Anubis Posted December 27, 2009 Share Posted December 27, 2009 Hi folks, Recently when I start the zed when cold the aux belts are squealing quite a bit - could this be due to the belts being so cold / damp? Never occured at all when in warmer temps in the summer / autumn. The way my brain is thinking is; belt moving fast + cold day with moisture = squealing. The reason I think this is because it still occurs when the engine is fully warmed up and will only go away after air has flowed through into the engine bay (hence possibly drying it out?). Or could it mean that new belts are needed? Does anyone else have squealing belts for 5-10 mins when first driven? It's quite embarrasing tbh, but wondering if its my car shouting "change my belts" or if i'm over-reacting. It goes away once I drive it for a bit though...? Its not a small squealing either (think of transit van when cold). I've had a look at the belts and there is not threading and it seems tight with no slack (push my thumb on it and goes down 5mm max maybe - as you'd expect). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Renegade Posted December 27, 2009 Share Posted December 27, 2009 It is because your battery power is low. The alternator is trying to shove more power in it and work harder. It stops doing it after the battery has charged up a bit. It is the alternator belt that is squealing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anubis Posted December 27, 2009 Author Share Posted December 27, 2009 It is because your battery power is low. The alternator is trying to shove more power in it and work harder. It stops doing it after the battery has charged up a bit. It is the alternator belt that is squealing. That would explain it. You are a genius sir. I don't drive the zed very much during these crazy weather months. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
M13KYF Posted December 27, 2009 Share Posted December 27, 2009 sounds more like a loose/worn belt to me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Husky Posted December 27, 2009 Share Posted December 27, 2009 the belt should not slip or the alternator will not be spun up to its correct speed, causing problems. change the belt, its asking you to do it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
3FIDDYZ Posted December 27, 2009 Share Posted December 27, 2009 Just had this happen, was warn belts, replaced and now no more noise. Get a torch and see if your belts are cracked? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ZMANALEX Posted December 27, 2009 Share Posted December 27, 2009 Agree with the lads, replace the belts and wave good bye to your squeal. Gates belts in stock and good to go next day. £26.20 for the pair Pm if I can help you further. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andymc Posted December 27, 2009 Share Posted December 27, 2009 I have this on an 18 month old Zed. Only happened in the coldest of mornings ... can bents wear in 18 months ??? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnnywas Posted December 27, 2009 Share Posted December 27, 2009 I have this on an 18 month old Zed. Only happened in the coldest of mornings ... can bents wear in 18 months ??? i wouldent worrey to much if it just squeels for a second,my skyline always did that,i tryed to tighten and tryed slackening the belts but it just did it,but just as you say it was only on a cold engine,just give the belt a feel to make shure it moves but not to much,it should have a little movement not to much and not to slack,start the car after a minute turn it off and feel the pully at alternator it should not be hot if it is the belt could be slack and slipping,thats wat causes the heat,a belt thats to tight will nacker the bairns in the alternator,so dont over tighten it.these belts last for years. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andyvvc Posted December 29, 2009 Share Posted December 29, 2009 Mine squealed a lot a few years back. Ian-r swapped the belts (aircon and alternator - which were worn) for new belts. It still made a noise in very cold weather on a cold start - was fine after a few seconds. Whilst in at Nissan for an oil change i asked that they tighten the 'new' belts - i got a call later in the day stating that the belts were worn and needed to be replaced, and that my belt tensioner somthing-or-other also needed to be replaced. £300+ Naturally i told Nissan to feck off. Spoke to Ian-r. He tightened the new belts a little - job done. Since then, they have squealed twice for a second or so when we hit -4 degrees last week. Again, was only from a cold start. I would say this is to be expected at these temps after the car has sat for a day or so. The lesson here - new belts + slight tightening after they bed in is all you probably need ! And having a good mate who knows loads more thasn Nissan also helps ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steady Zeddy Posted December 29, 2009 Share Posted December 29, 2009 My supercharger belt slips and squeels on start up and for the first min or so - changing the belts didn't seem to make much difference and the tension is fine (don't want to put too much pressure on cog and pulley bearings by tightening it any more). I bought a can of a belt grip spray that I spray on every couple of weeks and it stops the squeeling. If the belt is just damp try sprinkling a little talcum powder on top (mind the fingers). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ian-r Posted December 29, 2009 Share Posted December 29, 2009 Rubber belts, naturally due to their design and the strains on them will stretch. This will be more noticeable when first fitted but as they wear they do need to be tightened. On a lot of cars people tend not to experience this as they have automatic tensioners which allow for wear and stretching all of the time. Check the condition of your drive belts - They ribs in the belt should be smooth and not broken up by lots of cracks. If they are ok, adjust the tension slightly but be careful not to go to far as this can cause a whuring noise and put excess pressure on the bearings of all components the belts run on. You will notice a little more noise in wheather conditions such as this where moisture will build up on the metal pulleys over night, the noise at first is this moisture burning off. If this is a bug concern you can always buy products now that spray on to the drive belts to make them extra sticky ... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roo Posted December 30, 2009 Share Posted December 30, 2009 I have brand new belts on mine... started getting a bit of a squeel when cold which goes after a couple seconds. But found the other day I can get rid of the squeel by turning aircon (which comes on automatically on demist) off ...so not too worried! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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