Rep Power: 0

I've looked through some of the previous posts here and have some ideas but I'm hoping I might get some help troubleshooting my specific issue. We have a 2003 Honda Civic 4-Dr EX Sedan 4-Spd AT 1.7L L4 and I've been having a high pitched engine squealing issue that has been making me crazy for some time. These are my observations: It only happens when the fan is turned on but occurs both when the heat or AC is on. There are times that it goes away if I turn the fan off and then back on again but not always. Originally it seemed worse in the rain but now is nearly constant when the fan is on. I have had ALL the belts (including the timing belt) replaced and checked, tightened repeatedly and nothing changes. My mechanic has what amounts to a neighborhood garage and used tire shop but has always been VERY fair with me. That said, he's no Dobbs or dealership either. Normally I buy the parts and he does the work for cheap. One example, he replaced all my belts and my radiator, front lower motor mount and hoses for $350 once I supplied the parts. I'm guessing an easy $1200 worth of work had I brought it to a dealership but he did a great job for way cheaper.

So he's been trying to help me figure out what we need to do here. Today he replaced the belts a second time and used belt jelly (or whatever it's called) but the squealing started again within a mile of leaving his shop. So I'm (based on my internet research) guessing it's a pulley or something and he thinks the same but what pulley? I should however say that I had it into a Honda dealership a couple weeks back for an airbag recall and the mechanic thought it was a blower motor bearing. His opinion however was based ONLY on me telling him what the issue was I was having and not hearing it. He checked inventory and saw that they didn't have the part in stock and seemed to lose interest in my concerns there pretty quickly. He did however peak my interest with that opinion but it seems to me that if that was the case it wouldn't sound to clearly be coming from the right side of the engine compartment where all the belts, pulleys, etc... are.

So today as I pulled away from the garage he told me that he thought it was the power steering pulley and that if I bought the part he would replace it no charge. Me on the other hand feel like (again based solely on my internet research as I am NO mechanic lol) it's more likely the idler or tensioner? So what I am hoping here is to find out based on all I have shared what different things it could be and where I should go next. I'm MORE than happy to buy any part that there is a consensus for here and just bring it over to him and tell him to replace it. I just need the noise gone as I feel like I could be hanging out with McMurphy in Cuckoo's Nest as this irritating noise is making me c-c-crazy! Any help appreciated my fellow Honda drivers!

Lonnie

 
Rep Power: 223

Check the power steering and alternator/AC pulley belts, they need to be tight. The belt tension is manually set so it's likely loose.

 
Rep Power: 0

I've had two separate techs make sure that all belts are tight and checked them myself yesterday. This is an issue that has been going on for two years now and during that period all belts were also replaced

 
Rep Power: 221

So take it to a real mechanic that knows how to check if a pulley is bad and doesn't just guess

 
Rep Power: 366

there is an actual measurement of slack for the belts in the service manual.
I think tensioning the belts was actually quite tricky, many seem to think it was tensioned and it was not.
I did not have issues, but i was following the service manual

 
Rep Power: 0

A bit more back story here... I took the car to Meineke last November to get the safety check and emissions done so we could renew our tabs. At that time I also asked them to do an oil change and talked to them about the squealing. They said it was the belts and replaced them but the squeal continued. I brought the car back the next day to ask them about that and the manager said that it was likely the belt needed to be "broken in" and that if I drove the car through the Winter the squeal should be gone in the Spring. Well that didn't happen. This last March I brought the car to Dobbs for new tires and in turn mentioned the squealing belt. The tech recommended replacing the belts but I made him aware that had already been done the previous Fall at Meineke. At that point he said that it had to be the timing belt and gave me a big fat estimate of $850 if I recall. So I decided to have my neighborhood guy do the timing belt instead and it cost me way WAY less than that but the end result was the belt still squeals.

So I have went the "real mechanic" route and still trust my guy WAY more than any I have been to. At least he shoots straight with me and is reasonably priced and takes care of me. Beyond that (and to those that have said to just bring it in to a REAL mechanic) I sat here on this forum yesterday when I posted this and saw many posts from people trying to troubleshoot issues in an attempt to do the work themselves or whatever. There are hundreds of YouTube videos posted by journeyman mechanics attempting to solve issues on their own without the help of the overpriced mechanic at the big automotive repair chain AND my guy is indeed a real mechanic but just doesn't work under the guise of a highbrow overpriced chain of garages or charge the CRAZY prices that a dealership would

 
Rep Power: 223

I don't consider anyone but the dealer to be a "real" mechanic. Not bashing your neighborhood guy here, he could be very knowledgeable. I am calling BS on the shops you went to. No belt needs to be broken in for ~6 months. That's just what they told you to get you to leave without complaining about their work.

Can you post a video of the squeal?

 
Rep Power: 0

I would never take my car to Meineke EVER. Too many of them are crooks. We had a Meineke store open in the nearby city and it closed within 2 years.
By word of mouth and Google reviews I found an honest mechanic in a smaller town near me.
I have a belt squeal on a 1999 Honda Accord that has been going on for over a year. It only squeals on startup and then stops so I don't worry about it.
I believe it's from the Power steering. I've adjusted the belt as tight as I dare get it. You should only be able to twist the belt 45 degrees if it is tight.
I also think the power steering was leaking on the belt at one point. I changed the tensioner clamp on the outlet hose of the PS pump to an adjustable clamp for a better seal.

 
Rep Power: 366

as mentioned above, maybe something dripping and wetting the belts?
Misalignment of the pulleys?

easy one: OEM vs aftermarket belts
https://www.civicforums.com/forums/3...ng-solved.html

potential harmonic balancer issues?
https://www.civicforums.com/forums/3...lt-issues.html

this reminded me i used a prybar while tightening the bolts:
https://www.civicforums.com/forums/3...c-2001-lx.html

example of not tightening enough
https://www.civicforums.com/forums/3...lt-change.html

 
Rep Power: 209

Did you say looney tunes?

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