my alternator belt is flapping in the breeze. i tried for months at the end of last fall to determine the loud humming, vibrating noise coming from the engine bay. i thought is was internal ($.$$) so i really tried to ignore it as long as the engine was holding up...if it ain't broke, don't fix it!!! it was still there louder than ever this week. i have tried tightening it, no results. i have tried loosening it, still no results. could it be stretched, lost it's elasticity? anyway, the question is are there better belts than others? is there a superior brand name i should look for or is a Toyota part best for my Toyota? how critical is the tension on a belt? will i need a tensiometer or can i just measure (guess) deflection to get good results?



thanks for your thoughts and counsel on this.



r.

Well IMO; a belt is a belt. as long as it's rubbery and gets good traction. I'd check em for cuts or cracks, as that could lead to a squealing noise. Also, you might wanna spend the money, and burn $3.99 on a can of desquealer, if you're sure it's coming from the belts.

as for changing it, i am a firm believer that you don't really need a tensioner, you can pretty much tell if it's tight.

Now this isn't the official way to go; no, its not very professional at all... i'm just really old-school. I still pour distilled water in my battery; rather than buying a new one... lol. (i got flamed on another thread for this...)

This post has been edited by D-Man: Apr 4, 2008 - 9:03 AM

check that all your pulleys run true.

There is a tension tool but however, there is still a traditional way of measuring, I forgot the details but it was something dealing with a ruler.