More Explorer woes..HELP!

[Germ]

If you look at my previous thread there was a noise emitting from under the car..a couple of people here stated it might have been the PS pump...but man oh man has the sound got progressively worse...

It sounded perfectly fine (minus the little belt squeak i always get)...until i got home yesterday and it hasnt gotten better since

The belt makes ALOT of noise now...also screeching...i noticed the belt tensioner is moving left and right a whole lot (is it even supposed to move?)...but my biggest concern is what i am hearing under my car...I don't know if its the cats...or in the bellhousing of the tranny (though i think its coming from the bellhousing after looking under the car last night i could be wrong though)...best way to describe it is like a card in the spokes of a bicycle...it happens in all gears PNRD....But if the car accelerates it tend to go away until i am at an idle...could this be a bad flexplate? or a bad cat?...I need help ASAP


Oh...i forgot to mention...there is no issue with the tranny shifting...it shifts fine through all gears and no CEL light on (i dont even know if it works lol)...and no OD blinking on and off or anything.

I will post a video of the sound and also show you guys how the tensioner is moving tomm...It's too dark out right now and i have to wrap gifts...What a great Christmas present i got :\

 

[the_aszman]

sounds like you need to replace your tensioner pulley and possibly the belt.there should be no movement in it.

your other sound might be the heat shields on your cats rattling.

 

[Germ]

sounds like you need to replace your tensioner pulley and possibly the belt.there should be no movement in it.

your other sound might be the heat shields on your cats rattling.

It's scaring the sh*t out of me to drive it.

 

[Car-Dog]

its the tensioner. when mine went bad the noise would stop if i turned the air con off. I also had a bad belt, you might as well also replace that while your at it.

 

[BrianDye]

While you have the belt off (If you can afford it)
Replace the tensioner for sure, and the belt since its squeaking, but check all your pulleys (Idler, etc) and see if any of them have any play so you can replace them.

Also, before you assume its the belt, spray some water on the belt and see if it temporarily fixes the squeeking. (Have it running, and have a spray bottle with water)

 

[Germ]

its the tensioner. when mine went bad the noise would stop if i turned the air con off. I also had a bad belt, you might as well also replace that while your at it.

The tensioner is causing the noise under the car too?

 

[BrianDye]

I read that too, I dont think the tensioner should be making any noise.

I would second the heat shield suggestion a few posts up. I also dont see how turning the AC off would cause the tensioner to make noise?

 

[Car-Dog]

I dont know why the ac made it make the noise either... but it did. My tensioner rocked back and forth violently and made a knocking rattling sound. replaced it and the noise is gone.

 

[Germ]

So I start my car in the day to determine where the noise under my car is coming from...All of a sudden i hear a loud "screech"...Pop open my hood and smell burnt rubber...one of the pullies siezed up...

It is pulley #2 that seized...what pulley is this? what accessory does it run? And how much of a PITA is it to change that pulley?...Also would this have ANYTHING to do with the noise i heard under the car? although i doubt it but it would be nice if that was the noise lol

 

[2000StreetRod]

Idler pulley

1=alternator pulley
2=idler pulley
3=power steering pump pulley
4=A/C compressor pulley

The tensioner is located below the alternator

It is not difficult to replace the idler pulley but you'll need a 3/8 inch drive to rotate the tensioner enough to loosen the belt and remove it.