Posted: Mar 09 2008 at 11:15pm | IP Logged

I have an aggravating belt squeal on startup and it is intermittent.  It only seems to do it in public places and may last up to 5 seconds.  All the belts are new and pretty tight - about 1/2" deflection using 1st finger pressure.

Any ideas...

Posted: Mar 10 2008 at 11:21am | IP Logged

 Finally someone experiencing the same crap i have gone through 3 times. I am sure its the idler pulley, What year and model truck?

What ever you do, DO NOT put belt dressing on it, the dressing makes the noise worse!

Take it to the dealer ship, they will have to most likely replace the idler pulley

Posted: Mar 10 2008 at 3:08pm | IP Logged

If the idler pulley is not the problem, try putting a few dabs of SILICONE dilelectric grease on the RIBBED SIDE of the belt.  Do this in a few locations across the width of the ribs.  This will spread around and lubricate the rubber without causing degradation or slippage.  Never put the silicone grease on the smooth side of the belt.  And NEVER use a PETROLUEM BASED grease as this will damage the belt.

This has eliminated many problem belt squelas over the years for me and numerous friends when the dealer could not find a problem.

Posted: Mar 10 2008 at 6:07pm | IP Logged

I have a 2000 4x2 CC.  I just replaced the original belts (that didn't squeal) less than 500 miles ago.  That is what is pissing me off.  The new belts squeal but the originals didn't!  I am guessing it is one or more of the following:

PS pump is on the way out and is slow to get turning

Alternator belt is loose and needs to be tighter

A/C compressor is hard to get turning

I wouldn't guess an idler pulley...I was able to turn all of these by hand when changing the belts.

Posted: Mar 10 2008 at 8:04pm | IP Logged

This is my first post, just joined this forum.  I bought my 2000 Frontier almost 6 years ago with 9,000 miles on it.  It now has 125,000, so we've been through a lot together, but not many repairs, since it rarely needs any!

But...squealing belts.  I'm currently having my SECOND issue with that.  The first time, I had a squealing belt only when I started the engine after it had already been running a while and was pretty much fully warmed up.  That time, it turned out to be the water pump was leaking ONLY WHEN THE ENGINE WAS RUNNING, and it would seep just enough onto the belt to give it a wet spot.  If the engine sat long enough to fully cool down, the water would evaporate, so that's why it wouldn't squeal when it was cold.  So check your water pump VERY carefully.  The seep hole was just barely visibly damp in my case.

Three days ago...my squeal came back suddenly.  "Here we go again!" I thought.  As luck would have it, my mechanic friend and me had just changed the oil (every 3,000...yeah, I'm like that).  OK, HE changed the oil and I pretty much watched TV.  Anyway, as I was getting ready to leave, lo-and-behold there was a puddle of green under the radiator!   But this time, it was most likely seeping out of the radiator and the fan was splattering a few drop onto the belts, which was giving me the "warm engine startup squeal" again.  We pressure tested it, and it is definitely a radiator leak this time around.  New radiator and hoses will arrive in the morning...

And just my last 2 cents about belts:  When you replace them, go with DELCO belts or Goodyear.  I have done both, and they are defintely quieter in general than the Nissan belts, which always made an annoying slappy noise on cold startup.

Posted: Mar 11 2008 at 7:52pm | IP Logged

I had this problem with my truck when I first bought it. I had to take it back to Nissan several times. Each time they replaced the belts and tensioner pulley. Finally I took it back last year and It turns out Nissan reengineered the tensioner pulley due to so many people complaining about the belt squeals.

Posted: Jul 25 2008 at 4:39pm | IP Logged

My 99 4cyl std cab squeals like a stuck pig if i run too many things at once.

For instance; if its night time and i have the lights on and run the heater fan she squeals all the time. If i turn the fan off, it stops squealing.

What up wit dat?

Posted: Jul 25 2008 at 5:13pm | IP Logged

..

BillRXC;

Welcome to the group...

The theory is that the truck starts on the battery then once started the electrical system runs on the alternator. As you turn on more electrical gadgets the alternator has to work harder (and the engine burns more fuel) and that transfers a greater load for the belt that drives the alternator. The belt probably needs to be just a little tighter.

Many new vehicles now have electric motor driven power steering and A/C pumps!… Some day a smart automotive engineer will design an electrically driven alternator.

Have a good one and see you later… Don S..

My Poppa told me to only bet on aces, straights and cinches.

Posted: Jul 28 2008 at 10:02am | IP Logged

My truck is a '06 with intermittant sqeals from the belt.  Last week, with 29K miles on it, the fan clutch seized burning out the water pump and destroying the belt. I wished I had been pickier about tolerating aggravating noises on a new truck.