High pitched Squeel / Chirping noise - feedback appreciated
06-13-2014, 09:40 PM
#1
Racer
Thread Starter
High pitched Squeal / Squeak / Chirp noise - feedback appreciated (belts tensioners)
*6/17/14 update* I suspect someone in the future will have a problem just like this and run into this thread. After learning a lot about the problems from both experts (mechanics) and others one thing is very clear - the squealing, squeaking, chirping noise can come from a variety of problems, so read through and especially take a look at the DIY fixing videos posted by Got uid0 at the bottom of this first page. Don't assume you can ONLY get a belt and fix the problem, there are about 3 or 4 different reasons the noise could be there.
Hey guys,
This morning a new noise reared its ugly head on my C5Z as i was driving to work. The noise continued and actually seemed to have gotten louder on my drive back home.
The noise is a squeel or a chirp, its constant, and its coming from the engine area - basically i can hear that it is coming from in front of me as i drive. If i am not moving, like a stop light for example, the noise is gone. If i press the clutch it as i come to a stop the noise goes away. If i press in the clutch to shift gears while accelerating the noise is present.
Could it be a loose belt? I wanted to take it over to a mechanic to get looked at but the guy that is close by my house was closed by the time I left work.
Any feedback is appreciated.
Here is a video so you can hear it. Sorry the camera is a bit shaky, but i was trying to drive
.
I'm not seeing the youtube box coming up so if it's not working here is the direct link:
Hey guys,
This morning a new noise reared its ugly head on my C5Z as i was driving to work. The noise continued and actually seemed to have gotten louder on my drive back home.
The noise is a squeel or a chirp, its constant, and its coming from the engine area - basically i can hear that it is coming from in front of me as i drive. If i am not moving, like a stop light for example, the noise is gone. If i press the clutch it as i come to a stop the noise goes away. If i press in the clutch to shift gears while accelerating the noise is present.
Could it be a loose belt? I wanted to take it over to a mechanic to get looked at but the guy that is close by my house was closed by the time I left work.
Any feedback is appreciated.
Here is a video so you can hear it. Sorry the camera is a bit shaky, but i was trying to drive
.I'm not seeing the youtube box coming up so if it's not working here is the direct link:
Last edited by AParsh; 06-17-2014 at 04:10 PM. Reason: Youtube link
06-13-2014, 10:10 PM
#2
Race Director
serp belt or ac belt or both, may need new tensioners as well
typically sloppy tensioners OR fluid contamination, grime, oil, coolant, are what causes that to happen
word of advice, ONLY use poly belts on that car. that means goodyear or dayco, no gates
Gates 38196 AC tensioner $42.75
AC Delco 38194 main serpentine Tensioner $53.18
Dayco AC idle pulley 89135 $11.71
Dayco main idle pulley 89007
are your tensioners and pulleys via rock auto or amazon
typically sloppy tensioners OR fluid contamination, grime, oil, coolant, are what causes that to happen
word of advice, ONLY use poly belts on that car. that means goodyear or dayco, no gates
Gates 38196 AC tensioner $42.75
AC Delco 38194 main serpentine Tensioner $53.18
Dayco AC idle pulley 89135 $11.71
Dayco main idle pulley 89007
are your tensioners and pulleys via rock auto or amazon
06-13-2014, 10:18 PM
#3
Melting Slicks
Member Since: Jun 2012
Location: Oceanside California
Posts: 3,163
Likes: 0
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This is usually always the belt on these cars. Replace the main drive belt with a gatorback and it will almost definitely fix the issue. I had the same noise and tried several belts. Only the gatorback stopped it for good. The design is by far the best. It keeps the rubber from touching the valleys of the pulleys. That seems to be what causes the squealing.
06-13-2014, 10:34 PM
#4
Racer
Thread Starter
serp belt or ac belt or both, may need new tensioners as well
typically sloppy tensioners OR fluid contamination, grime, oil, coolant, are what causes that to happen
word of advice, ONLY use poly belts on that car. that means goodyear or dayco, no gates
Gates 38196 AC tensioner $42.75
AC Delco 38194 main serpentine Tensioner $53.18
Dayco AC idle pulley 89135 $11.71
Dayco main idle pulley 89007
are your tensioners and pulleys via rock auto or amazon
typically sloppy tensioners OR fluid contamination, grime, oil, coolant, are what causes that to happen
word of advice, ONLY use poly belts on that car. that means goodyear or dayco, no gates
Gates 38196 AC tensioner $42.75
AC Delco 38194 main serpentine Tensioner $53.18
Dayco AC idle pulley 89135 $11.71
Dayco main idle pulley 89007
are your tensioners and pulleys via rock auto or amazon
06-13-2014, 11:55 PM
#6
Race Director
what killed your belt in the first place is the question. was it contamination? if no then it was the tensioners
you would order those 4 parts + a serpentine and AC belt, gatorbacks are my 1st choice as well provided they are new stock. amazon typically has the best prices for the belts and the parts i mentioned above. also a good idea to clean the crank pully with simple green then rinse with a good deal of water, like blast it with the hose, then let it dry before you install the new belts
06-15-2014, 12:17 AM
#9
Le Mans Master
NO do not buy anything.
The belt generally does not cause the issue or fix the issue.
Remove your belt and see if the noise goes away then you will know that the noise is from one of accessory pulleys / balancer vs the AC pulley belt system.
They all are known to fail due to dust getting in the tensioner pulley, tensioner itself failing or bearings going out or the main balancer dampner rubber seperating on the balancer causing wobble and stress on all tensioners and the belt as well as a ticking timebomb for your engine. Verify that the balancer pulley groves are running straight so that you can confirm that you are not experiencing the common failure of the blancer seperating.
The ac pulley can also cause this problem however the belt is a bit of a pain to get to.
The belt generally does not cause the issue or fix the issue.
Remove your belt and see if the noise goes away then you will know that the noise is from one of accessory pulleys / balancer vs the AC pulley belt system.
They all are known to fail due to dust getting in the tensioner pulley, tensioner itself failing or bearings going out or the main balancer dampner rubber seperating on the balancer causing wobble and stress on all tensioners and the belt as well as a ticking timebomb for your engine. Verify that the balancer pulley groves are running straight so that you can confirm that you are not experiencing the common failure of the blancer seperating.
The ac pulley can also cause this problem however the belt is a bit of a pain to get to.
Last edited by Got uid0; 06-15-2014 at 12:27 AM.
06-15-2014, 12:24 AM
#10
Le Mans Master
This is usually always the belt on these cars. Replace the main drive belt with a gatorback and it will almost definitely fix the issue. I had the same noise and tried several belts. Only the gatorback stopped it for good. The design is by far the best. It keeps the rubber from touching the valleys of the pulleys. That seems to be what causes the squealing.
06-15-2014, 12:33 AM
#11
Melting Slicks
Member Since: Jun 2012
Location: Oceanside California
Posts: 3,163
Likes: 0
Received 4 Likes
on
4 Posts
NO do not buy anything.
The belt generally does not cause the issue or fix the issue.
Remove your belt and see if the noise goes away then you will know that the noise is from one of accessory pulleys / balancer vs the AC pulley belt system.
They all are known to fail due to dust getting in the tensioner pulley, tensioner itself failing or bearings going out or the main balancer dampner rubber seperating on the balancer causing wobble and stress on all tensioners and the belt as well as a ticking timebomb for your engine. Verify that the balancer pulley groves are running straight so that you can confirm that you are not experiencing the common failure of the blancer seperating.
The ac pulley can also cause this problem however the belt is a bit of a pain to get to.
The belt generally does not cause the issue or fix the issue.
Remove your belt and see if the noise goes away then you will know that the noise is from one of accessory pulleys / balancer vs the AC pulley belt system.
They all are known to fail due to dust getting in the tensioner pulley, tensioner itself failing or bearings going out or the main balancer dampner rubber seperating on the balancer causing wobble and stress on all tensioners and the belt as well as a ticking timebomb for your engine. Verify that the balancer pulley groves are running straight so that you can confirm that you are not experiencing the common failure of the blancer seperating.
The ac pulley can also cause this problem however the belt is a bit of a pain to get to.
06-15-2014, 12:52 AM
#12
Race Director
06-15-2014, 01:37 PM
#13
Le Mans Master
First off was your belt cracked and worn out and needed replacement?
If so sure that may have been your issue but to simply throw out the idea of replacing a belt will fix it only shows your lack of experience with the cars most common failure points.
For example there was a flaw with the tensioner dust cover causing premature bearing grease to dry out.
The balancer dampener is a known failure point and will separate causing wobble and stress on all of the tensioner pulleys causing leading to failure on the entire belt system..
Giving such bad information out with out truly diagnosing the cause is really bad information.
You could be creating a situation that is temporarily masking the actual cause of the failure and then you are going to post about how your dampener separated and destroyed your rack and pinion because you could no longer hear the warning signal screeching noise.
If you are going to give advice at least give all of the variables and how to troubleshoot and pin point the cause.
Last edited by Got uid0; 06-15-2014 at 01:41 PM.
06-16-2014, 08:15 PM
#14
Racer
Thread Starter
Yes totally not accurate.
First off was your belt cracked and worn out and needed replacement?
If so sure that may have been your issue but to simply throw out the idea of replacing a belt will fix it only shows your lack of experience with the cars most common failure points.
For example there was a flaw with the tensioner dust cover causing premature bearing grease to dry out.
The balancer dampener is a known failure point and will separate causing wobble and stress on all of the tensioner pulleys causing leading to failure on the entire belt system..
Giving such bad information out with out truly diagnosing the cause is really bad information.
You could be creating a situation that is temporarily masking the actual cause of the failure and then you are going to post about how your dampener separated and destroyed your rack and pinion because you could no longer hear the warning signal screeching noise.
If you are going to give advice at least give all of the variables and how to troubleshoot and pin point the cause.
First off was your belt cracked and worn out and needed replacement?
If so sure that may have been your issue but to simply throw out the idea of replacing a belt will fix it only shows your lack of experience with the cars most common failure points.
For example there was a flaw with the tensioner dust cover causing premature bearing grease to dry out.
The balancer dampener is a known failure point and will separate causing wobble and stress on all of the tensioner pulleys causing leading to failure on the entire belt system..
Giving such bad information out with out truly diagnosing the cause is really bad information.
You could be creating a situation that is temporarily masking the actual cause of the failure and then you are going to post about how your dampener separated and destroyed your rack and pinion because you could no longer hear the warning signal screeching noise.
If you are going to give advice at least give all of the variables and how to troubleshoot and pin point the cause.
Based on your last response I think you are suggesting that the cause of the noise could be a variety of problems, not just the belt and that i should look at each problem to make sure i am fixing it correctly?
Problems that it could be:
- Worn, cracked, or contaminated Belts
- faulty tensioners
- lack of grease on tensioner
- faulty balancer dampener
I'll start tonight by cleaning the belts with soapy water as i was advised by a corvette specialist today. I'll also try to look into how hard it is to remove the belts and replace the belts myself to see if its in my wheelhouse, if so i will remove the belts as was suggested to see if the noise goes away.
It's ok to start an engine with the belts off?
06-16-2014, 08:20 PM
#15
Safety Car
Well the good news is i have not ordered any parts or done anything yet to fix the issue, i've just not been driving the car.
Based on your last response I think you are suggesting that the cause of the noise could be a variety of problems, not just the belt and that i should look at each problem to make sure i am fixing it correctly?
Problems that it could be:
I'll start tonight by cleaning the belts with soapy water as i was advised by a corvette specialist today. I'll also try to look into how hard it is to remove the belts and replace the belts myself to see if its in my wheelhouse, if so i will remove the belts as was suggested to see if the noise goes away.
It's ok to start an engine with the belts off?
Based on your last response I think you are suggesting that the cause of the noise could be a variety of problems, not just the belt and that i should look at each problem to make sure i am fixing it correctly?
Problems that it could be:
- Worn, cracked, or contaminated Belts
- faulty tensioners
- lack of grease on tensioner
- faulty balancer dampener
I'll start tonight by cleaning the belts with soapy water as i was advised by a corvette specialist today. I'll also try to look into how hard it is to remove the belts and replace the belts myself to see if its in my wheelhouse, if so i will remove the belts as was suggested to see if the noise goes away.
It's ok to start an engine with the belts off?
06-16-2014, 10:20 PM
#16
Le Mans Master
Well the good news is i have not ordered any parts or done anything yet to fix the issue, i've just not been driving the car.
Based on your last response I think you are suggesting that the cause of the noise could be a variety of problems, not just the belt and that i should look at each problem to make sure i am fixing it correctly?
Problems that it could be:
I'll start tonight by cleaning the belts with soapy water as i was advised by a corvette specialist today. I'll also try to look into how hard it is to remove the belts and replace the belts myself to see if its in my wheelhouse, if so i will remove the belts as was suggested to see if the noise goes away.
It's ok to start an engine with the belts off?
Based on your last response I think you are suggesting that the cause of the noise could be a variety of problems, not just the belt and that i should look at each problem to make sure i am fixing it correctly?
Problems that it could be:
- Worn, cracked, or contaminated Belts
- faulty tensioners
- lack of grease on tensioner
- faulty balancer dampener
I'll start tonight by cleaning the belts with soapy water as i was advised by a corvette specialist today. I'll also try to look into how hard it is to remove the belts and replace the belts myself to see if its in my wheelhouse, if so i will remove the belts as was suggested to see if the noise goes away.
It's ok to start an engine with the belts off?
And yes you can start the car with out the belt for a short bit.
Sounds like you have a good inspection plan in the works.
Vids for you
Last edited by Got uid0; 06-16-2014 at 10:35 PM.
06-16-2014, 11:18 PM
#17
Pro
OK. Let me chime in. I am no mechanic. Just a regular visitor on here. I had the chirping noise. Changed the balancer (mostly as a precaution due to miles). While I was at it, got both brand new belts and the upper tensioner. Everything ordered at the Chevy dealership and work performed by them. Not only still squeaked but it got louder. Then I went to a car show and talked to some old hot rodders. One of them told me to try dielectric grease on my belt. Just a tiny bit on my finger rubbed over about a square inch or two on the belt's grooves. Noise immediately gone. I know this is not fixing the issue, but merely covering it up for about 300-400 miles. But it definitely points to the belt being the cause for the noise.
I am getting a gatorback now to see if it goes away.
I am getting a gatorback now to see if it goes away.
06-17-2014, 01:51 AM
#18
Race Director
OK. Let me chime in. I am no mechanic. Just a regular visitor on here. I had the chirping noise. Changed the balancer (mostly as a precaution due to miles). While I was at it, got both brand new belts and the upper tensioner. Everything ordered at the Chevy dealership and work performed by them. Not only still squeaked but it got louder. Then I went to a car show and talked to some old hot rodders. One of them told me to try dielectric grease on my belt. Just a tiny bit on my finger rubbed over about a square inch or two on the belt's grooves. Noise immediately gone. I know this is not fixing the issue, but merely covering it up for about 300-400 miles. But it definitely points to the belt being the cause for the noise.
I am getting a gatorback now to see if it goes away.
I am getting a gatorback now to see if it goes away.
your story doesn't surprise me at all
i had a really hard one to track down, only chirped above 5500rpm. wound up figuring it out by stopping the car, pouring a gallon of soapy water on the belt, getting back in the car and running it up to 100mph. no squeak. about 10 min later....it squeaked again. replaced all tensioners and pulleys, gatorback belt, hasn't squealed since
06-17-2014, 01:53 AM
#19
Racer
Thread Starter
The videos were very helpful. It seems that what i should be doing is trying the water on the belt first while the car is running, and if it goes away it could be just the belt. But i also should be looking at each pulley to make sure they are no wobbling. And then there is also the grease problem possibility as mentioned. yup - work ahead.
06-17-2014, 11:16 PM
#20
Le Mans Master
The videos were very helpful. It seems that what i should be doing is trying the water on the belt first while the car is running, and if it goes away it could be just the belt. But i also should be looking at each pulley to make sure they are no wobbling. And then there is also the grease problem possibility as mentioned. yup - work ahead.