Please, Help Me Diagnose My Squeaky Belts (Video)

[SnowflakeTi]

Hi guys, I'm very new to BMW's. I just got a 1996 318ti last weekend and the previous owner told me that him and his dad put a new drive belt on and replaced both pulleys. He said his dad said that the belt seemed to be wide for the pulley that was on it. ??? I looked at it and the belt looks fine, nothing obviously wrong. I am unable to tell whether or not the pulleys were replaced. I was hoping that someone could help me diagnose the *sound*. It's getting pretty annoying. It squeaks the entire time I drive it, It does not make that god awful screeching sound, just squeaky.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RsnXFx70RXs

I tried embedding, but it didn't work for some reason.

[cooljess76]

Sounds more like a squeaky alternator bearing or water pump bearing.

[SnowflakeTi]

hmm. yeah, with higher rpm and speed the noise gets quieter and higher pitched. I guess I will just have to take a closer look.

edit : the noise is most definitely coming from the top right part of the engine at or around the alternator.

[bazar01]

Get a spray bottle and fill it up with water. Spray it directly on the belt hitting the poly V side and see if the squeak disappears. If the squeak disappears, the belt is glazed and need to be replaced.

[SnowflakeTi]

bazar, I will be trying this tonight. Thanks for the help!

[SnowflakeTi]

Bazar, I just got the car this past weekend and today I got it into a warm place to clean it up. I sprayed some purple power on the front of the engine, waited and hosed it off. To my surprise, no more squeaking! I turned the motor off and finished cleaning up. When I got ready to pull it outside, the squeak returns again. Darn it.
I have a pretty messy oil & power steering leak.. so I have a feeling that if I replace the belt before I fix the leaks then i'll end up with the same problem with the new belt.

[bazar01]

Originally Posted by SnowflakeTi

Bazar, I just got the car this past weekend and today I got it into a warm place to clean it up. I sprayed some purple power on the front of the engine, waited and hosed it off. To my surprise, no more squeaking! I turned the motor off and finished cleaning up. When I got ready to pull it outside, the squeak returns again. Darn it.
I have a pretty messy oil & power steering leak.. so I have a feeling that if I replace the belt before I fix the leaks then i'll end up with the same problem with the new belt.

That is good.

My daughter's car was doing the same squeaking noises and she gets annoyed with it and told me about it when she came home for the holidays. Her car was also a mess under the engine due to a nasty oil leak. Got the oil cooler oil leak fixed and did the same spray bottle filled with purple power and rinsed the belt. It got quiet so I knew the belt was glazed and decided to replace it. Now it is quiet like a brand new car. Just replace the belt it is cheap fix.

[SnowflakeTi]

Thanks a bunch! Now I know what I have to do.

[SnowflakeTi]

Update : Replaced the main belt & squeak was gone! I also fixed my oil filter housing leak and pressure washed the engine bay. Now the squeak has returned. I noticed it a couple mornings ago when I started my car up (it was very cold out) I thought it was just b/c of the cold weather and it went away when it warmed up. Now the squeak is very quiet at idle, but when I race the engine the squeaky wheel sound gets louder. It sounds just like the squeak in the video I made. The guy i recently bought it from also replaced the main belt just before selling it.

I spray water on the belt and the sound goes away... so my belts are just getting ruined for some reason....so it seems...
Could I have a bad tensioner and the lack of tension is causing the belt to slip and get 'glazed'? Could someone point me in the right direction?

[b33m3r88]

I recently had the same problem and it turned out to be the shaft on the power sterring pump was worn causing it to squeel i swapped the power steering pump for a new one and no no issues at all