Hey everyone, since I bought my 98 xj the belt has been squealing. It has a constant chirp to it which is annoying, but it gets bad at certain times.when I first start it, for a few seconds it squeals loudly. When I turn the AC on (which isn't very cold), or the defrost (my heat doesn't work well either) it squeals badly, especially when accelerating. Is it a problem with the AC compressor or clutch? Leak in the AC lines? I know the defrost is connected to the AC. Could it be misalignment? Alternator? Where is a good place to start? Thank you!

 

It's probably as simple as adjusting the tension on the belt. If it's too loose it will slip (chirp or squeal) when it's cold due to less friction between the belt and the pulleys. It will also slip if you accelerate and the rpm's cause slippage. And turning on the AC (which also engages on defrost) puts an additional load on the belt causing slippage. Adjust it and see if that solves it.

 

I agree with Orlo. Your belt is probably not tight enough, especially if you set your tension by twisting the belt. It has a tension spec just like the torque on a bolt.

The way to tell is to get a belt tension gauge, which costs about $15. Then check your FSM to see what tension is required for your year. This is a Goodyear Krikit tension gauge, which is pretty simple and easy to use:



I had a squeal, set the tension with one of these and fixed it. But if that doesn't work, you might also look at replacing your belt with a Goodyear Gatorback. Those are resistant to slipping even if they're not tightened properly.

Edited to add: You have a '98, which is probably going to have the same torque spec as my 2000. The belt tension for a new belt on mine is 180 to 200 lbs. ft. and 140 to 160 lbs. ft. for a used belt. You tighten the new belts a little more because they stretch a little when they break in. You will still want to confirm that that is the correct tension for your year.

How many people do you suppose actually get 180 lbs. ft. of torque on that thing just by twisting it?

 

I never use any fancy tools.

Although I had a squeal like you're describing. So I tightened my belt.

I always check the tightness by hand. If I can twist it more than 90 degrees, it's not tight enough.

It doesn't squeak anymore.