Hello all, relatively new here and looking for some help. A little background on the car is that I bought it used from the dealer a few years ago after I got into a unfortunate accident with my beloved 1998 Buick Riviera. Kid cut me off, swerved to miss rear ending him, caught salt and sand cinders from the winter on the side and just slid into a car turning.

Its as stated a 2004, Vin K or non-supercharged.

So for a few weeks I have been having an annoying squeak/squeal coming from my engine. Originally I had replaced the belt and it fixed it for a little while then it came back again. This time I took the idler pulley and its still have this squeak/squeal. I tried using a tool to hook to or around the other pulleys that allows you to hear them better while the car is running and couldn't really definitively hear any bad bearings.

When I start the car its a light squeak that occurs it seems in a cluster of 3 with a main squeak then two slightly lesser ones after it, a 1 second pause, then repeat. It increases in prevalence as you accelerate, going all the way to the squeal. However, as the car runs, once it gets to quarter of the way up in temp, the squeak/squeal subsides.

As I said, I replaced the belt and idler pulley... I'm looking for ideas as I really do hate driving it like that, its rather embarrassing, plus I love the car to death and rather keep it running right. Any help, thoughts or comments would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you,
Dave

 

When you took the belt off, did you spin EVERYthing?

Have you checked your power steering fluid?

 

Did you check alternator ?

 

Get a long skinny screwdriver and carefully hold it up to your ear and see which pulley is making more noise than the rest. Also remove the belt completely and see it the noise goes away with no belt on. If it's still there then it's not in the belt system.
If it is a belt related problem make sure the tensioner arm provides enough tension and that it doesn't shift in towards the engine at all they can have a good pulley but the pivot can wear out and the belt will actually drag sideway a small amount on the tensioner pulley. And make sure it's got the right belt size. If all seems good is good I would suspect waterpump because the coolant will build pressure as it gets hot and push the impeller on the shaft just enough that it can affect a worn pump bearing.

 

Well, I will check the alternator, although it didn't sound like it was coming from it, can always pull it and take it to the auto store and have them run it to see if it will make noise also with just a run test.

I will also try spinning them without the belt tomorrow and attempt to hear if one is making more noise then another, but the screwdriver idea is a little impossible for some of them because there is no solid spot that doesn't move on a couple and getting even near a few is hard due to space. I'll also check the power steering fluid, but I filled that recently.

Also, its making the noise when cold and goes away when hot, so I don't know if you'd still suggest water pump since what you are saying is it would cause the problem when hot?

Thanks for the quick replies. Will report back after I check things tomorrow.

 

Nope suggesting it would go away when it gets hot. Is it a new belt?

 

Yes, I only have about a hundred or two miles on that belt, if even that. New tensioner pulley as well since that was next hoping it would solve the issue.