[omega]

Does anybody know what that bottom big pulley is on the GA16 and what it means if it moves, maybe it's just my eyes but I have a high pitched pulsating squeel whenever I turn on the car, and it's not the belt connected to the tensioner at the top nor is it the tensioner but I could've sworn the bottom pulley was bobbing so to speak in and out, im guess that's bad, it only looks to be 1/16th or 1/8 an inch sway, any suggestions, comments, solutions, help!

 

[javierb14]

u mean the crankshaft pulley? if that was loose u would definitely know! its probably a bad belt or worn bearing. does it only make the sound when starting/warming up?

 

[Centurion]

If it "bobs" up and down then you have problems, but if it just wobbles a bit, no big worries.

 

[omega]

it just wobbles a little bit, someone says that they believe one of the teeth of the belt has come off the side of one of the pulleys and makes that squel, i have yet to look at it but that seems like it would make sense, i just don't know, i'll try going through there this afternoon

 

[toolapcfan]

The very bottom pulley on a GA16DE is the idler pulley. Don't know if it's a spring loaded tensioner type or not, but if it is, then it's going to move a little when the engine is running. If it moves a lot, either your belt is stretched out, which serpentine belts really don't stretch for the most part, or the tensioner spring is shot.

 

[nissanracer805]

i have that same problem, but i hear that its all the belt, because when i turn my car on and its cold(the engine) it makes that annoying squeel, sometimes louder than others, after that, once the engine is warm and i turn it off and back on, the noise disappears....so thinking it's the belt i went out and bought belt dressing and sprayed some on the top belts/pulleys. which didnt do anything for me........so i guess me and omega are stuck??? any other suggestions?

 

[toolapcfan]

I can't see it being always a problem merely because you've replaced the belt. I'd think that tensioner is the problem. Don't know what it costs, but maybe replace it if it's cheap enough and see what happens. Also, if you're using cheap belts that might be part of it as well. Keep readjusting that tensioner and if it helps for awhile and then quits, either the tensioner or something else that's adjustable, like the alternator, might not be tightened down enough. If you can, scribe reference marks on things that might be coming out of adjustment so when if it starts doing it again, you'll know if something is indeed out of adjustment or if your belt is stretching. That's what I'd do. You could always try E-mailing forum member RayBrandtNissan and ask what it might be.

 

[toolapcfan]

I can't see it being always a problem merely because you've replaced the belt. I'd think that tensioner is the problem. Don't know what it costs, but maybe replace it if it's cheap enough and see what happens. Also, if you're using cheap belts that might be part of it as well. Keep readjusting that tensioner and if it helps for awhile and then quits, either the tensioner or something else that's adjustable, like the alternator, might not be tightened down enough. If you can, scribe reference marks on things that might be coming out of adjustment so when if it starts doing it again, you'll know if something is indeed out of adjustment or if your belt is stretching. That's what I'd do. You could always try E-mailing forum member RayBrandtNissan and ask what it might be.

 

[nissanracer805]

today when i went outside to spray more belt dressing on all pulleys and parts of the belts, i noticed that the loud squeeling is coming from the alternator pulley!

 

[toolapcfan]

I can't see it being always a problem merely because you've replaced the belt. I'd think that tensioner is the problem. Don't know what it costs, but maybe replace it if it's cheap enough and see what happens. Also, if you're using cheap belts that might be part of it as well. Keep readjusting that tensioner and if it helps for awhile and then quits, either the tensioner or something else that's adjustable, like the alternator, might not be tightened down enough. If you can, scribe reference marks on things that might be coming out of adjustment so when if it starts doing it again, you'll know if something is indeed out of adjustment or if your belt is stretching. That's what I'd do. You could always try E-mailing forum member RayBrandtNissan and ask what it might be.

 

[toolapcfan]

Yikes, triple take. Sorry about that. Could a mod please delete two of those? I'm thinking the board was acting up earlier, same thing happened to Bahearn on his multiple posts over in the B13 chassis forum, thread "header problem".

 

[omega]

Well I took the splash guard off in front of the pulleys and I took a look at the lower section of the belt, honestly, the squel was gone earlier, everything looked to be on track, nothing out of place, but it was squeling when I started, i drove like a couple of miles back to the house from work and when i got back, poof disappearing, could the belt be slipping out of place, i sprayed it down with a very good coating of the belt dressing, hope it works, i'll start her up in the morning to see.

 

[omega]

i think i know what's up

Well, I started turning everything down all the way and most of my electronics off in the car, turns out the squel might be the alternator itself, like a bering(sp?) has worn down or something. So I'm guessing that I'm gonna end up replacing the alternator. I own a car audio and performance company so I can usually get things at cost, however I don't know of a good company that supplies us with OEM or beefed up alternators, any suggestions? Meanwhile I'll just searching as much as possible, but like I said, advice would be great, thanks.

 

[Sherb]

Umm, turning the electronics off, squeel goes away, ahh no. Belt squeeling is usually associated with the belts. With that in mind, the squeeling gets louder with RPMs (engine speed). Usually associated in cold mornings, and it goes away after a while. I've never heard the alternator making squeeling sounds, but there is a first time for everything.

I have a feeling that if it was the actual alternator making the sound, it would happen all the time. Unlike if its the "rubber" belts which gets influenced by weather and age.

 

[omega]

well perhaps your right, i've heard the alternators going bad, i see it a lot in my line of work when people don't upgrade the alternator after putting a system in with a high current draw and no cap, it just wears it out