Hello,
I have a 1994 Corolla with 178K miles on it and it is making a very
loud squeaking noise. I put some Belt (Dressing) Conditioner on the
belts and the noise actually got louder. The belts were last changed
about 40,000 miles ago and they do not look that worn.
However, I do not know what else to try to make the squeaking noise go
away.
Can anyone offer any advice on changing them? I used to have a Ford
Escort and the repair was very simple. All you had to do was release
the tension on a tensioner and switch the belts. I am not sure if
there is a similar mechanism on the Corolla.
Is it a difficult repair?
Thanks so much.

--
Posted at author's request, using moderated http://www.AutoBoardz.com interface
Thread archive: http://www.AutoBoardz.com/Changing-S...ict247413.html

On Mon, 19 May 2008 12:22:22 -0500, mwalessi22 wrote:

> Hello,
> I have a 1994 Corolla with 178K miles on it and it is making a very loud
> squeaking noise. I put some Belt (Dressing) Conditioner on the belts
> and the noise actually got louder. The belts were last changed about
> 40,000 miles ago and they do not look that worn. However, I do not know
> what else to try to make the squeaking noise go away.
> Can anyone offer any advice on changing them? I used to have a Ford
> Escort and the repair was very simple. All you had to do was release
> the tension on a tensioner and switch the belts.

While I was reading your description of the problem, what I was wondering
was, what is the condition of the tensioner? Even on Toyotas, these
things go bad over time and make a squealing noise similar to a belt
noise.

If you're lucky (or not depending on your POV...) it's the tensioner and
will be held in by a couple of bolts. ~$50 and maybe an hour or so of
your time.

Might as well replace the belt, too...

On May 19, 12:27 pm, hachiroku $B%O%A%m%/(B <Tru...@ae86.GTS> wrote:
> On Mon, 19 May 2008 12:22:22 -0500, mwalessi22 wrote:
> > Hello,
> > I have a 1994 Corolla with 178K miles on it and it is making a very loud
> > squeaking noise. I put some Belt (Dressing) Conditioner on the belts
> > and the noise actually got louder. The belts were last changed about
> > 40,000 miles ago and they do not look that worn. However, I do not know
> > what else to try to make the squeaking noise go away.
> > Can anyone offer any advice on changing them? I used to have a Ford
> > Escort and the repair was very simple. All you had to do was release
> > the tension on a tensioner and switch the belts.
>
> While I was reading your description of the problem, what I was wondering
> was, what is the condition of the tensioner? Even on Toyotas, these
> things go bad over time and make a squealing noise similar to a belt
> noise.
>
> If you're lucky (or not depending on your POV...) it's the tensioner and
> will be held in by a couple of bolts. ~$50 and maybe an hour or so of
> your time.
>
> Might as well replace the belt, too...

I have a 2002 Corolla which I think is the same engine type...?
Anyway, I had a weird squeak that was annoying the hell out of me and
as hachi just said, it was a bad tensioner/pulley. Once that was
replaced the sound went away. I also had them change the belt too.

I thought at one point there was a TSB covering some years and faulty
tensioner pulleys but RayO or someone else would know for sure.

Good luck!

"mwalessi22" <none@000.com> wrote in message
news:1203470_ef47db9d5ce3001abc4c23d1fe170711@auto boardz.com...
> Hello,
> I have a 1994 Corolla with 178K miles on it and it is making a very
> loud squeaking noise. I put some Belt (Dressing) Conditioner on the
> belts and the noise actually got louder. The belts were last changed
> about 40,000 miles ago and they do not look that worn.
> However, I do not know what else to try to make the squeaking noise go
> away.
> Can anyone offer any advice on changing them? I used to have a Ford
> Escort and the repair was very simple. All you had to do was release
> the tension on a tensioner and switch the belts. I am not sure if
> there is a similar mechanism on the Corolla.
> Is it a difficult repair?
> Thanks so much.
>

I am not a fan of belt dressing because it either masks the underlying cause
of the noise or it makes the noise worse, as you have discovered. I have a
shelf full of automotive chemicals but do not have belt dressing or any
"stop leak in a can" products because I believe that stuff can do more harm
than good.

I am pretty sure that the 1994 Corolla does not have a serpentine belt or
tensioner pulley. A belt will stretch slightly over time and slip, making
noise. You can loosen the alternator and apply a little more tension on the
belt. Do not put too much tension on the belt because it can cause
premature alternator bearing failure. Go to www.autozone.com and look at
their repair guides for your car, which is listed.
--

Ray O
(correct punctuation to reply)

On Tue, 20 May 2008 00:06:48 -0500, Ray O wrote:

> Do not put too much tension on the belt because it
> can cause premature alternator bearing failure.


Found this out the hard way, didn't I?

"Hachiroku ????" <Trueno@ae86.GTS> wrote in message
news:%PMYj.4267$Uf1.1276@trndny08...
> On Tue, 20 May 2008 00:06:48 -0500, Ray O wrote:
>
>> Do not put too much tension on the belt because it
>> can cause premature alternator bearing failure.
>
>
> Found this out the hard way, didn't I?
>

Don't feel bad, over-tightening the belt is a common mistake. At least you
learned from your mistake, many do not.
--

Ray O
(correct punctuation to reply)

"Ray O" <rokigawaATtristarassociatesDOTcom> wrote in message
news:RM6dneOrY7sXwa_VnZ2dnUVZ_uydnZ2d@comcast.com. ..
>
> "mwalessi22" <none@000.com> wrote in message
> news:1203470_ef47db9d5ce3001abc4c23d1fe170711@auto boardz.com...
>> Hello,
>> I have a 1994 Corolla with 178K miles on it and it is making a very
>> loud squeaking noise. I put some Belt (Dressing) Conditioner on the
>> belts and the noise actually got louder. The belts were last changed
>> about 40,000 miles ago and they do not look that worn.
>> However, I do not know what else to try to make the squeaking noise go
>> away.
>> Can anyone offer any advice on changing them? I used to have a Ford
>> Escort and the repair was very simple. All you had to do was release
>> the tension on a tensioner and switch the belts. I am not sure if
>> there is a similar mechanism on the Corolla.
>> Is it a difficult repair?
>> Thanks so much.
>>
>
> I am not a fan of belt dressing because it either masks the underlying
> cause of the noise or it makes the noise worse, as you have discovered. I
> have a shelf full of automotive chemicals but do not have belt dressing or
> any "stop leak in a can" products because I believe that stuff can do more
> harm than good.
>
> I am pretty sure that the 1994 Corolla does not have a serpentine belt or
> tensioner pulley. A belt will stretch slightly over time and slip,
> making noise. You can loosen the alternator and apply a little more
> tension on the belt. Do not put too much tension on the belt because it
> can cause premature alternator bearing failure. Go to www.autozone.com
> and look at their repair guides for your car, which is listed.
> --



I have to agree with Ray on the belt dressing thing, except for one very
narrow point. Belt dressing can be a reasonable troubleshooting tool. If it
cures the noise, then the belt needs replacing. If it does not cure the
noise, then odds favor a failed/failing bearing on an idler or tensioner
pulley -- or perhaps one of the auxiliary systems that the belt is driving.

No matter what, the belt dressing is not harmful unless you treat it as a
cure and not as a tool. As for head gasket in a can, I have never used it. I
did use Stop Leak in the radiator once, but I ultimately had to replace the
radiator because the leak that was plugged simply popped up in a new place.
Stop Leak products, the few times I used them, only forestalled the
inevitable.