Under Hood Squeel

[careybaker]

I have a 96 ES300 that has a quiet squeel coming from somewhere in the engine compartment when the car is warmed up.

It mostly does it only at idle. When I step on the gas it stops....usually. Every once in a while it will make the noise at any RPM. It is not as loud as belt noise that I have heard in the past on other cars. It is a rythmic sound and sometimes I am convinced that it is coming from the radiator fan. I find it impossible to pinpoint where it is actually coming from. Sound familiar? Its driving me crazy.

[DBrucher]

Lube it up! Spray some white grease in there or somethin.

[careybaker]

Lube what?...The fan, if so where?

[DBrucher]

I'd imagine you'd want to lubricate where the squeel was coming from. If it's coming from the fan, juice up the point of contact. I'd spray some belt dressing all around the serpentine just to make sure that wasn't it.

[kingjack133]

Lube what?...The fan, if so where?

It really sounds like a belt ( and thats what you WANT it to be). Buy some belt dressing or even spray wd 40 (can t hurt) and rule out the belts . The fan is hydraulic and so light you can stop it with your hand but don t , no need to. Bearings don t squeel, they grind. Rubber squeels. g luck.

[gbhrps]

If a belt is squealing its either worn out, not tight enough, or the accessory its driving (AC compressor, power steering pump, etc.) has started to seize up. I would start looking first at your drive belts and then individual belt driven items. Good Luck!

[byf43]

Lube what?...The fan, if so where?

It really sounds like a belt ( and thats what you WANT it to be). Buy some belt dressing or even spray wd 40 (can t hurt) and rule out the belts . The fan is hydraulic and so light you can stop it with your hand but don t , no need to. Bearings don t squeel, they grind. Rubber squeels. g luck.

I cannot go along with spraying WD40 on any belt!

The squeal MAY be from the idler pulley, or belt tensioner. The bearings can and do go bad.

It could be an alternator bearing, too.

The only lube that I would use near a radiator fan would be white lithium grease.

BUT, disconnect the battery, first!