squeak with a replaced belt tensioner and belt (2010, idle, buy)

[Orincarnia]

so, i replaced my belt tensioner and belt, (belt is brand spankin new this time!)

yet i went to start my car up and it still squeaks! its still an oscillating hamster wheel squeak.

don't get me wrong the car sounds better, feels better and there is no more rattling sound when i idle, so the belt tensioner was an issue,

but its still squeaking on startup. it squeaks until the engine hits the 50% mark between hot and cold, then it goes away.

any ideas?

[Lux Hauler]

What is the car?

Could be a water pump or compressor bearing. Do you have an idler pulley? I just helped someone with their Jeep, couldn't track down the chirp/squeak at first. Finally discovered the crankshaft pulley had slipped off the hub a bit (bad rubber insulator) and contacted the timing plate cover.

[Gimme3steps]

With the engine cold (as in setting overnight) take the belt completely off and start the engine. If the noise is gone, you've narrowed it down to something that rotates with the belt. Shut the engine off and carefully inspect everything that turns.

If it still squeaks, then you have an internal problem.

At any rate do not run the engine for more than a minute without the belt.

[Orincarnia]

cars a 2007 audi a3, 2.0T.

so to take the belt off, i need to remove the tensioner is that correct?

[Lux Hauler]

Originally Posted by Orincarnia

cars a 2007 audi a3, 2.0T.

so to take the belt off, i need to remove the tensioner is that correct?

I don't see why you would need to remove the tensioner? Just take the belt off.

[Orincarnia]

ok, i'll do that tomorrow morning.

so if there is no squeak when i take the belt off, how would i go about fixing the bearings on the other parts? do they come off? or do i need to replace the whole part?

i've never messed with this area before.

[Lux Hauler]

Originally Posted by Orincarnia

ok, i'll do that tomorrow morning.

so if there is no squeak when i take the belt off, how would i go about fixing the bearings on the other parts? do they come off? or do i need to replace the whole part?

i've never messed with this area before.

Do you have a stationary idler pulley? Better hope its that. If it is another accessory then you might want to live with the squeak unless pay big bucks to have it removed, repaired/replaced. Bearing replacement in pumps and such is not typically done as the whole unit is usually just replaced. If it is a bad bearing and the drive shaft has slop then I would look into replacement.

[Orincarnia]

i assume the idler pulley is the black cylinder at the bottom of this picture.

i've heard that the water pump needs to be replaced quite often on these cars.

[Gimme3steps]

What you're calling a black cylinder looks like the AC compressor. It's not likely to be the cause of your noise. Look at it with the engine running and see if it has any runout or wobble. If not, it's probably OK.

You can take a piece of heater hose 2-3ft long and use it as sort of a poor man's stethoscope. Hold one end to your ear and the other to anything turning with the engine running. It will amplify the sound and maybe let you pinpoint the noise. Just be careful.

Or go buy a mechanic's stethoscope and do the same thing. Just be careful. You can even use a long screwdriver or a piece of broom handle and get the same effect. Only thing is, with these you'll have actually hold one end against the part. Probably the alternator and compressor are the only parts you can use this on.

Did I say be careful?

[Orincarnia]

ok, tomorrow morning i'm gonna try the stethoscope, then this weekend i'll try taking the belt off and seeing if it squeaks without it.