So I just got this 01 Cherokee about a month ago and a couple of days ago I started hearing this squeal coming from underneath the hood. My first thought was that it was the belt but I checked that out and it seems fine. Then I had someone tell me that I needed a new idler pulley and power steering pump and so I decided to take the old idler pulley off and inspect it again it looks fine. The power steering pump looked ok but I'm not sure of the signs of a power steering pump. When I put the pulley back on the squealing noise was almost gone but there is this kind of grinding noise every once in a while. I haven't drove the car around other than up and down my street to see how it sounds. Any ideas what this could be? I haven't checked the other pulleys don't really want to take it to a mechanic and charge me and arm and a leg for some simple work.

 

$5 at Harbor Freight.

 

How's your A/C doing? I was getting a grinding and sometimes a squeal from my A/C compressor not long before it seized up and snapped the serpentine belt.

 

Check the harmonic balancer. Mine was seperating and eating into the front cover. Was an intermittent grinding noise too.