[SFMoonwatcher]

2001 NB GLS 2.0 62000 miles...

The last couple months a very brief--but loud--squeal from the engine compartment when starting up. Finally had this looked at when I had 60K service done two weeks ago and they said it was the serpentine belt, which I had replaced to the tune of $155. Guess what...today it started squealing again.

Any ideas? I searched for "squeal" and "squealing" in the forums and came up empty handed.

Thx in advance.

 

[73standard]

Only thing I can think of is it's stll the belt, as in they did it wrong.
Does it sound like the same sound?

 

[Porkchop]

The belt is held tight with a spring tensioner - so there is no way for it to be loose or to need adjustment. Assuming it is the correct length belt, when a serpentine belt like this squeals on start up, it is because something is "grabbing" it. This means it has to be a passive accessory such as power steering pump, alternator, or A/C compressor.

I had an alternator going bad that did this once. I don't have any good advice on diagnosing it though - perhaps someone else does?

Incidentally, the belt only costs like $30-$40 and it takes 5 minutes to install.... I really don't understand the $155 charge - that sounds like the part with markup and 1 hour of labor - Eeek.

 

[NBman]

When you wash your car, you don't happen to point the hose directly on the front grill (fog lamps), do you? I used to do that and it caused the timing belt to squeak on start up. Of course back then I didn't know what caused the squeaking.

After a while I took the car to vw they said it was the timing belt problem (uneven wear) and after they replaced it, the noise was gone. A few weeks later, I washed the car (pointed the hose dead on the grill) and the "soft squeak on start up" came back but not as loud. It was then that I realized what cause the timing belt to get uneven wear. Once I stopped pointing the water on the front grill the noise never came back.

 

[tom20682]

could be starter

I had that happen shortly after buying used 98. Turns ou tth eflywheel wasn't disengaging from starter gear, or something like that. Starter finally went within 2 weeks. It was a loud squel that went away after a minute or two.

 

[SFMoonwatcher]

Nope, don't point the hose directly at the grille, and the noise itself lasts at most a fraction of a second...

It also doesn't do it consistently, nor is it confined to a cold or warm engine.

 

[VortxBug]

It could be the weather you know... It squeals whenever i park my bug outside during winter because there's often water between the belt and the pulleys which cause the belt to skit a little.

 

[SFMoonwatcher]

Water collecting between the belt and pulley when it's 105 degrees, like it is in Phoenix continually during the summer doesn't seem likely. So while all the suggestions sound good, none match the conditions...yet!

 

[MattP]

I had a 2.0 a while back and it was the starter that made the squeel noise. I never bothered fixing it though as the car started fine for 3 + years with the noise