vb9594

So my '08 with 83,000 miles is occasionally making a squealing sound when I'm on the gas. It usually kicks in around 1,200+ rpms and gets louder as the engine speed goes up. Am I safe to assume I have a squealing belt? Has anyone experienced this before with one of these cars?

If yes, any details would be much appreciated- thanks!

Brian

roadfrog

Could be the Serpentine belt or it could be a pulley. For about ten bucks, you can find out of it's the belt and you'll have taken care of a normal maintenance item. I replaced my belt at 80k miles with a belt made by Bando and I got it on Ebay for 10 bucks and free shipping. You can also spray a small amount of belt dressing or even WD40 while it's squealing. If it disappears, you'll KNOW it's the belt.

CRowe14

I'll also add (compliments to Chris), that if it is in fact one of the two items Chris mentioned, they are both easy to replace and you may as well check the condition of your water pump while in there. If you witness the pink crystalized gunk on the seepage port on the water pump, that's an indication its leaking, and it needs to be replaced.
In the event this is the case (leaky water pump and belt and/or possible pulley, replace them all because it all resides in the same proximity; 3 for 1 deal!

caha14

Chances are that roadfrog and CRowe14 are right on the money, but just in case, keep this TSIB in the back of your mind...

I am not sure if the noise described in the bulletin is from the tensioner per se (in which case, you can disregard) or from the belt slipping as a result of a bad tensioner (which would then be worth a look if all else fails).

GR6RR

All of the above great advice!
Belt, tensioner, and pulleys, I replaced all at the same time in my driveway.
I'd like to add....
If you're doing it yourself, make sure... please make sure to beware of that very fragile nozzle on the radiator.

roadfrog

Indeed, Ask me how I know this!

As for the tensioner, when I said "pulleys", I was mainly referring to the tensioner. They do go south eventually on any vehicle. In fact, some shops will automatically replace the tensioner when they replace a serp belt or timing belt.

GR6RR

I read many times about the nozzle, was very careful when removing all the pulleys, tensioner and belt. It was when I was tightening everything back up, I forgot my forearm was in the way. haha one job turned into two jobs... new radiator and new fluids...
My buddy who works at one of our local dealerships, told me there is a metal plate they use to bolt on the top of the area.

He was the one who told me, if you're going to replace tensioner and belt, might as well change out the pulleys too. I got a family discount, so it was a no brainer just to buy and replace them all.

Doublebase

I don't know if I'd really worry about this or not, but I had someone tell me that the tensioner on cars should be changed when changing the belts regardless of how they look because they all will lose tension and when they do they can cause engine performance problems because the belt will slip when the alternator is under load (slightly). Supposedly this can cause phantom check engine lights and intermittent electrical problems.

I can't say I've ever seen or experienced this, but it did catch my attention...then again the guy that told me all this works for Gates (and gates makes tensioner along with belts). He also said belts can no longer be inspected by looking for cracks...that they no longer crack, but instead wear away (there's a gauge to measure depth similar to brake pads).