Cold start squeak noise in humid day

[luckyforrest]

Hi, my 18 Mirage G4 (37000 KM) always makes squeak noise when cold start in humid days (during or after rain),when shifted to D or R the noise will be louder and the noise goes off after about 1-2 min. The first time my car had this problem is about 1 year ago (20000KM) and the dealer said the belt was wearing out (but I did not see any issue with the belt). Anyway the dealer replaced the belt under warranty but the same problem came back after about 2~3 months (Sept 2019). The noise makes me very concerned and I wonder what could be the problem and how serious it is? Should I take it back to the dealer and fix it? Thank you very much in advance!

[dspace9]

Hi, my 18 Mirage G4 (37000 KM) always makes squeak noise when cold start in humid days (during or after rain),when shifted to D or R the noise will be louder and the noise goes off after about 1-2 min. The first time my car had this problem is about 1 year ago (20000KM) and the dealer said the belt was wearing out (but I did not see any issue with the belt). Anyway the dealer replaced the belt under warranty but the same problem came back after about 2~3 months (Sept 2019). The noise makes me very concerned and I wonder what could be the problem and how serious it is? Should I take it back to the dealer and fix it? Thank you very much in advance!

If the same problem came back, I'd take it back to the dealers.

You paid for the warranty when you bought your car. Hope you get it sorted out and others on the Forum with more expertise than me will chime in I'm sure. Cheers!

[Fummins]

Probably just needed the belt tightened after it was replaced. These are ghetto cheap cars and have a manual belt tensioner you have to tighten by hand rather than a spring loaded tensioner that puts constant tension on the belt. A new tight belt will often loosen up a little after it softens up and cause some squeaking.

If you have a 12mm wrench you could tighten it yourself and see if that solves it? Loosen off the nut on the alternator and tighten the long bolt that points towards the engine above the alternator. Start car, turn on all accessories, rear defrost, ac headlights, heater motor on full, load up the alternator and compressor(if you have ac) tighten belt til it shuts up.

[Top_Fuel]

There have been others mention a belt squeal linked to high humidity and/or water on the pulleys. Another source of belt squeal can be the AC compressor. In your case, replacing the belt stopped the noise previously. So I would probably check to make sure your belt tension is OK. If it seems OK, you might consider installing another belt. It's not a difficult process in these cars.

You might want to check out these threads...

How To Replace Serpentine Belt

Aftermarket Serpentine Belts

AC Compressor Squeal

[luckyforrest]

If the same problem came back, I'd take it back to the dealers.

You paid for the warranty when you bought your car. Hope you get it sorted out and others on the Forum with more expertise than me will chime in I'm sure. Cheers!

Thank you, I just don't feel like to go to the dealer if this is only a minor issue and wont cause severe trouble in the future.

[luckyforrest]

Probably just needed the belt tightened after it was replaced. These are ghetto cheap cars and have a manual belt tensioner you have to tighten by hand rather than a spring loaded tensioner that puts constant tension on the belt. A new tight belt will often loosen up a little after it softens up and cause some squeaking.

If you have a 12mm wrench you could tighten it yourself and see if that solves it? Loosen off the nut on the alternator and tighten the long bolt that points towards the engine above the alternator. Start car, turn on all accessories, rear defrost, ac headlights, heater motor on full, load up the alternator and compressor(if you have ac) tighten belt til it shuts up.

Thank you Fummins, will this issue cause further damage besides the annoying noise?

[luckyforrest]

There have been others mention a belt squeal linked to high humidity and/or water on the pulleys. Another source of belt squeal can be the AC compressor. In your case, replacing the belt stopped the noise previously. So I would probably check to make sure your belt tension is OK. If it seems OK, you might consider installing another belt. It's not a difficult process in these cars.

You might want to check out these threads...

How To Replace Serpentine Belt

Aftermarket Serpentine Belts

AC Compressor Squeal

Thank you Top Fuel, my car is still under warranty so I prefer to leave it to the dealer. Will the issue cause more problem in the future, if I just ignore the noise?

[dspace9]

Thank you, I just don't feel like to go to the dealer if this is only a minor issue and wont cause severe trouble in the future.

For sure. Now is not the time for car problems. I was gonna say get it done for free and easy by the dealer.

[luckyforrest]

For sure. Now is not the time for car problems. I was gonna say get it done for free and easy by the dealer.

Thank you! I will book an appointment. Hopefully they will fix it for free.

[Top_Fuel]

Will the issue cause more problem in the future, if I just ignore the noise?

If it's a belt squeal, it's just an annoyance and you don't need to lose any sleep over it. It's not hurting anything.

If you think the dealer can easily duplicate the noise (and it's under warranty) then let them deal with it.