Squeal from brand new serpentine belt?

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GoodVibes411
Posts: 5
Joined: Sat Mar 19, 2016 1:19 pm

Squeal from brand new serpentine belt?

Post by GoodVibes411 »

Hello fellow Vibers,

I’ve been on here since Mar 19, 2016 and this is my first post. Time flies…

I have an ’07, 1.8 liter, automatic transmission, Neptune Blue Vibe with 272k miles. (I’m not sure when folks say “Base”, does that mean a base model, without after market add-ons? If so, my Vibe is a base.) I bought it ~2011 with 88k on it. I love my Vibe. It was a Florida car before my ownership here in MA.

So, here’s why I’m writing:
On Friday, I had a local JiffyLube shop replace my serpentine belt. I had been in their shop the previous Friday to get an oil change, and the guy showed me how cracked my belt was and warned me it could go at any moment. I had not replaced the belt since owning the car, so it’s been at least 184k miles and I now realize I really pushed my luck.

So, as I drove away from getting the new belt, I heard a brief squeak, just once the whole trip home. I didn’t think much of it. Now, three days later, after not driving it Sat/Sun, that squeal has INCREASED A LOT so that now it is happening every time I excelerate from a red light, every time I turn, and it is lasting longer, even after driving for a few hours.

Is this squeal something I should expect JiffyLube to fix for me? I paid $108. incl. tax. for the belt and labor. And it comes with a 2 year warranty on both the belt and labor. After doing the belt, the guy had said I should get the tensioner replaced soon, but “it’s not an emergency”. He quoted me $200.

I used to have my own mechanic, but he isn’t doing hardly any auto work lately, hence why I was at a place like JiffyLube getting work done on my car. It is not my usual practice. I need a new mechanic.

I don’t have auto repair experience, I don’t have my own garage. But I do have basic tools, and if you have a suggestion for fixing the squeal myself, I can give it a go. (Heck, I did replace my own cabin filter a few months ago with the help of a YouTube video, LOL)

One last thing: What is the life expectancy on my Vibe? At 272k miles, can I get another 100k miles?

Thanks in advance for any and all guidance you can give.

Here's to Good Vibes!
Deb
GoodVibes411
Posts: 5
Joined: Sat Mar 19, 2016 1:19 pm

Re: Squeal from brand new serpentine belt?

Post by GoodVibes411 »

PS: Just in case someone else already noticed, I did post a few years ago. Memory not so good... :?
andrewclaus
Posts: 482
Joined: Tue Oct 03, 2017 6:38 pm
Location: Golden, CO

Re: Squeal from brand new serpentine belt?

Post by andrewclaus »

I have the identical car, way fewer miles at 185K. "Base" means it's not the GT model which has some performance and appearance features, nor the model with a sunroof, etc.

If you want to get another 100K miles, you'll need to be more proactive with maintenance. Look at the schedule in the owners manual and catch up. It will take some money. Old cars will have some bad years, and hopefully many good years. Eventually some safety, reliability, and comfort issues may put you in the market for a new one.

The seller of my car had kept up with basic maintenance and the belt is still okay, but I'm keeping a close eye on it. It will probably be my next project on the car. From reading this forum, it sounds like the tensioner is a difficult issue and often needs to be replaced with the belt. Your "mechanic" noticed a difficulty but didn't realize its importance. I'll bet you need that new tensioner now.
Mark
Posts: 640
Joined: Sun Nov 02, 2008 7:26 am
Location: Cheyenne, WY

Re: Squeal from brand new serpentine belt?

Post by Mark »

The squeal could be either a weak belt tensioner, or Jiffy Lube put the wrong size belt on. I'd bet that since he pointed the tensioner out they'll want you to replace that before they'll warranty the belt.

Unfortunately you can only get another 28,000 miles from your Vibe, as they stop right at 299,999 miles. Well, the odometer does anyway, the car itself will keep running for as long as you continue to maintain it.
'08 Base Stealth, '05 Base Satellite
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