Serpentine belt squealing- I might have some good advice

[Lethedethius]

Good stuff, I stick by my comet though, it has roughed the belt up a little bit and just eliminates the squeel.

[Rockit]

2004 Toyota Matrix - the lady in the Toyota Service Dept. told me a wire brush works. It takes the glaze off the belt. I thought she implied bushing it while the motor is running? Car Quest told me to NEVER put any kind of stuff on a belt to make it stop squealing. This will make things worse. The 04 Matrix has a Technical Service Bulletin to put a new type of tensioner on, $192, belt $57, (labor $66 (for the belt or the (belt and tensioner))). My belt squealed after 2 years they replaced it. Then every 2-3 years. Car Quest told me to whine at the dealer to get it fixed free but this dealer said no. Car Quest told me that now-a-days there are only 1 or 2 manufacturers of auto parts. He named a company, I forget, and they make the same "Genuine Toyota part" as the cheap no name brand.

[Frank Lee]

They sure know what they want to charge for something as simple and stupid as a belt tensioner don't they.

I did an accessory drive simplification on my Tempo and threw all that junk outta the car. Old school manual tensioning at the alternator FTW!

[Grant-53]

Glazing is caused by heat of friction from a slipping belt. The pulley gets polished in the process. Belts have had a tendency to stretch after installation allowing them to slip. Under hood temperature has an effect too. I bought an inexpensive belt tension gauge from Gates so I can check the belt tension with the spec. in the Haynes manual. Scuffing the belt and pulley reduces the squeal by increasing the friction. A bad bearing puts a load on the belt that causes it to slip.