Car troubles...

[yankeeyosh]

Last winter, I had an issue with my car...I had my belts replaced, and they started squealing loudly. I kept taking my car back to the mechanic who installed them several times, and finally, the squealing stopped. All spring and summer, I had no problem. Now, we had the first real cold snap, and the second I turn the ignition on, the squealing is starting again. I called the mechanic, and he said he'll take a look at it and "see" if they're covered under a warranty.

My issue is that I had these belts replaced only eight months ago, and don't think it's right that I would have to pay for belts twice if they were defective and/or installed incorrectly assuming they are not covered. How do I deal with this if that is the case? Or am I out of luck?

[winneythepooh7]

Honestly, I think this is just the sucky part of being a car owner.........you probably are going to have to eat the cost. Do see if there's anything the mechanic can do though under the warranty. Do you need your car? Maybe it's time to sell!

[yankeeyosh]

Honestly, I think this is just the sucky part of being a car owner.........you probably are going to have to eat the cost. Do see if there's anything the mechanic can do though under the warranty. Do you need your car? Maybe it's time to sell!

But the point is that I don't think it's right to pay twice for the same crappy belts.

Is it OK to drive with squealing belts? Usually it goes away after a while.

[winneythepooh7]

I don't think it's right either, Mark, but again, that's often the cost of owning a car in general.

I didn't think it was right with my house-situation that I may have to eat the cost of the inspector, but what can I do?

[Samwell]

Last winter, I had an issue with my car...I had my belts replaced, and they started squealing loudly. I kept taking my car back to the mechanic who installed them several times, and finally, the squealing stopped. All spring and summer, I had no problem. Now, we had the first real cold snap, and the second I turn the ignition on, the squealing is starting again. I called the mechanic, and he said he'll take a look at it and "see" if they're covered under a warranty.

My issue is that I had these belts replaced only eight months ago, and don't think it's right that I would have to pay for belts twice if they were defective and/or installed incorrectly assuming they are not covered. How do I deal with this if that is the case? Or am I out of luck?

I don't see why it would take a mechanic a couple tries to tension a new belt correctly. If it is a bad tensioner or something he (or she) should have recommended replacing it. You might try someone else.

[Bsig84]

Maybe you should go somewhere else to get your car fixed. I wouldn't recommend going to the same place that gave you the crappy belt the first time.

[Moon Gazing]

Sounds like a crappy mechanic. It is probably not the belts squeaking it is probably the pulley's that make the belt go round. The inner bearings or whatever they are called are probably worn and metal to metal is rubbing together to make the squeak sound. That is just my guess I am by far no car specialist I just tend to pay attention when my guy friends work on their car. :p

[dengeist]

Try a new mechanic. Some mechanics like to fix what you think is wrong with the car, then they fix what's really wrong with it so they can get paid twice.

[yankeeyosh]

Apparently it was a defective belt. No biggie. Hopefully I won't hear that screech again.

[mahlerssecond]

Mark, I am happy to hear you got your problem fixed. :) Hopefully it won't happen again. I had a Taraus that chewed up a couple of serpentine belts, before they realized it was a pully. I thought a mechanic would figure this out the first time. :surprised
The beef that I have with mechanics is that when you take you vehicle to the damned garage, something else always goes wrong shortly after they fix the first thing.:mad: Its a never ending cycle.

[Dirty Sanchez]

What I would do?

Go back to the mechanic, (bring an older or rednecky-looking or big guy friend with you), point out that your belts were defective/improperly installed, and you would like a refund. (You're right, you shouldn't have to pay 2x for his mistakes). Go in at a time when there are other pol in the shop.

When he gives you resistance, ask (loudly) if he installed a defective belt in your car because he has something against Jewish people. Remind him that you're pretty sure that racial discriminiation isn't legal in the USA, esp not in liberal Boston. Threaten to call the Better Business Bureau, the ACLU, and smear his name all over creation. Tell him that if he's not an anti-Semite, he'll be happy to fix your car for free, because it was his mistake.

It's completely vicious, but I do it all the time (except substituting "women" for "Jewish") and it works like a charm.

[missing]

But the point is that I don't think it's right to pay twice for the same crappy belts.

Is it OK to drive with squealing belts? Usually it goes away after a while.

short answer:

yes it is ok to drive with squealing drive/serpentine belts. Just be ready with AAA or another towing service in case they snap and you get stranded. I had my drive belts replaced and they screwed up, I believe by tightening them too much. They squealed. Rather than waste my precious time going back and telling them to fix it I drove for several months, in the winter time, with squealing belts. Nothing happened, and another shop eventually fixed it. I lived, and no longer have squealing belts. So long as you don't mind the possibility of getting stranded when the belt snaps, it's perfectly fine to drive this way. If they do snap it's merely a tow and a cheap repair.

Mind you I'm speaking about drive/serpentine belts. Timing belts are a different story. You don't want to mess with those...