My Corrado is squealing like a little piggy!

[Big_Al 10]

Hey guys.

 

So, I have an issue with my pain in the arse..... (That's how you spell Corrado.... Right ??)

 

It all started a few weeks ago when I was driving her around for the fun of it. She started to make a squealing noise when I was accelerating. Straight away I thought, Belts need tightening.

 

So, under the car I go, and tighten up the power steering belt and the adjust the alternator position. Belts now nice and tight again. Took her out on the open road and within minutes the squealing was back..... So I continued on my merry journey and picked up two new belt, got the old girl home and then fitted said belts.

 

Took her out again.... yep, you guessed it.... still squealing. But this time, it really sounded more metallic than before.

 

Soooooo, home again, belts off and checked all the pulleys. Ahaaaa! The water pump pulley was grinding and feeling very unpleasant. I ordered a replacement.

 

Once this had arrived, I had a friend of mine replace the pump for me, he has worked on this car many many times..... it used to be his. This went very smoothly. Refitted the belts and took her out for a run. Aaaaand........ yeah, the squealing was still there...... But this time it really did sound like a belt slipping. Back we go and we tension up the alternator belt as far as we can, which, as it turned out was as far as the adjustment could go..... ahaaa wrong belt size. Soooo, back to the shop I go and purchase another shorter belt.

 

Today was the day... I will fit the new belt and silence the noise once and for all.

 

Belt fitted and adjusted the tension, much better this time. Took the car out, squealing..... At this point my **** was lost and did hit the steering wheel. This had the affect of injuring my hand. Soooo, when I got her home, I could no longer adjust anything with any force as my hand hurt to much.... Down to the local garage I went (in the car) and asked if one of the many fine mechanics could assist with the adjustment. Very helpfully my adjuster was adjusted. Mechanic person stated that that was as tight as it needed to be, if not a tiny bit over. If that doesn't stop the noise, then it would have to be something else.

 

Brilliant, I thought. Of I went feeling very happy that now, after all this, the noise would be gone. How wrong was I..... So, when I got her home, up in the air she went and I adjusted the power steering belt tension quite a bit just to see if the noise would stop.

 

Took her out one last time, squealing still persists.

 

At this point, I have lost the will to live. I am looking to sell the car due to personal issues and don't want it making these horrid noises on a test drive. That said, I also don't want to be chucking money at it over and over at this point.

 

I am therefor communing with the Corrado guru's in the hope that enlightenment could be reached.

 

Thanks for reading my lengthy tale of bewilderment.

 

Over to you guys.

 

Cheers.

 

Al.

[fendervg 33]

Is it a VR6. G60 or 16V etc.? Different mechanisms on them all. The VR has an automatic belt tensioner, the others are usually adjusted with a tensioning bolt on the alternator. First thing I'd say is what is the quality of the belt, second is take the the belt off and see if you can move things like the water pump or alternator by hand. It could be that one of them is sticking.

[MZpog 10]

Like fendervg said, what is it???? I once had issues with my 2.0 16v alternator belt which all stopped when I fitted a continental belt in place of the new dayco I'd previously fitted.

[delfinis38 1]

Like fendervg said, what is it???? I once had issues with my 2.0 16v alternator belt which all stopped when I fitted a continental belt in place of the new dayco I'd previously fitted.

 

Agree on conti belt only....

[kolar 0]

Hi,

Had a similar problem a few years ago with my VR6. Bearing in belt tensioner had packed in and can be replaced but I changed the complete unit which solved the problem.

[fendervg 33]

Have always used the Conti belts - supplied by VW.

[dr_mat 0]

Hi,

Had a similar problem a few years ago with my VR6. Bearing in belt tensioner had packed in and can be replaced but I changed the complete unit which solved the problem.

 

This.

[johnnyfication 0]

Just to be clear the car is a '93 16v

[MZpog 10]

Just to be clear the car is a '93 16v

 

Alternator and power steering both have belts - check for slack, if none continental them both for piece of mind.

[fendervg 33]

In that case it will use the alternator to tension the belt. Make sure you have a good quality belt and check for free movement on all the pulleys and bearings (alternator, water pump etc.). There is also a trick with talcum powder on the belt to make squeals go away, but that's only a temporary fix and it will come back soon afterwards.

Edited August 21, 2015 by fendervg

[Big_Al 10]

Hey all.

 

Ok, first, thanks all for the advice. Second, thanks John for posting what car I have :)

 

Yes, she is a 2.0 16v. I had already taken advice from someones post recently about the belts and going for conti's. So that is what I have on the car currently.

 

I have managed to find the cause of said squeal. I managed to get the car making the noise with the bonnet up and a friend standing by, the sound was coming from the back of the engine and not down by the belts. Turns out that my exhaust manifold appears to have at least 2 cracks in it.

 

Soooo issue found. Now all I need to do is get it fixed...... Then I think it maybe time to say bye bye to my money pit.

 

Thanks again all. Any further advise is always welcome.

 

Cheers.

 

Al.