Your Engine Is Squealing: Are The Belts To Blame?

Engine squealing is a scary situation for any car owner because it often sounds like something is seriously wrong with their vehicle. However, there's a chance that worn or poorly-lubricated engine belts are to blame. This problem is relatively simple to repair, which makes knowing how to identify them important.

Identifying If Your Belts Are Squealing

Engine belts are likely the most common cause of squealing when you drive. The easiest way to gauge if your engine belts are causing this problem is to pay attention to when your vehicle squeals. Typically, you'll find this happens when you accelerate your vehicle. The squealing will then decrease when you slow down, as your belt will no longer be under the kind of stress that causes it to squeal.

Why Belts Squeal

Where does this squeal originate? The actual sound is caused when the belt slips on the pulley. There are a variety of reasons that this happens. For example, they may be suffering from tears or damage that make them more difficult to pull. This causes squealing as your engine struggles to operate the pulley.

However, belts can also squeal due to poor lubrication, which also makes them hard to move. They can also squeal due to improper tension on the belt and pulley system. Diagnosing the exact cause of this problem requires visually inspecting the belts.

Inspecting The Belts For Damage

If you believe that your engine belts are squealing, park your car, let the engine cool down, and open the hood. Put on a pair of work gloves and find the belts on your engine. Carefully inspect them as you slowly move them by hand. Look for signs of wear and tear, including loose threads and even rips in the surface of the belt. These often put strain on the belt and cause squeals.

If you spot signs of wear like this, take your car to a repair shop immediately and have your belts replaced. However, if your belts seem to be in good shape, rub them with belt dressing (or bar soap) to lubricate them. Run the belt through the lubricant using your hands and let it sit for an hour or so.

Now run your engine and drive through town. You should no longer hear a whine when you accelerate your engine. However, if you do, there's a chance that a more serious problem is affecting your engine. That's when it's crucial to take it to a mechanic immediately.

For more information, contact Collins Service Center or a similar company.

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