I know there are quite a few posts on squealing/chirping belts, (so sorry if this is an annoying repeat) but I still cannot pinpoint what would make the belt squeal.

I have an 05 R52 with 48k miles, installed a WMW 16% pulley, tensioner stop, and new belt not even 8k miles ago.

The car has not made a sound until a couple hundred miles ago when I stepped on the throttle, and low and behold, a chirp. this continued to a full squeal. Now, sometimes it is only a little chirp on start-up, sometimes it only squeals when accelerating, and sometimes it makes no noise at all.

I took the car in to a trusted shop for another issue and asked them to look at it, all they said was the belt and pulley were starting to look slightly glazed over, and then proceeded to tell me why I shouldn't use a napa belt (I think? its whatever belt Way provides with pullies) and should stick to the stock pulley as well (not likely to happen).

Any ideas or suggestions from more experience MINI people? I'm a college student short on funds and am hoping this is a very minor fix.

 

Try a new belt?

The belt may have stretched or something

 

Your sound may not be the belt at all but instead might be bearings going bad in something the belt is turning. Get a piece of hose and hold one end to your ear and place the other end around the engine until you pinpoint the source of the sound.

 

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I will definitely try the hose and see if I can pinpoint the sound! what is typical to start to go around 50k miles?
Also does anyone know what the correct belt would be for a 16% pulley? way does not list the size or part number on the website.

 

A 535 length belt should be fine...about $20-25...will be very snug.
A 532 might be slightly tighter...and harder to get on...
It us about a 30 minute job...less if you do it with a tire change (winter to summer) as taking the rim/tire off is about half the time....

 

I am working on a buddy's 03 MCS with 158K and it had a chirping/squeeling sound from the pulley area. I had noticed that the main harmonic pulley had rust flakes inside the recess area where the bolt was and when I had the motor running on idle, I took a wire bush and started cleaning the rust out. Well hold and behold the squeeling/chirping went away. I guess rust was rubbing ever so slightly on something and me brush the rust away fixed that annoying sound. Try that once and be careful not to get your brush caught while the pulley is spinning.