MY ENGINE SQUeaks

Laserguns · February 1, 2004

okay here we go....

when i turn my 03 z71 tahoe on in the morning or whenever the engine has this squeaking sound and i dont know why! The sound is pretty persistant but tends to go away after the engine heats up. is there any way i could get rid of this problem??? i think it maybe a belt or something but i dont know...i have a procold air intake, and a Street Performance Programmer...if that maybe makes a difference

any help would be greatly appreciated.

Bpot · February 1, 2004

Sounds like a bad pulley or maybe a glazed belt. If you have a small wire bruss, take it to the belt while the engine is running and see if it goes away.

stef8 · February 1, 2004

Try to spray some WD-40 or some silicone lube directly on the belt when it's turning. If the noise is coming from the belt it will immediatly stop. If not, maybe look for one of the pumps.

Wingnut · February 1, 2004

Ummm...Call me weird, but I wouldn't spray any type lubricant on my belt...It aint supposed to slip.

I would go get some belt dressing from the auto parts store. It helps the belt stick.

Kevin zellweger · February 2, 2004

Check your Belt Tensioner, it may be running dry. A friend of mine had the same thing happen it squeaked and then it stopped two hours later "clunk" -35 celsius and two hours later the tow truck finally showed up, stayed overnight and after paying the 300 bill he went home. not a profitable trip!

badass96z71 · February 2, 2004

forget buying belt dressing, wayy too sticky and makes a mess.... Armor all or similar product works the best.

jhm · February 2, 2004

I wouldnt spray anything on it. Even if it helped it would be a temp fix at best, more likely it is a tension issue. If your truck is in warranty why not just have them check it out? You sure don't want a belt cracking where you cant see it then have it fail out of warrany.

QUIKAG · February 2, 2004

My car makes a whining noise on cold mornings. It goes away after a minute or two. It's rpm dependent and at low rpm, it'll make this whine noise.

I think it's the fan clutch not disengaging because it's cold. I was worried about it since this is a brand new truck, but I don't care anymore, it's not a major noise, just a little whine that goes away after driving for a bit.

Could this be the noise you're experiencing?

99GMCZ71 · February 3, 2004

my belt is a little noisy on start-up. goes away after a few minutes. It's new and the GM belt too.

HeyJoe · February 3, 2004

Timely coincidence...

My '99 Silverado (5.3) has started making an rpm-dependent squealing noise within a few minutes of being started, although usually not when I start it first thing in the morning but more like the second time I start it in the day. It continues to make the noise for at least 20 minutes (about how long it takes me to get home from work). Once the engine is warm, if I turn it off and turn it back on the noise will stop, but it generally doesn't stop on its own. The turning-off bit is a pain in the butt, because I'll listen, shut the engine off and poke around, and then have to wait until the engine cools off completely before I can check again.

Any thoughts? Someone mentioned checking the belt tensioner -- is this something that has a fluid level needing to be checked?

I may resort to driving over to the dealership while the truck is making the noise and have them check it out.

remaster3 · February 27, 2008

My 99 silverado had a similar squeak and using sandpaper (like 100 grit) on the flat side of the belt fixed it for several months at a time. BUT my 2002 Silverado has a similar squeak and the sandpaper doesn't work. It seems like the sound comes from the center area on the front of the engine, where the water pump is, but the I think the tensioner is close also. Mine is pretty loud at startup, after it gets warm it will sometimes go away...if not, it will reduce in sound level.