Is it just my MINI, or does the serpentine belt get all kinds of squeaky for everyone after a rain?

At first I thought this was because I had an old belt on there, but even after I replaced it, it does the same thing. I tried spraying belt conditioner on that but that just made it worse.

Is this because my tensioner is going bad? Or is it just something MINIs do? (This wouldn't be the first "normal" annoying noise.)

More importantly, what should I do about it? Replace the belt (again?) Replace the tensioner? Install a fixed tensioner (if such a product exists) so I never have to go through this again?

Or are my fears excessive and should I just live with it?

Thanks for the help!

 

if a new belt and belt dressing did not "fix" it, it may be a bearing on the tensioner pulley or any other idler pulley (if there are any)

scott

 

OP has a GEN1 with a pulley job

do you have the right belt for your pulley?

your 17% change impacts things . . .

my 02-S with 90,000 plus never made a sound . . .

 

You may have the wrong size belt. 17% warrants a smaller belt

 

+1

 

I guess I should have mentioned it, but I am fairly certain I remember ordering and installing a smaller belt with the pulley.

If the belt is not my issue, is it likely to be the tensioner or a bearing?

Want to get this issue resolved before things warm up and I have to listen to squeaks every time I roll my windows down.

Thanks.

 

Not many folks complaing about noisy belts on gen1 cars unless they are either slipping or missalighned.....
I would look at the edges of your belt, and check for wear....or touch it closely, and check to see if it has been contaminated with oil from a leak...."belt dressing" is pretty oldschool, not saying it is worthless, but modern belts are very different with the syenthic fibers and groves compared to the old v-belts of old....

 

P.S.
The "fixed tensioner" idea imo is a very bad idea...tensioners a desging with both a strut and a spring for a reason...don't go reinventing the wheel imo....most folks seem to get 60-90,000 miles out of a tensioner, not bad considering they are commonly changed with everother belt or so on many older gm makes...like the old pushrod v-6's till the mid 90's...

 

You may have a bad/broken tensioner. Like ZippyH jusy said, they fail in time and could cause a decrease in belt tension leading to squealing.

 

Would anyone on here recommend the ALTA adjustable tensioner as a replacement to the stock one? It seems like the best way to make sure I don't have a noisy belt come springtime is to replace the tensioner and the belt before then, making sure that I buy one specifically sized for a smaller SC pulley.

 

Imo, use a 532 (now prefered by many) or a 535 length belt with a 17%, and toss a new oem style tensioner on....you can get the same as oem one through various 3rd parties with the oem makers casting ground off for much less..(sometimes refered to as graymarket).....so much less, the $$ alta spacer (that is what is is, just a spacer taking the place of the strut) is not worth the $$...sometimes trying to reinvent the wheel has uniitented consequences....the alta solid alta strut replacent is really more of a movent limiting devise/spacer, preventing the spring from moving much...as a newer product folks have been doing ok with it, but for the $$, a new belt and damper can be installed with cash leftover...and you should be good for 1-2 years on the belt, 5 or so on the damper...about typical life of the bearings in many pullies/idlers anyway..
Look closely at the alighment....examine the current belt, watch it run...is it bouncing? If so tensioner...if not..alighnment of a bearing in the tensior, idler pulley, etc...(even listen, snd try to isolate it, a low sc oil can be noisy till splashed around, so be sure).
If it is a SLIGHT alighmment issue with a good tensioner, a few folks have done ok switching to a goodyear "gatorback" belt to reduce eliminate noise.....

 

Thanks for the advice, Zippy. Very helpful as always.

Last I looked, the belt was bouncing a bit. So it seems like the tensioner is the way to go. I'll price different options before I make a decision.

Definitely should have just taken care of this last year when I installed the pulley. Do it right or do it twice, as they say.