SolidDigital

so after a few days of not driving my truck I start it up today and as I'm driving down the road for about a mile and a half it starts making a squealing/whining sound (it's only about 35 degrees right now) so I pulled over thinking it was my front wheels making the sound because I just had two new tires put on... I mean this was really loud I heard it over the radio and all.

but even in neutral and stopped if I reved it, it would still make the sound... so I got out and checked all the fluids but they were fine.. decided to drive it down the road some more and the more it warmed up the less it did it untill it finally didn't at all...

I was worried it could have been my timing belt or something goin out but I just had that replaced about 5k ago (the guy that did it left it loose the first time so I took it back and he tightened it but still that was really sloppy work)

after I got it home I checked the intake hose and the silencer was a little loose but still seemed on there enough as to not be the cause of all the racket... anyway that's all tightened up now also.


sorry about this being so long, just thought maybe somebody would have an idea on what this could be?

rimpainter.com

Check the tension on each accessory belt. It's most likely the belt that the fan is attached to. Tighten it up via the belt tensioner for that belt. Off you go.

SolidDigital

thanks for the suggestion, I don't have a clue how to do that and probably not the tools either but I checked them by hand and they were pretty tight... is there any way to tell for sure if they are too loose just by hand? they were also replaced not long ago. only once on a startup for about 1 second one squeaked a couple months ago but ever since then it hasn't done it. this just sounded different than a fan belt to me, almost like metal rubbing on metal... but what do I know, I'm no mechanic

rimpainter.com

Post a thread and see if one of the guys here on the board can check it out for you. Its really easy...

If I was closer I would do it.

SolidDigital

my uncle told me generally if you press on the belt and it moves more than 1/2" it needs to be tightened, he checked all of them and thought they were ok... it's doing it every time on a cold start now, I'll drive it about 1/2 mile before it starts squealing/whining for a couple seconds then dies down then does it again.. it's really sporadic for the first 2 miles then doesn't do it after that at all once it's warm.

is there anything else on the 3.0 that would cause a sound like that?.. vacuum leak? it did start not a week after I adjusted my idle from 550rpm when warm to around 850...

I used to have really squeaky fan belts and this just sounds way different than any fan belt problem I've ever heard on any car..


thanks for the responses, 96 Runner

SolidDigital

so has anyone else with the 3.0 had a problem like this?

slowyota

I know on my 95 3.0 that my Alternator bearing is going out. So whenever I start my car the stupid thing squeels like a pig!
Was going to replace the alternator, but a new one is $150.00 bucks.
The alternator still works, so I just spray WD-40 on it every once in a while. Figure I'll replace it when/if the bearing locks up.

Good luck!

My99

Sounds like a belt to me. Not sure what sort of belt system your rig uses, but after it's squealled for a few seconds, hop out of the rig and feel your belts and see if one is a lot warmer than the others. That way you can find hte slipping one. I know on my old mitsubishi, after installing aftermarket belts, they would squeel for a few seconds when it was cold. Tightening them up took care of it.

EDIT!!! -I should mention shut off the vehicle before you feel of the belt. Don't need anyone losing a hand here.

slowyota

Sorry wrote my previous reply a little too quick....

Should have said that my alternator gives off a constant metal/metal noise. It's just really bad when I start it up in the mornings.

Which sounds like the problem SoldDigital is describing.

I thought it was the belt myself, until I replaced them twice. Still didn't fix it. The only thing that has was soaking the alternator pully in WD-40..but after a few days it starts grinding away again.

Fahrenheit 451

Does the 3.0 have an adjusting pulley to set the tension on the fan belts? I think it does, but can't say positively right off. Check up front and see if there is a pulley that doesn't look like it runs anything and has a large nut in the front.
It sounds like the adjusting pulley bearing might be dying. It can seize up if it goes too long and then you'll wind up burning through a belt. Loosen it and remove whatever belt is on it. Check the play and see if the pulley flops around or if it doesn't spin freely. If it is the pulley bearing, take the pulley and bearing to a bearing supply shop and see if they can press it out and replace it. I think it is a pretty expensive part at a dealer and cheap and easy anywhere else.

ByThaBay

I am hearing a rotating metal to metal sound... i know it's not belts and it's been happening for a long time. I'm guessing it some sort of bearing somewhere.. probably the alternator bearing or something 'cuz it's got 240k on it. Anything else that could make such a sound on the 3.0 v6? 93pickup

SolidDigital

well apparently the e-mail notification for replies to a post doesn't work... geez anyway as an update 96 runner was right, I sprayed some fan belt dressing junk on the belts and it stopped.. only thing is I can't find any way to tighten them.

the one that seems the most loose is the one on the alternator, but only way I see to make it tighter is by actually unbolting the alternator and moving it more to the right...

guess the 3.0 doesn't have a belt tensioner?

anyway, if anyone else is having this type of problem I'd try this belt dressing stuff, it's really cheap and it also says it prolongs the life of the belts

SolidDigital

well it's doing it again now that it's cold, and all the belts are tight now.. it doesn't sound like a belt though it sounds like rusty metal moving back and forth or something, not high pitched but lower pitched. does it in gear and if I take it out of gear and rev the engine you can hear it speed up and slow down with the engine.

could this be the water pump or something? it did it today for about the first 5 min's of driving till it got warmed up enough, could hear it even at 50mph.

I'm pretty sure the water pump was replaced a little over a year ago when the timing belt was done, but with a carquest brand one.

Henryv

I dont know if its the same noise or not but a lot of times when I start up my runner it makes a belt squealing noise. Someone told me that it was moisture on the belts or something. Usually goes away but is really annoying though. Is this a toyota thing or at least a toyota truck thing? My runner does it, my neighbors taco and tundra does it, and a bunch of other yotas I've heard on the road has it.

bike4miles

Ok, check this out. I delt with a squeeling noise for about 6 months that I alway thought was belt noise but I ovetightend and dressed the belts and it reamined. I thought my power seering pump might be bad so I replaced that and no improvement. Finally I decdied to replace my speedometer cable adn BINGO that was it all along. I would just be going downt the road at 60 and it would just start singing away really loud. I think this might be your problem.

SolidDigital

you know when I put my head down there when it does it, it sounds like it's coming from the timing belt, it's the loudest right at the timing belt cover..
is that possible? when I had the timing belt done about 8 k ago, the guy left it loose and I drove around with it like that. took it back and said he forgot to tighten the belt tensioner.

TACOMANATOR

Its not possible for it to be your timing belt. Your engine would not run if it were slipping.

SolidDigital

ok that's good.. when a water pump goes bad would it make sounds like this before the engine warms up?

Joe Otis

That sound is probably your 'fan pulley bracket bearing" going bad. Happened to me. You should replace it soon becasue when that siezes.. it's a mess and it will leave you stranded. Replacement part (toyota OEM) is around $700.00. I got mine for about 175.00 for non-OEM and all is well. However, do a search and see how others have bypassed the fan pulley bracket altogether.

good luck

MonsterMaxx

Sounds like belts to me.

I've found both my 3.0s to be very hard on belts.

My opinion is that it's the mix between V-Belts and serpentine.
They don't wear the same, but they share common pulleys. So when one starts to wear they both go into squeel mode.

Nothing you can do but replace the belts. When you replace one, replace them all (no need to do AC as it doesn't share 2 pulleys.)

No there is not any single tensioner, you have to tension each individually by adjusting the accessory it'self.