Belt squeal and how to get thru the dickheads at dealer

Im sure you have all heard this before ,

I only recently bought my VE (used) and noticed the belt squeal and wobbly harmonic .

Im on the central coast about 70kms from the dealer and a PIA to get stuff fixed . So under warranty I asked them to replace the harmonic and belt .

I picked it up and the harmonic seemed like it was changed although still a very slight wobble prob 0.5mm . I assume thats normal ?

ANyhoo they said they didnt need to change the belt and only replace stuff if needed .

So of course get it home and belt still squeals but mainly when driving not so much when ideling .

Whats the magic words I can use to get these guys to fix it ?!?!

Once again sorry if its been covered (im only new here) :D


Love your forum by the way lads :)

"Power Steering Pump Pulley"

Whats that look like? It's been known to be a problem, that and belt alignment in general. Give that a go.

Power steering pulley is a little noisy too .

Just replace the belt yourself, the part will cost you about $40 and will take about 15 mins of your time.

If it keeps squealing then you have eliminated one source and you can tell the dealer it isnt the belt. Its likely they will try the cheapest fix every time you go in there

A dealer will never replace parts under warranty (so at no cost to the owner) if an owner just says they want it done.
Magic words?
Tell them that you intend to leave the car with them until it's fixed, so what loan car are you going to give me...? :)
Is it actual ongoing squeal, or more just a little squeaky noise? On a used car, if only an occasional squeaky belt, it's not actually a "warranty" failure. If an ongoing constant squeal, it will normally be replaced once the issue that caused it is fixed, as this type of failure usually heavily glazes up the belt from getting too hot with the slipping.

The question is, is the car under new car warranty or are you trying to get it from the dealer (used car stat warranty)?

New car warranty it should be fixed no dramas.

Used car stat warranty can be like pulling teeth. I work in a service dept and here's how it normally goes (stories I've heard lead me to believe this is common regardless of dealer branding etc):

1) Customer presents with an issue
2) Tell the responsible salesperson it will cost $xx to fix
3) Salesperson goes "nah **** that"
4) Customer flips tables, goes to yell at salesperson
5) Salesperson will go "nah that should be fixed no worries mate those service guys are telling you porkies" and authorises the repair because he doesn't want the hassle

If it's used car warranty, pro tip, go make a scene with the guy who sold it to you. He/she will authorise the repair to get you out of their hair.

If it's new car warranty just do what Davo has said above. Book it in, go "I'm leaving it until it's fixed, I expect a loan car for the duration" and let them sort it. Speak directly to the service manager too btw.

Is the belt within spec? Im not sure which engine you're talking about but I assume the tensioner has markings to show if the belt needs replacing or not. Signs of cracking on the belt surface?

A can of belt grip can help in the meantime as every time you hear it squeaking, it's wearing the belt more.

Don't use belt grip it will often work initially then comeback worse due to that tacky shit, fix it or get it fixed but don't buy in to miracle in a bottle solutions.

HTC One XL 2

Its more a squeak . squeak - squeak - squeak . I have powdered the belt and the noise goes away but comes back after a while .

Im dead certain its the belt and the dealer said they dont replace it if they dont need to .

I might just go and buy a new belt and be done with it .

It seems obvious the dealer dosent want to replace anything . They bitched about the harmonic costing them $500 already so I guess I should be glad they replaced that .

BTW thanks everyone for your feedback .

Also its an L98 engine

Sounds like P/S pump pulley out of alignment. If your handy with a spanner, take note of the way the belt is installed (writing printed/part no etc on the back of belt) and swap it around so the writing now faces the opposite way. See if the noise is still there.
If it shuts up, then the P/S pulley is likely slightly out (1mm etc it doesn`t take much). The pulley rubs a flat spot on the edge of the belt and cause`s the squeak. Flipping the belt stops the worn part of the belt hitting the edge of the pulley and squeaking.

Cheers Phill

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Phillshz

Sounds like P/S pump pulley out of alignment. If your handy with a spanner, take note of the way the belt is installed (writing printed/part no etc on the back of belt) and swap it around so the writing now faces the opposite way. See if the noise is still there.
If it shuts up, then the P/S pulley is likely slightly out (1mm etc it doesn`t take much). The pulley rubs a flat spot on the edge of the belt and cause`s the squeak. Flipping the belt stops the worn part of the belt hitting the edge of the pulley and squeaking.

Cheers Phill

---

Thanks for the info . So how do you re align pulley ? or do you just get a new one ?

Im not a stranger to tools have tinkered with cars all my life :D

double post

If you can get your hands on a pulley installer or remover depending on which way the pulley needs to move, you can do it yourself. IRRC the pulley usually needs to be pressed further back on the shaft.
Have a close look at how flush the pulley sits in regards to the shaft at the very end. It might look perfect but needs a bump one way or the other (usually back on to the shaft) but it can be hard to get it right and can take some time and trial and error and some test driving to be sure it`s fixed, so don`t blow up on the dealer and it`s tech`s.

So if you do take it back for warranty instead of touching it, speak to the manager and the foreman, take him/them somewhere quiet so they/he can hear it too, tell them you have tried wetting the belt with your garden hose and it shuts up for a few secs but comes back (dont tell them you have tried swapping the belt around or touched anything as their opinion of you will plummet and they wont want to touch it)
By showing them your half switched on and can cure/reproduce the complaint at will to them they will get it fixed, then pursue your next line of customer service by following dave`s advice.

Cheers Phill

If you want to check pulley alignment, grab a decent sized straight edge and rest that against the face of the pulley in question, then line that up against the surrounding pulleys. You will soon see if a pulley is out of alignment (needing to be pushed/pulled along the shaft) or if it is at an off angle (although that usually results in the belt being spat off).