Squealing sound when car turns on!

So ever since replacing the sepertine belt there was no squeaking whatsoever during the dry summer. Now, with the recent rainy days, it is starting to squeak again, worse and worse. I'll try to tension it as a temporary solution if that, but any reason why the belt is so sensitive to water?

InfernoFiero wrote: So ever since replacing the sepertine belt there was no squeaking whatsoever during the dry summer. Now, with the recent rainy days, it is starting to squeak again, worse and worse. I'll try to tension it as a temporary solution if that, but any reason why the belt is so sensitive to water?

Temperature affects how much grip is available. It tends to rain on colder days, and colder temperatures increase the chances of the belt slipping.

Also a factor is the water itself, obviously. I'm sure you know yourself, but a wet belt has much smaller coefficient of traction available (Consider you tire's grip in the rain).

And the last factor is the wear of the belt itself. As it ages, it's going to wear away the "inside" of the belt, which will effectively increase its length ever-so-slightly.

 

Obviously those two things create a bit of a double standard: You want it tight enough to prevent slippage during cold, damp weather. But the tighter you make it, the more drag you apply to the motor, wasting efficiency. One such solution is spring-loaded tensioners (often called automatic tensioners) which will apply more tension as the belt wears (Negating the wear on the belt) and will often push more of the belt around high-load accessories (Water pump and alternator).

The tensioner is a great idea. I just have to find one that fits somehow.

When I go through some water I get a splash and then she slips. My splash guards are almost rotted out so that's why.

It sucks cause my voltage goes down, and it causes a ripple through the whole thing: lights, ignition, etc.


Chay