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Stock XJ Cherokee Tech. All XJ Non-modified/stock questions go hereXJ (84-01)
All OEM related XJ specific tech. Examples, no start, general maintenance or anything that's stock.
Hey guys, I have an 01 xj limited and i having a squealing noise coming from the front end. I have already tighten the rear intake manifold bolts up so i dont think that would be the problem unless it is the gasket. The noise only happens when the jeep has been running for a while. I think it is my idler pulley because when i tighten the bolt on the pulley the noise seemed to get lower but didnt go away. The noise also doesnt go away with acceleration which makes me think that it isnt the intake manifold bolts. Any ideas as to what it might be ?
A loose belt or bad idler pulley is very likely the problem.
Folks have said that the 00-01's are super picky about proper belt tension, so it would be wise to buy a deflection measuring tool to confirm that your belt is proper. Spec is *much* tighter than you'd think and much tighter than other vehicles.
I swear by the Continental elite "Gatorback" style belts. They are fantastic and I've never had a squealing issue when using them. A new idler pulley is pretty cheap, so if it were me - I'd grab a belt deflection tool, a new idler pulley and a new Continental elite belt and when you install the new idler, check all the other pulleys by hand to make sure that they turn smooth and quiet and then install the new belt to the spec tension using the deflection tool.
If it's like my 99, then there is an idler pulley and a tensioner pulley. I read that the tensioner pulley is a problem more often than the other one. The tensioner pulley is widely available and easy to replace. The other one is not available anymore, only used/junkyard. And the belt does need to be much tighter than you'd think. I had to go over spec, or else it would still squeal with A/C on.
Having said that, you should also check other items that are driven by the belt. I took the belt off and could not detect play or noise in anything there. The A/C compressor was replaced a year before that, with a new Denso, so I knew that was okay. I replaced the power steering pump, partly because it was leaking slightly anyway. The noise persisted. I then replaced the tensioner pulley, and it made no difference, but at least the part was cheap. The alternator was marginal (lower voltage than normal, but still charging the battery), and the water pump was almost 20 years old, and I was tired of the noise, so I replaced those two at the same time. I would have replaced the idler pulley as well, but could not find a new one. That finally took care of the noise. I have no idea which of the two was responsible, they both seemed fine when I took them out and examined them.
No, an XJ Sport. And no spring loaded tensioner, just a bolt tensioner at the PS pump. But there is also an idler pulley on the pass side of the block.
Rockauto.com lists all kinds of idler pulleys for the 99 XJ - grooved ones, smooth ones, adjustable, stationary, left hand drive, right hand drive...
Okay, not the pulley itself, but the bracket the pulley goes on - that has a couple of bearings that can wear out. What mine has is Mopar part #53011002. If you can find one somewhere, I'll grab it.
Anybody know what it could be ? My Jeep have a new steering pump, now a new tensioner pulley, new alternator. Someone said it could be the water pump ? Is this possible ? It’s almost like a teapot but it never goes away and only happens when you run the jeep longer than 15 minutes
The first tool to grab for front chirping, squealing, and clicking on the belt path is a mechanics stethoscope. Some use a long screwdriver. I've used both and prefer the stethoscope. They can be bought cheap on amazon or at most auto parts retailers.
I just trouble-shot one of my own pulleys 2 nights ago, and got to service it in sub-zero temperatures. Yuck.
Yes, a light squeal can come from the water pump as the bearings begin to fail. But it certainly isn't the only item that cause that. The water pump comes with an extra hint when using a stethoscope though. Typically whatever noise the water pump is making will also transmit up through the coolant hoses, so the stethoscope can be placed on those as well. If the noise is observed near the water pump pulley, and ALSO in the coolant hoses running out of the thermostat housing, it makes it extra likely that the noise is coming from the water pump.
Sometimes the tensioner idle pulley and the power steering pump pulley can be hard to distinguish, because they are so close. I actually serviced my idler pulley first, only to be frustrated when the noise remained after reinstalling it, and then to find out it was actually the power steering pulley. (in my case it was a chirp). Squeals tend to be the belt slipping on a resistant pulley, where as metallic chirps -tend- to be dry or failing bearings in the pulley. Either way, the specific pulley has to be identified.
Hey guys, just wanted to update you on my situation to possibly help anybody in the future. I wanted to figure out where the noise was coming from and I assumed it was a bearing going bad from the way it sounded. I took off the belt and I hand spun both the water pump and alternator to feel for any roughness or possibly hear any noises. The water pump felt perfectly fine so went to the alternator and boom. There it was you could hear the squealing instantly. I removed it and replaced it under warranty and the noise went away.
01-18-2019, 10:06 AM
Squealing noise
