brent4

My car has developed a squeal that I think is a tensioner going bad but my dad says its the water pump. IDK the name of the pulley but its the one at the top of the passenger side of my engine bay but when i touch it the noise kind of goes away.

What is a easy way to determine where the squeal is coming from?

Plz help I am slowly going crazy from this.

Thanks.

Jeff Ball

A mechanics stethoscope or you can try a wooden broom stick, put it up to the pulley and then put your ear to the stick. may work may not. is it a constant squeal or just a squeal here and there?

brent4

Squeal upon crank up. My dad did the wooden stick thing and said it sounded like a bearing in the water pump. But I think its the pulley tensionser and the belt.

Jeff Ball

The pulley tensioner from what i understand is fairly simple to replace, the nut holding it on there is backwards threaded (lefty tighty, righty loosey). Basically take it out put new one on. The belt itself wouldnt make a sound however, unless the tensioner pulley had seized completely but then you would have a constant squeal. I Just outa curiousty, how many miles are on your car?

brent4

A lot of miles lol. 206xxx. Never needed to change the belt.

Jeff Ball

Your not too much higher than me, im 202k. Im sure that belts been changed before, maybe by the people that had it before you, that belt would be so stretched and worn by now if not...I wouldnt doubt it being the water pump though, Mine is trying to go out, im pretty sure im loosing antifreeze at my water pump...gonna replace it next weekend

brent4

1 owner of the car and that's me lol. Ima replace the water pump, pulley tensioners, and idler pulleys.

Jeff Ball

Thats crazy the belt has lasted that long...id deffinetly replace that belt. a rule of thumb ive followed on my car, is replace anything rubber atleast every 5 years...maybe thats over doing it idk, but waterpump, tensioners and idler pulleys are really fairly simple to do...just unbolt and bolt back up.

desertt5

Mine didnt have near that many miles but I replaced the water pump then the squeal was still there. Mine was the CPS. Sounded just liek a waterpump bearing with a stethescope. GL

Jeff Ball

Ive never replaced a CPS, is it a big deal desertt5?