Squeal from the engine

[1995tracker]

Hey,
I'd done my fair share of research into this problem I've been having. Almost narrowed it down to the alternator/alternator belt till I seen another thread on here talking about the water pump.

Anyways, its a 1995 Tracker, 16V, 3spd Auto 4x4, 107K miles. Recent maintenence:
-Timing belt changed at ~96K. THINK all other belts was done too.
-Full tuneup (wires, plugs, and all the good stuff) done at ~101K
-Last oil change at 106K (do it every 2500 or so)
- Full front end brakejob at 106.5K

It has a REALLY nasty squeal it likes to make at me at the most inopportune times. Been doing this for about a year, itll be real bad for a few weeks, then nothing for a while, then come back. To me, I think it sounds like a squeaky belt. It usually tends to happen in either cool weather (mornings), or in wet weather (during/ after rain it is REALLY bad). It does it when I fire it in mid-afternoon after it's sat all day (FLorida humidity?), but its very short lived and stops once i shift it from park to reverse then to drive.

In the mornings, it will squeak as long as i keep my foot on the pedal. It goes with engine RPMs, when the tranny shifts, it quiets proportionally. It will squeak up to 55MPH then it will usually cut off there. I can sometimes stop it by letting my foot off the gas and coast until the RPMs drop, then giving it some gas. That works about half the time, The other half the time, I shift from Drive to neutral and back and forth from LOW to NEUTRAL (at slow speeds- 10mph) until it quits.

One reason I think it's the alternator is because right when i fire it, I can start driving and sometimes it wont squeak. But if I turn the AC on or hit the air horns, it squeals, even without changing the pedal pressure at all. Once its warmed up going down the road, I can turn on whatever i want and there's no problem.

Wondering what y'all think I should look at first. I plan on changing the belt first, as its most cost effective. It don't look bad at all (I think it was changed 10K ago, and looks about on par with that). Then I;ve read the whole alternator can be out of whack.
.
P.S. I think it has to do with the alternator belt because a quick blast of belt dressing before going will keep it from squeaking when it usually does, or quiet/shorten it significantly.

Places I;ve read:
Squealing 16V 1.6L...but the belts aren't loose?
http://www.suzuki-forums.com/suzuki-...ternators.html

[aquanaut20]

Get a length of tubing, use it as a stethoscope, one end in your ear the other searching for cause of noise.

Caution around moving parts.

[jtgh]

stetoscope $3 at harbor freight and 20% off this weekend, such a deal.

best tool to own, bar none.

eg: is it my alterator,water pump or power steering pump bearings , or serpentine belt idler making noise, BINGO. (every time)

Care where you stick it, do not get near fan, and no loose clothing.

cheers

[ranger88den]

I had a similiar problem after changing the timing belt on my 95, 16v and replacing the alt & PS belts (also A/C). Initially everything was okay, but after awhile (belt probably stretched) it developed a squeal upon start up, lasted a minute or two then stopped. I readjusted the alt belt and everything okay. Because they are opposing belts the tension probably needs to be close to the same. Good luck

[JLX 1993]

Mine was a loose alt. belt... tightened it, squeal gone.

[ranger88den]

That's my kind of fix, no money exchanges hands. LOL

[JLX 1993]

Originally Posted by ranger88den

That's my kind of fix, no money exchanges hands. LOL

Learning to improvise, parts hard to come by up here, my trans came from the junk yard...

[jtgh]

mail man brings almost all my tools and parts.
every trip is 30+ miles, for me.
screw driver handle to ear, tubing.. yah !

[1995tracker]

Went and cranked the hell outta the alternator belt for now. So far so good. If it hold up for the next week or so, I'll let it loose a bit so I don't stress the alternator bearings too bad. But for now it's quiet as a mouse!