Squealing serpentine belt on 01 Montero

DougL3NC

New member
All idlers and tensioner replaced within the last year. This thing goes through belts at the rate of one per 6-8 months. Every belt I've taken off is in great shape, just shiny on the ribbed side.

New belt started squeaking about 4-5 days after installing it...Gates brand if it makes a difference.

Cross-posted on another forum also.
 

tdesanto

Expedition Leader
I don't believe there is a way to tighten the tensioner. It's a self-adjusting tensioner.

I only use OEM belts, but when the weather gets cold mine will usually whine some. I use spray-on belt conditioner, and it will usually quiet the belt for a while.
 

adrenaline503

Explorer
There must be a way to tighten the belt... I think? I would agree with the OEM belt, I had mine replaced and it squeeled no matter what we did. I insisited they use a "Nissan" belt and it hushed right up.
 

Sabre

Overlanding Nurse
Use some Sherlock Holmes' logic. You're burning through belts at a crazy rate. If it's not the tensioner or idler pulley (notorious failure points), look to the other things that the belt spins.

Is your water pump going TU?
 

DougL3NC

New member
Use some Sherlock Holmes' logic. You're burning through belts at a crazy rate. If it's not the tensioner or idler pulley (notorious failure points), look to the other things that the belt spins.

Is your water pump going TU?

Like most Japanese V6's, the water pump is driven off the timing belt. I've looked at the tensioner and pulley, the idler, the fan idler, power steering pump, alternator, and A/C compressor....they are all fine.

I've either got a tension problem or a crappy belt issue I guess. Guess I'm gonna snag a can of belt dressing and order a Mitsubishi-brand belt.
 

rconnolly250

New member
I've been having a similar problem on my 01 Montero Limited. I replaced both idler pulleys (grooved and smooth) and the tensioner assembly but have shredded yet another belt after the pulleys were replaced. The belt lasted for about 100 miles and then shredded.

I dug into the other pulleys a little further and found that the power steering pulley can move roughly 1/4" backward and forward. I'm not sure if its supposed to have this much play but it could possibly be an issue. Another possible culprit could be the crankshaft pulley. There appear to be small tick marks on the grooves as if a previous owner hit the pulley. Again, this could be an issue and I've finally arranged to send it to a shop to check the serpentine belt alignment and inspect the crank shaft pulley and power steering pulley play as previously mentioned.

If any one else has had similar issues with this please help. I'll keep you posted about what the mechanic finds.
 

Toasty

Looking for that thing i just had in my hand...
There are two Mitsubishi OEM belts, Mitsubishi/Gates belt and the superior Mitsuboshi belt like most Japanese OEMs use. One thing I've noticed is that more of our Mitsubishi parts are being made locally (USA) vs 10 years ago.
 

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