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97 Grand Cherokee power steering squeaks


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bill k
User

Jun 8, 2009, 6:54 AM

Post #1 of 8 (3616 views)
97 Grand Cherokee power steering squeaks Sign In

I have a squaeak coming from the power steering pump. When I start the car cold it squeaks until it warms up and then the noise goes away. I have sprayed wd-40 on the belt and that sometimes that makes the noise go away for a short time, but it comes back after a few minutes and goes away once the motor warms up. What is causing this???


DanD
Veteran / Moderator
DanD profile image

Jun 8, 2009, 8:14 AM

Post #2 of 8 (3612 views)
Re: 97 Grand Cherokee power steering squeaks Sign In

Remove and throw away the old belt and your can of WD-40; clean all the pulleys with a degreaser and then with soap and water. Check all the pulleys for any nicks or dents and that they are all lined up to one another.
If all looks good; install new belt and adjust it to the proper tension. Rule of thumb for a non self tensioning belt set-up; is no more then a ¼” deflection of the belt when checked in the middle of the widest gap, between two pulleys.

Dan.

Canadian "EH"






bill k
User

Jun 8, 2009, 8:44 AM

Post #3 of 8 (3605 views)
Re: 97 Grand Cherokee power steering squeaks Sign In

The jeep GC has a self tensioner and I checked amd lubed that and it is working good, the belt is almost new, it started making noise shortly after I replaced it about 6 months ago. I will take your advice and clean all the pulley's and see what happens, it is fairly easy for me to remove the belt, when My wife holds the tensioner off with a big wrench.


DanD
Veteran / Moderator
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Jun 8, 2009, 9:32 AM

Post #4 of 8 (3604 views)
Re: 97 Grand Cherokee power steering squeaks Sign In

Even though the belt is fairly new, check that it hasn’t stretched. With the belt installed have a look at the index marks on the tensioner; the arrow and the index line should be within 1/8” of each other.



Even a new belt, check it after it’s installed. Some after market belt manufactures; in an attempt to cut inventory would make the one belt that would fit a number of different applications. This one belt would be just a little longer for some applications and a little shorter on other vehicles. The end result is that some of the belts would be a little too tight or too loose; so check that index making sure the belt is of the proper length.


Quote
My wife holds the tensioner off with a big wrench.


I know my wife wouldn’t be able to hold a tensioner back; is it the cause of the noisy belt (the tensioner not the wife; besides you said the belt was squeaking not whining LOL); has the spring in the tensioner gone weak?
Maybe compare it with a new one.
I haven’t been able to find a spec on how many pounds of torque it takes to move a tensioner against the spring?

Dan.

Canadian "EH"






bill k
User

Jun 8, 2009, 10:29 AM

Post #5 of 8 (3589 views)
Re: 97 Grand Cherokee power steering squeaks Sign In

I did not know about the index marks, so I just checked and they are almost perfectly lined up.
About the wife, we used a 1/2 inch drive breaker bar and a socket on the tensioner pully nut with a 12 inch extension in the end of the bar and it becomes fairly easy for her to move the tensioner and hold it until I get the belt on or off.
The noise is more of a chirping then a squealing. The smooth side of the belt has what appears to be little ridges of something running across it at about 1/2 spacing running the whole length of the belt. I just tried cleaning a few off with a water based solvent and it seems that with a lot of elbow grease they can be removed. What the heck causes that?
Once the motor is all warmed up and the noise get less and less and finally stops and you can barely hear the motor run.


DanD
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DanD profile image

Jun 8, 2009, 11:20 AM

Post #6 of 8 (3585 views)
Re: 97 Grand Cherokee power steering squeaks Sign In

We have a lot of problems with noisy belts here in Ontario; especially during the winter months. All the salt & calcium they use on the roads, gets splashed up on the belt; causing what looks like a glazing over the belt. The noise coming from them will sound like a can of marbles being shaken. Sometimes a quick sand with 40 grit sandpaper will shut them up; but most times it means another new belt.
A dribbling water pump will also cause a belt to become noisy; if the anti freeze gets on it.
If cleaning your belt & pulleys doesn’t cure the noise; try another manufacture’s belt, you may get lucky and find one that’ll run quiet?

Dan.

Canadian "EH"






Tom Greenleaf
Ultimate Carjunky / Moderator
Tom Greenleaf profile image

Jun 8, 2009, 11:28 AM

Post #7 of 8 (3579 views)
Re: 97 Grand Cherokee power steering squeaks Sign In


Goodyear sells this style "quiet" belt and they are. Also Dayco and others - some put ridges on the back side as you said.

I use these on my own vehicles but will say the do stretch MUCH faster than the OE style. Some belts out of the box make noise like a bad bearing and I dunno?? I'd switch to a know well fitting "quiet" belt and watch that it is within range on the tensioner as Dad said. Check that regularly too.

If you get the same issues with a new belt it may NOT be the problem at all.

Just my two cents,

T



Hammer Time
Ultimate Carjunky / Moderator
Hammer Time profile image

Jun 8, 2009, 3:26 PM

Post #8 of 8 (3571 views)
Re: 97 Grand Cherokee power steering squeaks Sign In

DanD gave you the best advice you can get. Now that you have sprayed WD40 on the belt, it's junk and will never be right again. Throw it away and clean all the pulleys as he described. You could need a new tensioner too but you have to fix the WD40 mess first.



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(This post was edited by Hammer Time on Jun 8, 2009, 3:26 PM)






 
 
 






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