When it rains or I wash my truck the belt gets.

ANONYMOUS

MEMBER
1999 DODGE RAM
13,600 MILES

When it rains or I wash my truck the belt gets wet and therefore causes it to squeak. Ive contacted dodge and got there best belt and it continues to do it. Took it to a mechanic and everything was replaced. The only thing that makes it stop is Armor All/Black Magic basic tire cleaner the owner before me told me that was the only solution and everyone says its just a freak thing and it does work and it will stop it for a while unless I get it wet so everytime I re-wash it does it. Anything else I can do?

1 Reply

CARADIODOC

MECHANIC
33,737 POSTS

Replace the belt again and do not use any kind of dressing ever on a serpentine belt. It may make it quiet long enough to sell a used vehicle but the dressing collects dust and debris and will make the squealing worse later. Scrub all the pulleys before installing the new belt.

Assuming the spring-loaded tensioner is holding sufficient tension on the belt so it doesn't slip over the pulleys, squealing occurs when the belt walks sideways across a pulley as it goes around it. That is always due to misalignment of one of them. It can be as little as 1/16" of misalignment. Sight down all of the pulleys and look at where the belt rides on each one. If you look straight down, you should only see the belt going over the highest pulleys. You should not see 1/16" of it peeking out to the side, (front or rear of the truck), on any of the lower pulleys. If you do, that pulley or the one right before it is turned or tipped.

Lightly spray a mist of water on the belt just where it comes in contact with a pulley. That will make a squeal due to misalignment show up when you hit the offending pulley.