?!Burning Smell!?
 

ugh..

well, my poor car is NOT taking this cold winter very well. Recently my PS belt started slipping on startup. I had it replaced about a year ago when I replaced the PS pump o-ring. About a week after it was replaced, it started squealing like hell.. it had just stretched out.. got it tightened, and a week later it was screaming again. Finally one last tightening and it was okay. However like I said, it started squealing recently. I think it needs to be replaced. The reason I'm posting, however, is NOT to tell everyone here that my power steering belt needs replacing..

when I start the car cold, the PS belt squeals for about six seconds, then I smell this rank smoke in the cabin of the car. The belt continues to squeal for another ten seconds or so, then stops. Shortly thereafter, the smell goes away. If I've been driving the car all day and shut it off to go into the bank or something, when I start it back up there's no squeal and no smell. Are the two related?? please someone say yes..

-adam

yes

wise ass ;) i hope you mean it :D

-adam

My 92 squeals for about 8 seconds on startup but no smell. This happens in the morning. the car is out all night in really cold weather. It only happens in the morning. I'm living with it.

Your problem is that your belt is slipping on the pulleys and the spinning pulley is burning the belt much like a spinning tire on ice starts to heat-up & smoke. Your smelling the rubber belt burning.

Hey Adam, What Larry said. I'd change it asap. The same belt runs the alternator and runs over an idler. I'd make sure they all turn freely and the belt is properly tight. ;) B.

Hey Adam

Get a new belt as they say. One thing to be careful of; when you fit the new belt, ensure you are making it tight enough, not too tight or you can stress the bearings. Use a pinch bar or something like that to keep on the strain when tightening up. Often the last half turn on the nut or bolt will turn away the idler pulley from the stretch position.

Squeal is not normal or correct, and if happening everyday is building up a problem. Slippage and friction heat between the belt and the pulley builds up a glaze on the belt. This reduces the belt surface coefficient of friction, so even if it is correctly tight, it can still slip and squeal, while under load or in the mornings while cold before the belt softens. Industrial applications use an antisqueal spray which makes things sticky enough to avoid slippage.

However, a new belt tight enough to avoid slippage is the way to go.

Joe

sounds like a plan guys, thanks for the advice

my only concern is: how do i know when it's "just tight enough" and not "too tight???"

-a

Tightness
 

There's no real way to tell how tight it is (unless you buy a belt tension gauge, do a search, I've asked about this before). Basically what I did was tighten it to what I think it should be, if it squeaks turn it off and tighten it some more, if it doesn't let it run for about 10 mins and check the tension, if the belt isnt any looser than when you put it on its probably too tight, if it is a little looser than tighten it up to the way it was when you started. If you push on the belt it should only move like 1/4-1/2 inch. Hope this helps.