Rep Power: 0

I've got a 98 honda civic SI with almost 220,000KM on it, no upgrades of any kind just stock, and just recently I got my brother to replace the timing belt along with some other belts since it's easy to do them when doing the timing belt. My brother is a 3rd year mechanic by the way. So anyways it's been 2 or 3 weeks since it's been changed and I started my car and started driving it and as soon as I put it into drive it started squealing really bad. and it squeals louder and louder as the rpm go up. Once it hits about 2500 rpm the squealing stops and it won't do it anymore, but once I bring the car to a stop it'll start doing it and as I start accelerating from a stop it'll squeal until I get to around 2500 rpm then it stops. My dad thinks my brother put the belts on too tight and the squealing sounds like it's coming from the alternator. My dad thinks the bearing in the alternator might be going. Any ideas of what the problem could be and how to fix it?

 
Rep Power: 0

So I checked my power steering fluid level and it was low so I added some and that has seemed to fix the problem!

 
Rep Power: 812

could also be the belts. too loose or too tight. alot of times they need to be readjusted after some driving, esp if he put on new belts.

 
Rep Power: 0

why not get your bro to fix it if he is a mechanic?


do you hear anything would you turn the wheel that might suggest its the power steering pump?

 
Rep Power: 0

upon start-up of your engine, the starter requires an enormous amount of amps to turn the engine over. the amps are drawn from the battery. if your battery voltage is low the voltage regulator on the alternator will receive a signal. the signal will increase the rotor field windings which raises the level of magnetism being created as it tries to replace the amps that were used up during start-up. this added resistance can slow down rotation of the rotor and the belt can therefore slip. usually if the problem only occurs during cold start-ups, i would suspect the belt being loose and/or the battery may need replacing(only after a load test has been performed) and also have the amps output test done on the alternator.
good luck.

 
Rep Power: 313

Glad it's fixed... My PS belt was loose and it was causing noise. I had the belt changed in the spring this year, and he never adjusted the tightness (Quality work considering I told him to change the serpentine belt). So I had no idea it was even a new belt. I changed the belt then not adjusting the tightness (Quality work from a wannabe backyard mechanic). I went back at it yesterday and got it fixed. It was only doing it at start up or when I had the wheel fully turned. I only turned the wing nut two turns and it corrected it, so it's very easy not to get the tightness right. If it happens again, check the belt!