Date: Sat, 15 Feb 2003 02:30:23 +0000 (UTC) From: "SimonJ" <Menopsam.net> Subject: Re: Alternator belt squeal & battery issues '90 - 9000T
> > In the morning when I start the car the voltage reads about 9V and will > stay there for a good long time unless I cycle through the info button > and change the computer display though miles, temp, etc back to voltage. > Thats how the computer is supposed to work, if the voltage drops below a certain threshold during starting, the computer will show the lowest point that the voltage reached, and hold that display until you press a button. > While the car is warming up the voltage climbes. While it is climbing > there is a definate squeal from the engine. Once the the voltage hits > 14.3V or 14.4V the squealing stops and the engine idles slightly faster. > If I start to drive the car immediately at this point the voltage drops > again and if it drops to 13V or lower the squealing comes back. But if I > am accelerating (and thus have higher RPMs) the voltage goes back up and > the squealing stops. > > Once I've been driving the car for a good while and the engine is > warmer, the squealing stops no matter what the voltage, but the voltage > stays high even when the car is idling. > > Does any of this sound unusual, or is this normal for cold weather. > This it the first winter I've had the car. > > Over the summer the alternator belt broke while I was on a trip and had > I had to have a Goodyear Service center replace it. Could they have > done it incorrectly? > New belts need re-adjusting after a few miles, due to stretch in the material. Have the tension reset, and you should be fine. The fact that the squealing stops when voltage hits 14.3 is a good sign, it shows the regulator is putting the alternator off-load at the right voltage.