Embarrassing, Obnoxious belt squealing--FIXED, but new prob

[tweetdriver63]

Before I take it to the shop, can anybody tell me why one of my belts (I don't know which) squeals like a little b!tch for about 2-3 days after a good rain? It's really embarrassing, and I want it to stop.

All the belts were replaced about a year ago, and I wonder if it's just a matter of needing adjustment. They haven't been touched since installed, so I wonder if they loosen up a bit over time, and right now they're at a point where they're just tight enough not to slip when they're dry, but when things get wet, they start to slip.

[Doc Fizzix]

so I wonder if they loosen up a bit over time, and right now they're at a point where they're just tight enough not to slip when they're dry, but when things get wet, they start to slip.

My vote is that they are to loose and the water is just enough to make them slip

[GeoffSmith]

What the Doc says squeekdriver63.

[CJ101KT]

A little coating of chalk over the belt in question will stop the embaresment for several days even months at a time.

[tweetdriver63]

Today, after getting an oil change (BTW, the guy managed to get the old filter out and new one in without jacking up to allow the right suspension to hang), seeing how challenging it might be to get to the belts to tighten them up, I tried something else. I went to the local Advance Auto Parts store, and got a can of CRC Belt Conditioner. It's a spray, that is used to condition the belts, and will prevent squealing, and slipping. I read on an RSX forum about it (I guess they have belt-driven turbos? and slippage causes them to lose boost). They've had great results. Anyway, I opened the hood (bonnet for you blokes), and sprayed it onto all the belt surfaces I could. Then I momentarily turned the starter, and sprayed again. I repeated that until it appeared that I'd covered all of both belts, on both sides. The annoying, embarrassing squeal was instantly gone, and after about 350 miles driving today, it's still gone.

On a related note, probably, the second half of the day's drive was at night, and I noticed the lights fluctuating. Along with that, the voltmeter showed some fluctuation between about 13.5 and 14 volts, and then the alternator idiot light started also flickering in and out. Interestingly, it didn't do it at idle, like when I put the clutch on approaching a stop. Anyway, I've had the slight fluctuations in the headlights before, along with the slight fluctuations on the voltmeter, but not the alternator light. Did I somehow cause this by using the conditioner, or just make it more obvious?

[bobbrown]

If the alternator belt is looose then all the belt dressing in the world is not going to stop it slipping.
If it has been slipping for a while then the chances are the belt has worn even more and now is in need of replacement.
With a poly vee belt if the belt is worn too much then the vee section no longer grips the vee in pulley but rides on the outside of the pulley, bit like a flat belt.
Vee belt design is such that the load pulls the vee into the groove increasing the grip, but if the belt is worn excessivley then the vee section can no longer be pulled in to the groove.
For the sake of a $10.00 belt I would just change it.

Bob