/136102/5 "2019-03-09T22:15:06Z")
The subject of your original post is ‘Squealing/screeching’. Either way I’d tighten all the belts then, if that doesn’t work, replace them, before I took it to a shop: it’s cheap and easy. ---
**Author:** ![shanonia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9de053/32.png) [@shanonia](https://community.cartalk.com/u/shanonia)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2019, 10:17pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/squealing-screeching-noise-from-cars-belt/136102/6 "2019-03-09T22:17:19Z")
If you remove or at least loosen the belt, you can rotate and rattle all the devices and pulleys it drives. Check for tightness or roughness or looseness in all. If all OK, the belt may just need to be tightened, or replaced. ---
**Author:** ![iag360\_141684](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/df705f/32.png) [@iag360\_141684](https://community.cartalk.com/u/iag360_141684)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2019, 1:14am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/squealing-screeching-noise-from-cars-belt/136102/7 "2019-03-10T01:14:59Z")
Ok after doing research the noise is actually considered “chirping”. As you can see in the video. The noise goes away when I spray water under the belt. Still stick by ur guys answers? ---
**Author:** ![Honda-Blackbird](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/honda-blackbird/32/3159_2.png) [@Honda-Blackbird](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Honda-Blackbird)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2019, 1:21am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/squealing-screeching-noise-from-cars-belt/136102/8 "2019-03-10T01:21:40Z")
Try replacing the belt first…they stretch over time and the auto tensioner only has so much slack it can take up before it loses the ability to continue to tension the belt. Replace the belt first and test…if still squealing…then replace the tensioner…still squealing? then the idler pulley… Usually in that exact order. I think a new belt will fix you up however. ---
**Author:** ![George\_San\_Jose1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e5b9ba/32.png) [@George\_San\_Jose1](https://community.cartalk.com/u/George_San_Jose1)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2019, 2:50am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/squealing-screeching-noise-from-cars-belt/136102/9 "2019-03-10T02:50:03Z")
If the “squirt water on the belt” trick suppresses the sound immediately, excellent chance a new belt or even just an adjustment to the existing belt’s tension will correct it. Belts on newer cars like yours tend to have automatic belt tensioners which aren’t manually adjusted. For those you usually have to just replace the belt. ---
**Author:** ![It\_s-Me](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/it_s-me/32/12660_2.png) [@It\_s-Me](https://community.cartalk.com/u/It_s-Me)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2019, 7:11am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/squealing-screeching-noise-from-cars-belt/136102/11 "2019-03-12T07:11:46Z")
> [@bryanfox177\_149363](#): > > it’s either an idler pulley bearing or it’s a tensioner pulley bearing that goes bad Copy pasting answers from “Mechanics Inc” is not helpful Donna