Squeaky Belt-new To Board

[jambie]

Hello all,

New to the board with the purchase of a 2002 LS430 with 74k miles. Loving the car so far, but dislike the serpentine belt squeak. A small shot of silicone spray makes it stop, but it soon returns. I've heard belt dressing is a no-no, and that the belt needs to be adjusted. Is this difficult? I also know that I'm getting close to timing belt replacement, but having just bought the car, I'm not in a position to part with another 1+k. Any estimate on what a shop would charge to tighten it? The belt and pulleys look to be in good condition...

Any thoughts would help.

Cheers,

Tom

[RDM]

You cannot tighten a timing belt. The tension is done by a hydraulic tensioner, unless the tensioner is bad there's nothing you can do besides replacing the belt.

As for the serpentine belt, there is no adjustment either. It's tensioned by a spring loaded tensioner, it could be bad, or one of the pulleys is bad or worn and causing noise.

[jambie]

Sorry, I meant tighten the serpentine belt. I replaced it yesterday, and so far, so good...

Thanks,

Tom

[tkbalt]

Had the same issue with our 03 - new serpentine belt solved the problem.

[tkbalt]

Had the same issue with our 03 - new serpentine belt solved the problem.

[Brett in AK]

Hello all,

New to the board with the purchase of a 2002 LS430 with 74k miles. Loving the car so far, but dislike the serpentine belt squeak. A small shot of silicone spray makes it stop, but it soon returns. I've heard belt dressing is a no-no, and that the belt needs to be adjusted. Is this difficult? I also know that I'm getting close to timing belt replacement, but having just bought the car, I'm not in a position to part with another 1+k. Any estimate on what a shop would charge to tighten it? The belt and pulleys look to be in good condition...

Any thoughts would help.

Cheers,

Tom

I don't believe I would ever spray silicone on the serpentine belt or for that matter any other type of drive belt. Silicone is a lubricant and would cause it to slip a little more. Yes you may benefit momentarily, but personally I don't feel that would be in your best interest. Belt dressing is also a temporary fix. Best bet is to determine why it's squeaking or squealing and remedy that situation. If it's not a mechanical issue such as worn out tensioner, pulleys out of alignment etc, then normally the belt is worn. A shiny belt is usually a good indicator of one that is or has been slipping. It's always a good idea to give the belt a quick glance when checking the oil. Glad to hear the replacement worked out for you.

Brett

[jambie]

Hello all,

New to the board with the purchase of a 2002 LS430 with 74k miles. Loving the car so far, but dislike the serpentine belt squeak. A small shot of silicone spray makes it stop, but it soon returns. I've heard belt dressing is a no-no, and that the belt needs to be adjusted. Is this difficult? I also know that I'm getting close to timing belt replacement, but having just bought the car, I'm not in a position to part with another 1+k. Any estimate on what a shop would charge to tighten it? The belt and pulleys look to be in good condition...

Any thoughts would help.

Cheers,

Tom

I don't believe I would ever spray silicone on the serpentine belt or for that matter any other type of drive belt. Silicone is a lubricant and would cause it to slip a little more. Yes you may benefit momentarily, but personally I don't feel that would be in your best interest. Belt dressing is also a temporary fix. Best bet is to determine why it's squeaking or squealing and remedy that situation. If it's not a mechanical issue such as worn out tensioner, pulleys out of alignment etc, then normally the belt is worn. A shiny belt is usually a good indicator of one that is or has been slipping. It's always a good idea to give the belt a quick glance when checking the oil. Glad to hear the replacement worked out for you.

Brett

One thing the silicone spray can determine is if it's a belt issue or something else making noise. One very brief, quick shot right on the belt immediately quieted the noise, which led me to believe the problem was with the belt, not a pulley, or worse. I agree with the above post, though, silicone or belt dressing is not a permanent fix...

A closer look at the belt once it was off revealed glazing and quite a bit of cracking. I'm guessing it was the original belt, with 74k miles on it. I replaced it with a Dayco 3-yr warranty belt, $43 @Pep Boys.

Cheers,

Tom