'92 Q, 218K miles: I was at the dealer mid-Dec for an oil change and they said the belts are cracking, need to replace. Didn't have time that day, so said I'll do it next oil change (but they looked OK to me). A few weeks later I start getting some noise from the belts, probably because of cold weather. Noise goes away when the car warms up.
Went to dealer last Monday to replace them and tech says maybe pullies are bad, maybe noise is from water pump... so I said to just replace the belts and we'll see if that fixes it. Then they realized they were missing a belt, so they're on order. All 3 idler pullies were replaced summer 2001, water pump replaced Fall 2000. Would pullies get noisy again after 5 years? When I replace the pullies they were screeching at high RPMs. No such noise right now.
The fan clutch has never been replaced since I've owned the car (purchased Dec. 1999 with 130K miles), is that a more likely culprit? Noise is hard to pinpoint.
Also, the AC compressor doesn't have any freon, I opted not to fix it several years ago. Could the compressor get noisy if it's empty?
do old belts make noise?
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greg_atlanta
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Jeff Williams
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Re: do old belts make noise? (greg_atlanta)
If you didn't pull the fuse or wires to the compressor, then it is running without oil (the freon has oil in it) It could lock up. If you don't intend to fix the A/C, then pull the A/C fuse, or disconnect it. It runs anytime the defroster is on, and will cycle anytime the system is in "Auto"
The belts can make noise, but mine didn't. The fan clutch will just sieze up one day, and will scream at 2,500 RPM and above. You can check it by spinning the fan by hand with the engine off. It should spin freely, and rotate about 25% or more once you let go of the blade.
The idler pulleys sound like valves clattering on a diesel when they go out.
I have heard it all on Layla.
Everything starts to go around 200k, so I suspect the fan clutch and the A/C compressor.
By the way, even when the A/C compressor is off, the pulley on it freewheels. Those bearings could go bad as well, but that usually results in a siezed pulley, and a melted belt.
The belts can make noise, but mine didn't. The fan clutch will just sieze up one day, and will scream at 2,500 RPM and above. You can check it by spinning the fan by hand with the engine off. It should spin freely, and rotate about 25% or more once you let go of the blade.
The idler pulleys sound like valves clattering on a diesel when they go out.
I have heard it all on Layla.
Everything starts to go around 200k, so I suspect the fan clutch and the A/C compressor.
By the way, even when the A/C compressor is off, the pulley on it freewheels. Those bearings could go bad as well, but that usually results in a siezed pulley, and a melted belt.
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greg_atlanta
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Re: do old belts make noise? (Jeff Williams)
Everything is spinning normally, all the noises are subtle. The noise is like sneakers on a basketball court, so maybe it's just the belts. I sprayed some WD-40 on the fan clutch, didn't do much... but it's prettier now.
Dealer is replacing belts tomorrow AM, I'll just see if that fixes it. I'll ask them if they can add oil to the A/C compressor easily, but don't want to open a can of worms and spend much money on a broken A/C system.
Finally got a dig cam, here's a quick pic. Car's not clean and mid-day winter sunlight is not very flattering.
Dealer is replacing belts tomorrow AM, I'll just see if that fixes it. I'll ask them if they can add oil to the A/C compressor easily, but don't want to open a can of worms and spend much money on a broken A/C system.
Finally got a dig cam, here's a quick pic. Car's not clean and mid-day winter sunlight is not very flattering.
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texasoil
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Old belts are not only noisy--they can and will wear the pulleys. When the 'rubber' get hard and cracks, it is also hard enough to cause abrasive wear to the sides of the grooves in the pulleys. When it gets worn enough, even new belts will be noisy.
The mult-rib belts are not nearly as bad about noise as single V-belts--but physics cannot be ignored. Rough idler bearings are also a frequent source of noise. (BTW I have a stock of the bearings in my desk drawer-- $20 for a set of four, _+$2 shipping. --vs $20 each at autoparts places.
The mult-rib belts are not nearly as bad about noise as single V-belts--but physics cannot be ignored. Rough idler bearings are also a frequent source of noise. (BTW I have a stock of the bearings in my desk drawer-- $20 for a set of four, _+$2 shipping. --vs $20 each at autoparts places.
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greg_atlanta
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Re: (texasoil)
Verdict is power steering idler pulley, that's all. Just replaced yesterday at T-3.
When new belts were installed Jan 20 *most* of the noise went away, but stilll a few squeaks when cold. I had a road trip to WV & VA planned the next day.... got to about Greenville, SC and the noise was worse. I was afraid the water pump was failing and it might overheat, so I stopped at the airport and rented an Altima 4-banger for the week (nice bang for the buck, plenty of power, should handle great with better tires). Drove back to Atlanta Sunday without incident.
So....... letting the dealer replace all the pullies would have been cheaper than the rental, but at least I had a new car for the week! I think I'll be very tempted to get a stripped down 3.5 Altima when the time comes. Lots of headroom without the sunroof, the Q felt clausterphobic after the Altima.
Oh... WV takes good care of the roads during snow, but they use salt, sand, and small rocks. Didn't notice any dings in the Altima's paint, but did get a chip in the windshield.
When new belts were installed Jan 20 *most* of the noise went away, but stilll a few squeaks when cold. I had a road trip to WV & VA planned the next day.... got to about Greenville, SC and the noise was worse. I was afraid the water pump was failing and it might overheat, so I stopped at the airport and rented an Altima 4-banger for the week (nice bang for the buck, plenty of power, should handle great with better tires). Drove back to Atlanta Sunday without incident.
So....... letting the dealer replace all the pullies would have been cheaper than the rental, but at least I had a new car for the week! I think I'll be very tempted to get a stripped down 3.5 Altima when the time comes. Lots of headroom without the sunroof, the Q felt clausterphobic after the Altima.
Oh... WV takes good care of the roads during snow, but they use salt, sand, and small rocks. Didn't notice any dings in the Altima's paint, but did get a chip in the windshield.