Hi guys,

Recently my car has been making some sort of fluttering squeal noise. Seems to be coming from the belt.

I have some belt dresser spare in which spraying on the lower belt seem to fix for a week but its back again! Spraying again this time had no effect :(

Is there anyway to remove this annoying noise as without it the engine is silent and lovely but this noise irritates me.

If not how easy is it to change the belt? Looking on eurocar parts drive belts are around £10 so not expensive at all.

Thanks

Alec

I very much doubt its the actual belt that is making the noise, more than likely going to be a pulley or idler wheel.

I very much doubt its the actual belt that is making the noise, more than likely going to be a pulley or idler wheel.

Any suggestions on my next checks? Where about is the pully or idler wheel located?

youll need to take the belt off and check each pulley for any play

I had this on my last focus (mk1.5). Changed the cheapo idler, and the £90 tensioner, and it turned out it was the crank pulley - ford dealer didn't spot it, but another place removed it to look at it and the pulley fell to pieces as it was removed. New one on, at low cost, problem went away.

Then I sold the car about a week later. Oops!

Its making a horrible racket today, may go and record the noise so you guys can listen and suggest the next best thing.

Engine and other components run perfect.

Its making a horrible racket today, may go and record the noise so you guys can listen and suggest the next best thing.

Engine and other components run perfect.

Record it - I did the same, so might be able to remember.

If it the belt though, despite what I said above, it could be anything on it, pulleys, tensioners, alternator, air con, etc

Record it - I did the same, so might be able to remember.

If it the belt though, despite what I said above, it could be anything on it, pulleys, tensioners, alternator, air con, etc

Cant be aircon as it happens while thats off,

Cant be aircon as it happens while thats off,

The belt is still tensioned against/around the pulley though mate.

You can confirm its NOT the air con if you have a belt from a non-air con car (belt is shorter, just miss out the air con, doesn't foul apparently)

That said, I'd be surprised if it is the air con!

Cant be aircon as it happens while thats off,

the aircon pulley is still spinning as part of the belt assembly, it just engages the clutch to the compressor when you turn the AC on

Its weird that once i sprayed the belt that the noise stopped.. so wouldnt that indicate its the belt?

Ive uploaded a recording of the sound, you can also hear a rattling which sounds like the thrust release bearing.

http://www.infused-hosting.com/car.mp3

Its weird that once i sprayed the belt that the noise stopped.. so wouldnt that indicate its the belt?

Ive uploaded a recording of the sound, you can also hear a rattling which sounds like the thrust release bearing.

http://www.infused-hosting.com/car.mp3

Hi,

When the crank pulley went on mine (ie: when it was faulty, but not in multiple pieces), it chewed a belt til the belt DID make a noise (frayed etc), replaced belt, ok for a very short time, then the noise came back - dropped some chalk on it, and again it went away - for a very short time. I think it just masks the problem, although depending on when the belt was changed - it might be worth swapping?

Can't open that file unfortunately?

Oh went, it works in the quote. Gotta be honest, parts sound different, then at the end I thought 'yeah... thats the same'.

So take from that what you will!

Easy way to get at the belt and pulleys would be to drop wheel off and take inner lining out? Will have to have ago over the next week as its driving me insane.. without that noise the engines silent.

one way clutch pulley on the alternator had same noise on a Peugeot 307 which is same engine.

Finally got round to fitting a new belt. The smaller belt running the aircon compressor didnt seem to be the issue, it was the larger belt.

Changed the larger belt which cleared my issue when we started and tested it. I drove home and to my grief the noise is back!

Could this possibly be the tensioner at the top that you have to slacken to get the belt off? If so how can i test it as looking around they are about £50+ and dont fancy changing it if its not that.

Any other ideas as to what it could be?

Alec

Finally got round to fitting a new belt. The smaller belt running the aircon compressor didnt seem to be the issue, it was the larger belt.

Changed the larger belt which cleared my issue when we started and tested it. I drove home and to my grief the noise is back!

Could this possibly be the tensioner at the top that you have to slacken to get the belt off? If so how can i test it as looking around they are about £50+ and dont fancy changing it if its not that.

Any other ideas as to what it could be?

Alec

As previously stated - It could be anything on the belt. Start with the cheapest, and move on until you nail it.

If you're passing, you're welcome to my old tensioner - it is old, and not in the best nick, but when it was removed, it turned out it wasn't the issue (was the crank pulley on the engine).

As previously stated - It could be anything on the belt. Start with the cheapest, and move on until you nail it.

If you're passing, you're welcome to my old tensioner - it is old, and not in the best nick, but when it was removed, it turned out it wasn't the issue (was the crank pulley on the engine).

Haha ill be ok,

Whats the best way to check each thing.. just take the belt off and rotate them? Would they make noise?

Sadly not - you can never match the load put on the pulleys. It's a case of replacing a bit at a time.

A ford dealer did a few bits (even putting bits on, removing if it wasn't the fault, and not charging me), but they didn't bother with the crank pulley for some reason

Took it elsewhere and as I said - the thing fell to bits as it was removed.

Bite the bullet and go for it. I'd start with the crank pulley because it's fairly cheap, but that's just me