Belt squeak/slip?

[haggarSHO]

94 MTX with SHOShop UDPs

Last week I noticed an occasional squeak, barely audible and completely random, I really didn't pay it much attention.

Yesterday I noticed, when I gave it any sort of decent acceleration, between 3-5k rpms I'd hear, what sounds like the belt, squeak for a FRACTION of a second, and during that fraction of a second the engine would hesistate, I'm talking for about .1 seconds.

When I merged onto the freeway I tested it again, in a second gear pull on the on ramp, it didn't squeak but as soon as I let off the gas and disengaged the clutch, the belt, or what sounds like it, squealed for about 1.5 seconds.

While on the interstate, at highway speeds (65-75mps) I'd get a squeak every 5-6 seconds. During these squeaks I felt no hesitation with the engine. The interval changed when I slowed down.

At 50mph, it squeaked about every 6-7 seconds. At this speed I can feel a hesitation when it squeaks, it is VERY subtle.

When I got home yesterday I parked and left the car running, and listened, no squeaks at idle, but it did seem either the a/c compressor, or a fan was kicking on and off every 3-4 seconds, was not doing it this morning, or when I got to work after my 15 mile commute. - Don't know if it's related.


The belts feel fine tension wise, they look good, fairly new.

Tried to search for this but didn't find much, just want to see if this is a common problem for some people, or do I just need to adjust the tension of the belts?

 

[Airborne]

Your AC compressor is wearing out and putting a greater load on the belt and motor.

 

[msteiny]

Have you gotten your A/C serviced/recharged this year? Or done anything to the system?

 

[haggarSHO]

Your AC compressor is wearing out and putting a greater load on the belt and motor.

Have you gotten your A/C serviced/recharged this year? Or done anything to the system?

The A/C has brand new lines, new shrader valve on the low pressure side I believe, and it was recharged and filled a few weeks ago yes.

 

[msteiny]

The reason I asked is it sounds like you system is a little overcharged and putting more of strain on the engine thus causing your belt to squeak when the compressor kicks on. Now you can either take it back to the place that charged the system and have them recheck it or you can try a new belt. The A/C should only kick on when the EATC is in either defrost or of course A/C. Turn the system off and check for noise, if there is noise its your compressor bearing as Airborne said above. If theres only noise with the system on its overcharged. Hope this helps.

 

[haggarSHO]

The reason I asked is it sounds like you system is a little overcharged and putting more of strain on the engine thus causing your belt to squeak when the compressor kicks on. Now you can either take it back to the place that charged the system and have them recheck it or you can try a new belt. The A/C should only kick on when the EATC is in either defrost or of course A/C. Turn the system off and check for noise, if there is noise its your compressor bearing as Airborne said above. If theres only noise with the system on its overcharged. Hope this helps.

It was on defrost this morning.

I'm pretty sure yesterday evening, it wasn't, I KNOW A/C wasn't selected, but I may have ran defrost in the morning and never changed it over to vent like I usually do. I'll pay attention to that this evening, thanks!

 

[haggarSHO]

Turn the system off and check for noise, if there is noise its your compressor bearing as Airborne said above. If theres only noise with the system on its overcharged. Hope this helps.

Tested on the drive home, beautifully quiet with the system off, as soon as I turned it on is squealed.

Unfortunately the A/C was recharged 7 hours away from here and I'm not much of an A/C guy nor do I own a recharge kit, but I'm pretty sure I have friends here locally that do.