So I have this squeaking noise at idle, but it seems like its only there (or mainly noticeable) when either the A/C or heat is on. Is it the tensioner?

 

yea prob the tensioner is done, mine went while aswell, pop the hood and turn the a/c on, and see if it wobbles or moves. under open throttle or not.

did u do ur 100k maint yet?

 

Have you replaced A/C tensioner?

 

my ac tensioner has been squeeking for months now. guess i need to replace it.

 

the thing is it could be the tensioner or the belt, if anything to see if its what, while squeeking spray some belt dressing or wd40, if it goes away its the belt, if not, then id say tensioner.

 

Hey Guys, I've got an 06 TL with around 57k on it. Started having this exact problem about 2k miles ago.

After much research here on acurazine, I also came to the conclusion it is the tensioner pulley wheel.

At idle, when the AC compressor kicks in, it must put more resistance and tension on the belt, and then you can physically see the pulley wheel vibrate back and forth quickly as it makes that chirping noise.

So I'm wondering - can this be a simple DIY repair? Is there really a need to replace water pumps, oil pumps, timing belts, etc for just a bad pulley wheel?

Thanks!

 

what could go wrong if this isnt fixed?

 

^No a/c...

 

oh man. i gotta get that checked out then. mine is squeaking too

 

If it was AC tensioner, you can replace the pulley only for cheap; no need to replace the whole tensioner unit.

 

oh i forgot to mention....sweaty balls, ass, arm pits, etc etc....

 

The pulley can also seize up and tear up your belt. Replace both the tensioner and idler pulleys. It might not be a bad idea to replace your tensioner assembly altogether along with some new belts. You're gonna be in there you might as well take care of them too.

 

This is weird but I actually had a noticible high pitched noise AFTER replacing the two belts (not the timing belt).

Is this normal ? Should it fade after a bit of "breaking in"? Before the replacement, the engine had no noticeable idle noise.

 

To be thorough with the post above, I had my springs (used), shocks (new), and all brake pads replaced. All equipment was stock .

 

I believe new belts will stretch slightly with time. The noise may just be the added tension loading onto the pulley bearings.

 

When you took the tension off the belt and removed it, you essentially took the idler and/or tensioner pulley out of it's original wear groove in the bearing. One or both of them are worn out. The noise you hear is because they are not in the exact position before you changed the belts. Replace both the idler and tensioner pulleys. You might want to replace the entire tensioner too. It would suck if you replace the pulley and then 5K miles later the tensioner fails.

 

Good bearings shouldn't make ANY noise. If they do, they're bad.

 

Any idea on the part numbers? Should I go OEM or will after market suffice? (autozone or equivalent?)

Also, the noise seems to subside once I am driving .. why is that?

 

I'm a visual learner.

 

#2 is the belt tensioner assembly including the pulley. #3 is the pulley by itself. I don't see the idler pulley though.

Aftermarket parts will be fine. If you get a choice between cheap and not so cheap, go with the not so cheap, usually it's a better part with a better warranty.

As for the noise going away, the faster engine speed creates a higher pitch whine, one human ears can't detect but get the dog and see if he/she winces when you rev the engine.

 

See, the noise appears to be coming from pulley part #4 on the first picture. That belt, #10, was one of the two that a mechanic changed.

 

I recorded two short videos from my phone to show you guys what I mean.

Don't mean to thread hijack, but I think others may benefit from this and I'd hate to make an identical thread.

The car was parked in both videos. In video 1, I am just showing you what I think is making all of the noise.

In video two, the car is still in park and I am turning the wheel. The noise increases as I turn the steering wheel left and right.

Video 1

Video 2

Right click > save as... let me know if you guys can't see the vid.

Thanks

 

Squeaking? That thing's practically howling!

I think it's howling when you turn the wheel because the power steering pump puts a load on the belt when you're turning. The bad news is that since that belt only runs from the power steering to the crankshaft, your power steering pump may be on it's way out. Have you checked the fluid?

 

My 99 TL sounds like this too at cold start idle.When warmed up it goes away at idle or at speed.Idler pulley?

 

get a 5$ mechanics stethascope and start listening