Serpentine belt is rubbing on the engine cover at the belt tensioner pulley 2004 Hyundai Tiburon

The serpentine belt is making a chirping noise because of friction caused by the belt rubbing on the side of the engine cover, where the belt tensioner is. I was having this problem so I replaced the belt tensioner and the adjacent pulls with new ones, which fixed it for one drive. I started it up today and when I went to accelerate, it got loud and so I stopped, popped the hood, and saw the same problem as before. I can do the work myself but I don't know what needs to be fixed. The pulleys on either side of the tensioner are the crankshaft pully (below) and the alternator (left side). Th
Experienced mechanics share their insights in answering this question :
Hi there – I would start by doing a visual inspection of the serpentine belt, and the pulleys – are they visually in line? If not, which pulley is out of line in the direction of the engine cover? Are there bushings on the alternator mount which have softened, and are allowing the alternator to "give" such that the serpentine belt is close to the cover? The crankshaft pulley is not likely moving at all. Is the cover where the rubbing occurs coming loose, and moving into the serpentine belt? For assistance, I would recommend a serpentine belt replacement by a mobile, professional mechanic, such as one from YourMechanic, who will come to your location, diagnose this problem, give you an accurate assessment of damage and cost estimate for repairs.

How to Identify and Fix Common car Problems ?

Our sources include academic articles, blog posts, and personal essays from experienced mechanics :

The serpentine belt (also known as a fan belt, alternator belt, or drive belt) is a critical car component. Hearing a sharp squeaking noise or a loud grinding noise are tell-tale signs of wear. It`s your car telling you something`s not right, and it may be your car`s broken or old belt.
The belt squeals because there is improper tension in the belt drive system. This is usually caused by a worn automatic tensioner, but other causes can include a contaminated belt (oil, belt dressing, etc.) or a belt that is too long or worn out.
Slipping can be the result of a loss of belt tension (or a weak automatic tensioner) or pulley misalignment. When the belt slips off the track, the friction between the belt and accessory drive pulleys causes the belt to overheat. If you hear a high pitched squealing noise, it`s probably time for a switch.
Timing Belt Is Bad – your engine belts – the timing belt, serpentine belt, or v-belts – can also cause engine vibration or squealing. If one or all these belts is worn out or loose, it can affect other parts. That`s what makes the loud noises and causes the shaking.
Most common symptoms of failure. Engine Vibration: Crankshaft pulleys that have an integrated harmonic balancer will cause the engine to vibrate if the harmonic balancer or dampening system fails.
Seized Bearings – An indication that the pulley will lock up. Discoloration – This can be caused by intermittent seizure of the pulley bearing or a bad tensioner, causing belt slip. Surface Build Up – A key indication of a worn out tensioner causing belt slip.
Unexpected noise: A squealing noise often indicates slippage between the belts and the pulleys. A chirping sound could stem from misalignment of a pulley or drive belt, as well as a host of other issues. Tensile failure: A common indicator of misalignment, tensile failure may be due to uneven cord loading.
A misaligned belt causes a chirping noise as it enters a pulley. In most cases, you can attribute the chirping sound to one of the following issues: Pulley misalignment. Improper belt installation.
Trusted mechanic suggested spray silicone to quiet squealing belt. Tried it and it worked. Did it several times over a period of about 6 months or so. Serpentine belt broke most of the way across and beat the underhood mat up.
Belt Dressing Spray is a colourless, non-toxic adhesive and conditioning spray that provides instant grip to prevent belt squeal, slippage and wear. The conditioning properties of Belt Dressing Spray prevent the belt from drying out and cracking to both increase transmission efficiency and extend belt life.
If the belt is too tight, it will cause excessive side loads and overheat the bearings. This in turn causes noise, decreased output and even the seizing of the alternator. If the belt is too loose, it will cause the alternator to slip.
An over-tightened belt can burn out any bearing that the belt rotates on, including alternator, power steering pump, A/C compressor, idler pulleys, etc. An over-tightened timing belt can ruin any pulley bearing it is connected with.
If the dampener is not able to control the tensioner arm, it can cause fluctuations in tension. The belt may oscillate between too little tension and too much tension. The belt will slip and catch, causing noise and vibration.
Typically a damaged belt tensioner will not impact vehicle performance. It would cause the serpentine or drive belt to wear prematurely or to squeak – but not cause the acceleration issue.
Another common cause of serpentine belt noise is exposure to coolant. If you recently added antifreeze to your radiator and spilled some on your belt, it can quickly cause a squealing sound.
If your serpentine belt is failing, you may notice performance issues with your vehicle. The vehicle may frequently overheat. Your air conditioning or power steering may fail to work or not work properly. You may notice your vehicle battery failing to recharge if the alternator is affected by a bad serpentine belt.
That`s why it`s recommended that the serpentine belt is replaced early when the squealing symptoms are first noticed. Although it may be safe to drive with the squealing for a few days or weeks, the belt will eventually need to be replaced, and for safety, the earlier it`s repaired, the better.
For example, if your flywheel`s springs are damaged or broken, then the wheel loses some of the stability that holds it steady. Its vibrations increase and pass down to the pedal. If you have flywheel vibration problems, then you might feel that they get worse when you change gears or accelerate.
That`s why it`s recommended that the serpentine belt is replaced early when the squealing symptoms are first noticed. Although it may be safe to drive with the squealing for a few days or weeks, the belt will eventually need to be replaced, and for safety, the earlier it`s repaired, the better.
A bad tensioner will usually be accompanied by noise. This noise could be some type of squealing or rattling coming from the timing cover area. Also, when your timing belt is loose, it will cause some drivability issues usually under high load or high rpm.
When there are timing belt tensioner issues, the valve timing is slightly off. This leads to hard starting It may take a while for the engine to fire up properly. Even if you manage to start the engine, expect the engine to misfire or run rough.
It can squeak, squeal, chirp and clunk, imitating a bad engine-driven accessory or engine bearing. These noises can fool even the most experienced mechanic and lead to an expensive misdiagnosis. Squeals and chirps are definitely the two most common serpentine belt noises and usually result from different problems.
That`s why it`s recommended that the serpentine belt is replaced early when the squealing symptoms are first noticed. Although it may be safe to drive with the squealing for a few days or weeks, the belt will eventually need to be replaced, and for safety, the earlier it`s repaired, the better.
It can squeak, squeal, chirp and clunk, imitating a bad engine-driven accessory or engine bearing. These noises can fool even the most experienced mechanic and lead to an expensive misdiagnosis. Squeals and chirps are definitely the two most common serpentine belt noises and usually result from different problems.

Relevant Questions and Answers :

the most relevant questions and answers related to your specific issue

Serpentine belt is rubbing on the engine cover at the belt tensioner pulley 2004 Hyundai Tiburon
ANSWER : Hi there – I would start by doing a visual inspection of the serpentine belt, and the pulleys – are they visually in line? If not, which pulley is out of line in the direction of the engine cover? Are there bushings on the alternator mount which have softened, and are allowing the alternator to "give" such that the serpentine belt is close to the cover? The crankshaft pulley is not likely moving at all. Is the cover where the rubbing occurs coming loose, and moving into the serpentine belt? For assistance, I would recommend a serpentine belt replacement by a mobile, professional mechanic, such as one from YourMechanic, who will come to your location, diagnose this problem, give you an accurate assessment of damage and cost estimate for repairs.

hey i had a belt break while traveling on my 2004 honda pilot. It is the small belt and not the serpentine belt. The mechanic t
ANSWER : Hello. The smaller belt is known as your timing belt, and it works inside the engine to keep mechanical components aligned with each other during the compression cycle. The serpentine belt, which is the big belt, drives the alternator, water pump, AC compressor, and a couple of other components. If the small belt broke it is likely the timing belt. This will cause the car to stall, lights to illuminate, and can even cause serious damage to the engine. Typically replacing a timing belt is a lot more complicated and expensive than replacing a serpentine belt. You may want to receive a second opinion on the car before you go ahead with repairs.

Looking for possible solutions for a serpentine belt chirp 3 weeks after getting it and the tensioner pulley replaced.
ANSWER : Hello there. It is possible that the serpentine belt is not installed straight, which tends to create the type of squeaking noise you are talking about. It is also possible that the pulley was not properly lubricated. If either of these are true and causing the squeak, it should be corrected sooner rather than later, as it can lead to premature wear and tear. The best way to correctly diagnose this problem is to have a professional mechanic come to your location and complete a car is making a noise inspection.

Timing Belt Cover replacement and External Belt too.
ANSWER : The parts are touching likely because either the parts were not installed properly or fasteners may be missing or broken. If oil has been leaking, this can cause the seal around the covers to swell as well causing misalignment. Consider hiring an experienced technician like one from YourMechanic who can come out and take a closer inspection of the belt drive to see what is causing the misalignment and offer a more personal diagnosis as well as estimate the proper repairs.

after replacing belt, idler pulley, and tensioner pulley tahoe still sqeaks in the morning?
ANSWER : At the next cold start, try this: Take a spray bottle with some water and spray the belt then start it. If you hear the noise, then the problem may not be with the belt or tensioner. If you do hear it, then it’s possible that one of the pulleys (a/c,water pump,etc) may be slightly glazed or out of round. It’s also possible that a bearing, such as in the water pump, alternator, or a/c compressor clutch may be the issue. Sometimes a bearing that is on it’s way to failure can squeal when cold until it warms up. Alternator bearings are a common source. A mechanics stethoscope may be a good tool to locate a squealing sound. Since the noise is primarily on a cold start, the vehicle may need to sit for several hours or even overnight to get the noise to occur and found with the stethoscope.

With engine off. Crankshaft pulley spins freely with belt on or off. 96 Taurus 3.0. What could cause that?
ANSWER : I can think of a few possible causes to this issue.
1. You are trying to replace the belt with a new one and may have got the wrong size belt. There are two different 3.0 V6 engines that are available for this vehicle so you may have got the belt for the other engine. The solution to this issue would be to swap the belt out at the parts store for the correct belt and try again.

The belt is the correct size but the belt tensioner is unable to hold tension against the belt causing a lack of traction between the belt and the pulleys. This would result in the pulleys not spinning fast enough to cause any of the belt driven assesories to work properly.
The crankshaft pulley bolt or woodruff key has broken causing the crankshaft pulley to be loose on the crankshaft. This can also cause a lack of tension on the belt causing the belt driven assessories not to work.

What is the correct procedure for tightening the belt tensioner on a 2001 Chevy Monte Carlo? We put the new belt on.
ANSWER : The belt tensioner on your vehicle should have an automatic tensioner, however, some models have the manual tensioner. Tighten the tensioner to where the belt is tight but loose in the middle length area as about the width of the belt. This ensures that the drive belt is tight and not pulling too much on any accessory pulley. If you need further assistance with your drive belt replacement, then seek out a professional, such as one from Your Mechanic, to help you.

how to remove the spring loaded belt tensioner the serpentine belt is kept tight with.
ANSWER : Hey there. You will need to remove the entire housing that contains the spring. Belt tensioners are replaced as a unit. In the case of the 4.7L Toyota Motor, you will need to remove a couple of the plastic timing covers to allow the tensioner assembly to slide out and off of its studs. Once you remove the timing covers, you will be able to see the entire assembly and identify which bolts and nuts must be removed to remove the tensioner. You may need to remove the fan belt pulley to remove one or more of the covers. I suggest purchasing a new one first, then you will be able to see all that needs to happen. If you should need help with this project, or would simply like it to be done for you, have a certified technician from YourMechanic come to your car’s location to assist with your drive belt replacement.