Just bought this car at an auction and it has a squeaking sound coming from the engine. Put soapy water on the drive belt but sound didn’t go away. How do i narrow it down to find what it could be. I think it’s either the drive belt, the water pump pulley or could it be a bearing ? I posted a video of the sound, i’ll take any tips or help y’all got. thank you.

 

Terrible sound, brother. Something mechanical. You could use a stethoscope to try to find the source of the noise. It sounds like a failed bearing or worse. Could start with taking the belt off and turning the pulles by hand. It could also be the time chain, VVTI gears or camshafts.

What's the history of the noise, service, oil changes?

 

That may be the alternator fan inside of it, alternator bearings, pulley bearings, water pump itself.

The best way to find out is to remove the belt and to turn everything by hand. You will hear it.

 

1st of all, how many miles on it? Does the noise increase when you rev the engine or get drown out or go away?

If you can carefully use a slim pvc pipe or rod, put it down there near the belt pulleys and other that the belt turns. Listen with you ear on the top end, should be able to tell what's doing that, if it is a external spinning part.

 

A long shafted screw driver works, too. Insert tip down, listen on the handle end.
=================================
My karma just ran over your dogma
Current Hers: '13 Lexus ES350
Current Mine: '15 Jaguar XF

 

As do a long extension rod from a socket set, a hammer handle, anything solid that you can poke and prod around to see where the loudest noise seems to come from. My money is on the bearings in the belt tensioner idler at this point.