Accessory Drive Belt - Chirping Noise

89Ford22

ACCESSORY DRIVE BELT-"CHIRPING" NOISE-3.0L-VEHICLES BUILT BETWEEN 12/1/87 AND 3/6/89

NOISE-"CHIRPING"-ACCESSORY DRIVE BELT-VEHICLES BUILT BETWEEN 12/1/87 AND 3/6/89

Article No. 89-15-9

FORD: 1988-89 TAURUS

LINCOLN-MERCURY: 1988-89 SABLE


ISSUE: A "chirping" noise from the accessory drive belt at the water pump pulley may be caused by misalignment of the crankshaft pulley, water pump pulley and idler pulley. This causes the belt to track incorrectly. The noise is most noticeable at idle and increases as the engine warms up.

ACTION: Realign the tensioner idler pulley. Refer to the following procedure for service details.

Figure 1:

1. To determine if the noise is a belt "chirp", proceed as follows:

a. Squirt a small amount of water on the accessory (power steering, A/C) drive belt grooves.

b. If the "chirping" noise temporarily stops, proceed to Step 2. If the "chirping" noise is still present, refer to the Taurus/Sable Shop Manual, Section 27-02 for other accessory drive belt adjustment procedures and service details.

NOTE: DO NOT CONFUSE THIS CONCERN WITH A "SQUEALING" NOISE NORMALLY ASSOCIATED WITH ALTERNATOR BELT SLIP WHICH OCCURS AT ENGINE START-UP OR BY "BLIPPING" THE THROTTLE TO ABOUT 2500 RPM.

2. Loosen the coolant/washer bottle and position it out of the way.

3. Remove the accessory drive belt from the tensioner pulley, Figure 1.

4. Remove the bolt and two nuts; then remove the tensioner assembly.

5. Install a 0.030" thick washer (N806309-S2), or a shim of the same thickness, over the left-hand stud, Figure 1.

6. Reinstall the tensioner assembly and tighten the three fasteners to 35 ft.lbs. (47 N-m).

7. Reinstall the accessory drive belt.

8. Reinstall the coolant/washer bottle.

9. Run the engine for 30 seconds.

10. Check to see if the belt is tracking more toward center. If so, the "chirp" should be gone.

11. Turn off the engine.

12. Make sure the back edge of the belt does not overhang the idler pulley.

13. If an overhang exists, install a washer or shim that is thinner than 0.030".

PART NUMBER PART NAME CLASS

N806309-S2 Washer S
N620482-S2 Nut BG

OTHER APPLICABLE ARTICLES: None
WARRANTY STATUS: Eligible Under Basic Warranty Coverage

OPERATION DESCRIPTION TIME
891509A Realign Idler Pulley 0.5 Hr.

DEALER CODING
BASIC PART NO. CONDITION CODE
6B209 36
OASIS CODES: 4400, 7100, 7113