So I got a 1995 Dodge Intrepid from my grandmother when she decided that she didn’t want to drive anymore. I mainly use it for short trips, but I do have to take a long trip every so often.
It is squeaking. Once the car warms up, the squeaking goes away. A more mechanically experienced friend of mine said it was because the serpentine belt is slipping. Is this an accurate assessment?
Looking on the web, replacing the serpentine belt looks like something I think I can handle myself. My problem is that the way the serpentine belt is currently installed does not follow the route stamped on the engine.
If you look here (PDF warning - and how cool is it that the sample Haynes puts up is exactly what I need?) you will see my engine in figure 20.2b at the bottom of page 1. The serpentine belt routing shown in the PDF matches the picture stamped on my engine.
In my car, the routing is different. It’s too hard to explain in text how it is routed, but should I replace the belt the way it shows in the Haynes book and on the engine? Or should I replicate the way it installed now?
I also plan on replacing the V-belt from the crankshaft pulley to the A/C pulley just in case that is the one that is squeaking.
20.2b only has one belt, 20.2a shows a separate belt for (what I assume is) the AC.
As a non-mechanic, I’d probably take the old belt off, take it to the store with me so I could get one that’s the same size and route it the same way. The correct belt is probably a different size. I would do this based on the assumption that over the years parts and pulleys have been changed the rerouting the belt was necessary to make something or other work correctly. Also, without knowing how it’s routed differently, I’m kinda taking stab in the dark here. But as long as it’s working now, I’d probably route it the same way.
The noise is very likely belt squeal. This can be caused by a worn or contaminated belt, improper tension, or occasionally just a cantankerous belt.
In most cases, the belt can’t be routed improperly, as it will either not have enough slack to get it on at all or it will have so much slack it’s obviously loose. However, it’s possible that on some designs it could be put on wrong and be functional, though almost certainly the tension wouldn’t be just right. If the belt appears to be in good shape – no cracks, no fraying, rubber feels strong and grippy – you might try reinstalling it properly to see if that stops the noise.
My guess would be that either someone got the wrong belt and found a way to make it fit, or someone was careless about the routing and lucked out that worked.
I would describe the routing by where the belt “dipped in” to meet the water pump pulley. On the diagram, this is between the crank pulley and the alternator pulley. Conceivably it could alternatively (in this case, wrongly) be between the crank pulley and the power steering (?) pulley or between the alternator pulley and the power steering pulley.
No, both diagrams show two belts. On the second one the serpentine belt between the crank pulley and water pump pulley seems to follow the line of the A/C belt, giving the illusion that it could be just one belt. If it were, though, there wouldn’t be nearly enough wrap around the crank pulley for the belt to grip it.
It’s much more likely the belt on it now is either the wrong belt or has been installed improperly. In my experience, replacement parts and pulleys match the original ones; I don’t recall ever running into a case where they didn’t.
Right, there are 2 belts. The belt from the crank pulley to A/C on the upper left and the pulley on the bottom left is the kind of belt shown in illustration 20.3a, something like you might find on a lawn mower or table saw or something.
The belt shown in illustration 20.3b is the serpentine belt that goes around the crank pulley in the center of the diagram, the one to the right of it (I’ll call it pulley X) and the one to the right of that one (I’ll call it pulley Y) and up to the alternator pulley on the upper right.
The current routing starts at the top of the alternator pulley, down the right side to pulley Y, up and over the top of pulley X, down under the crank pulley then back up to the alternator pulley.
So the only difference is how the belt goes around pulley X. But it looks like it turns the pulley in the same direction.
I’ve also been reading that one of the pulleys should be replaced when the belts are replaced. But I’m not sure which pulley.
Right, belt routing will not change the rotation direction of any of the pulleys, so long as which pulleys are inside the belt and which are outside the belt is not changed.
There’s no need to replace any pulley or tensioner that doesn’t have an actual problem. There was a kit for some Chrysler engines with a double-sided belt and some replacement pulleys to fit it that was made as a solution to the belt slipping off when it got wet from driving through a puddle, but that’s a whole different scenario.
When the belt is off, manually rotate the pulley(s). If they turn completely smoothly, you don’t need to worry about 'em.
If any of them have a tick, or a hard spot, or feel like they are rumbling or vibrating when you turn them - anything other than completely smooth and silent motion - replace it.