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Belt or Pulley noise

S

sprindl

CEG'er
Joined
Feb 20, 2006
Messages
73
Location
Puyallup, WA
I recently had my accessory belt replaced on my 99/2.5l Contour. No pulley noise prior, now I have pully noise when the car is cold. It disapates as the motor heats up. The noise still exists later but faintly. I put a gator back belt on the thing so I would expect it to be quiet. I have had the pulleys and things check for bearing wear and all is good. Do I need to sand off any glazing on the pulleys? Or are there other items I need to review?

Thanks,

-sp
 
sprindl said:
I recently had my accessory belt replaced on my 99/2.5l Contour. No pulley noise prior, now I have pully noise when the car is cold. It disapates as the motor heats up. The noise still exists later but faintly. I put a gator back belt on the thing so I would expect it to be quiet. I have had the pulleys and things check for bearing wear and all is good. Do I need to sand off any glazing on the pulleys? Or are there other items I need to review?

Thanks,

-sp
Click to expand...


I have never heard of bad belts. But buy belt dressing and spray that on the belt while the car is running. Maybe there was/is residue on the belt:shrug:

Cause it to make a slight noise as it goes through its full rotation. then when it warms up the residue is drying up little by alittle.:shrug:

Let me ask one last thing. How bad was your old belt? Did you measure up the difference between the 2 belts before installing the new one?
 
I had the belt changed twice. Once with a cheap one and the second time with the Gator Back belt. The old one had lost some of the rubber grooves on the belt. Badly worn.

-sp
 
Well sometimes the belt being brand new spins on top of a pulley causing a slight noise. As the belt gets older it tends to lose that tightness and softens up.

Use some belt dressing and drive it for a bit longer. It should go away.

If not the next bet is maybe the tensioner pulley. Only because the old belt being worn out. Had more slop and was leaving slack for the tensioner to not do so much work. Changing positions/tension of the tensioner could also add to the noise.

Again its hard to determined so I'm just trying to throw out ideas at you so you can look around for yourself.
 
Yesterday on the drive home I had the AC on and at a point I turned it off. When I turned it back on I did not get cold air for a bit. I noticed a belt smell and shortly after the cold air arrived. At home I noticed the smell in the engine compartment and did a few tests. With AC on I get the noise when the AC clutch engages. Turn it off the clutch disengages and no noise. Can the AC cltuch be replaced without replacing the AC compressor?

-sp
 
sprindl said:
Yesterday on the drive home I had the AC on and at a point I turned it off. When I turned it back on I did not get cold air for a bit. I noticed a belt smell and shortly after the cold air arrived. At home I noticed the smell in the engine compartment and did a few tests. With AC on I get the noise when the AC clutch engages. Turn it off the clutch disengages and no noise. Can the AC cltuch be replaced without replacing the AC compressor?

-sp
Click to expand...

Yes it can.

I had mine under warranty when they did that also. If your getting clutch noises of it turning off and on...then your AC system has a leak. If you see the pulley damaged or warped then a replacement is needed.
 
My Mystique had a "Gatorback belt by Goodyear" ran Ok but extra growling noise, not really loud but it now sounds better with a "smooth groove" Motorcraft belt. I'm sure a Dayco or Gates is OK too if smooth. I never had slippage though. Is your A/C squealing when it engages, like a slipping belt? If so, makes sure the belt isn't slipping (tensioner OK?), and see if the A/C pulley (with the 3 bumps) seems to shudder with the noise. If so,then check the clutch clearance with feeler gauge. Clutch gap spec is .014-.033 inch, or .35-.75mm. If it is out of spec, it will slip as the A/C pressure load increases on a longer drive. Also, the compressor clutch plate should rotate by hand with mild effort, cold engine.

Also, this SAAB forum link will explain the A/C clutch fix you may need, basically remove the spacer washer.
 
Last edited:
OK, so I know that the clutch is bad. Compressor is fine. We also know that the clutch replacement can be done without removing the compressor, requiring an evacuation and fill. So, does anyone know of a mechanic in the Puyallup, WA area that works on these cars and will do just this work without requiring me to replace the comressor as well at a cost in excess of $700.00?

-sp
 
I found a procedure to replace a Mustang A/C Clutch, very similar. You shouldn't have to empty the A/C system. Unless the bearing chewed up the compressor face. It is awkward to reach it for repair, which is probably why that shop wants to change out the whole compressor. The compressor is 200-250 rebuilt Motorcraft, labor, refill, o-rings might get you to 500.
 
Don't forget the bearing inside a/c clutch pulley, often makes noise when a/c cycles on. Belt tensioner can do same thing, more likely tensioner if you hear a knock right when engine fires up on a start. I don't care for Gatorback belts, they're high as heck and I've destroyed everyone that has been installed on one of my cars. They crack huge pieces of belt loose at the relief grooves that cut across the belt width. Like a pre-manufactured weak spot. No trouble at all with Gates premium belts in same apps. Also, if you have an a/c leak there will be no noise because at low pressure the system shuts down and compressor will not turn on. Last time I changed a/c clutch cost about $100 for part, changed myself. Unbolted compressor and let it hang while pull clutch (Zetec 4). My Focus, same basic system, I changed the bearing ONLY, caught it quick enough that pulley/clutch plate still OK. While down filed pulley face and contact area on plate flat for better contact, bearing cost $35 online.
 
What does the "belt or pulley noise" sound like?

I've been having for 1-2 years now, only intermittently, a strange growling noise that is RPM-dependent in the pitch it makes. It had gone for awhile, but now with a few more chily mornings it has come back. It is not always temperature dependent, and will even re-occur later in the day after about 1 hr of highway driving, after slowing down in town at a stoplight... ie - doesn't seem to be strictly due to a cold engine.

growling/purring, but definitely much different from the normal duratech running noise. With the hood up, it seems to be coming from the engine. Hard to pinpoint where it's coming from - it can get fairly loud. I don't think it's the serp belt but not sure. I can hear it inside the car even with windows up.
 
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