michaelfrench

So i am having a sqeeking sound come from my car. started randomly on a stormy day. i figured it was just dusty so i took the belt off and reinstalled. noise went away. now its coming and going randomly. gets louder and faster with revving motor up and gets louder when ac is turned on. what do you think this sound is? possibly a pulley, belt, or maybe even an exhaust leak? when ac is off its not a solid sqeeking, it comes and goes every second... any help would be appreciated!

madmatt9471

Usually it is the AC idler pulley, and since you are going to do that you might as well do the TENSIONER too - you will be glad you did

This is what I did on mine, my idler pulley was smoked -

Thanks,Matt

LS2NSUV

Try this. I was shown this by a mechanic friend of mine. It wasn't on the 'vette, but on my siverado, which is a similar set up.

Take a bottled water and while the car is running pour water over the serpentine belt. If the noise goes away while the water is running over the belt then all you should need to replace is the belt. The edges get worn and can cause this type of squeak.

If the noise persist than I would follow Matt's advice.

michaelfrench

ac idler pulley means i need a new compressor?
if it was a ac idler it would be increasing with engine rpm?

El original

It probably is a driven component eg. idler pulleys, water pump, air cond. pump, altenator. If you do nothing will just be a matter of time before what ever is the culprit fails and then you can tell us. Good luck, Rob

CatCam

You stated it gets louder and faster with revving motor up and gets louder when ac is turned on...this is classic of an idler or tension pully issue - NO, YOU DO NOT NEED A NEW AC COMPRESSOR!!! When you turn your AC on it puts more strain on the entire belt system, that make the noise louder as you are putting more strain on the idler/tension pully. Replace these first!! BTW - give us the year/milage of the vette when you post these problems.

Best of Luck!!

Jet-Jock

I feel certain it was meant as just the idler.

Did you look at the wear markings on the idler to see where it is at? There are three lines and one mark. Note what the position is.

michaelfrench

So doing a little bit of research and it looks like the ac idlers/tensioner pulley is bad
Car is a 2002 zo6 with 90,000 miles...

dataporter

Take the belt off and see what it looks like. With the belt off you can tell if the idler pulleys are ok or not..

michaelfrench

How?

dataporter

Find the little chart or map for the belts and maybe take a picture or two before removing the belts so you know how to put them back on...
Put a socket on the accessory drive belt tensioner and and rotate it clockwise to reduce the tension on the belt and remove the belt. Rotate the Air conditioning drive belt tensioner clockwise to remove tension on the ac drive belt and remove it. The belts should be free of cracks and missing cogs etc. The tensioners and idler pulleys and accessories should turn freely without feeling wobbly or gritty or worn. If they have the grease and dirt stuck on the face of them that looks like "spin art" that means they need to be replaced. Throughly clean all the pulleys before replacing the belts. It is not that hard IMO.

michaelfrench

replaced the ac idler pulley today! magic, noise gone!
thanks guys, you're the best!

CatCam

Cool!! What did that cost you if you don't mind me asking?

BTW - Any questions you have on this car have most probably been asked, do the search and you'll find most of your answers....if not, post up and one of the relics on here will be able to assist.

michaelfrench

i ended up going to napa and it cost under $30 dollars and was a breeze to install. dealership wanted about $66 for the same part

michaelfrench

noise came back!!!! Now only when the ac is on! do i need a new compressor? with ac on it gets louder with rpm as well

madmatt9471

Did you remove and inspect the tensioner for the AC too?
These are bigtime culprits too - especially since you were already down there -

Also you have to inspect the standard tensioner and idler pulley, it is a must especially with your miles

Thanks,Matt

michaelfrench

the main drive belt tensioner is brand new. do you think i need a new ac tentioner pulley or the whole thing

madmatt9471

Before anyone goes and tries to replace or think of replacing the AC pump because of a squeak then you "MUST" first replace the (1) Tensioner and then (2) the "IDLER" pulley!

You did the Idler pulley but not the tensioner - YES! It certainly does squeak when getting old!

You also did the main belt tensioner - "BUT" what about the main belts "IDLER" pulley? (Drivers side right under Power Steering pump)

All are pretty simple to get to with the stock set-up

Thanks,Matt 661-406-7516 (Call if you need to)

bearphoto

I'm surprised no one mentioned it but you might want to take a look at your harmonic balancer. While the engine is running at idle, is there any "wobble" in the balancer. Some people also call it the crank balancer. These cars are famous for the balancer going bad and it ALWAYS starts with a belt squeek.

I hope its not the problem but good chance it is. Its a fairly expensive job to replace and alot of work. As i read through your post and you replaced that idler, I was going to say if the squeek comes back, most likely your harmonic balancer.

good luck and keep us posted.

memmer

Did you perform the water test on the belt as was suggested?