afraid to get engine wet :S

[92Explorer4.0]

ok when i replaced my old belt my belt noises went away so i was happy. I did a coolant flush and replaced coolant and when i went to start the x it started to make the noises again. so i got another belt my noises disappear! im afraid to hose down my engine because i think the noises will start again. The last time the noises came up if i sprayed the belt down with belt dressing it would get worse alot worse. I did air it down one day and it went away but came back next day so i replaced it with new one that i have on it now. i just want to wash my engine bay out with out the noises afterwards. James

 

[FIND]

Never use belt dressing.

As for squealing belts, it is common for them to squeal a little after getting moisture in there, they slip slightly, it goes away quickly normally. If you are experiencing a different sound then it is probably not related as much to your belt as it is to another part.

If you could describe the noises, I would be happy to help you out any way I can.

 

[92Explorer4.0]

ok well as of now i have no squeals. if my tensioner is bad would that cause a squeal if the belt got wet? my old belt if i got it aired out it would stop for a day.

 

[safn1949]

Belt dressing is the worst thing to use,it ruins the belt,in my years as a GM tech we found that if the belt was chirping or squealing we could spray some silicone on it and they would quiet down.

A few stayed quiet and we replaced the rest when they started squealing again soon after,great tool to pinpoint the noise.

If a serpentine belt is chirping it can be from tiny pieces of road stone getting into the grooves of the belt,with the belt off you would turn it inside out and see the stone chips.

No way to fix that we had to replace the belt.

 

[92Explorer4.0]

in my belt i did see some of that in my belt so i aired it out while it running and it did go away and came back. Like u said belt had to be replaced anyway so thats what i did.