Q: My car squeals when in reverse & in first gear. It stops when the car is warmed up. Any idea what's wrong?

asked by on September 20, 2017

My car squeals while in first gear and in reverse. It only happens when the car is warming up. I dont know much about cars but I know it shouldn't squeal like that I no reason.

My car has 121197 miles.
My car has an automatic transmission.

This is a common sign of a loose or worn belt. Over time, your car’s engine belts may become worn causing them to stretch. When this happens as you press the gas pedal and the belt goes from a relatively low speed (at idle or when first starting the car, no speed at all) to a much higher speed as the engine accelerates, this can cause the belts to squeak. This can happen when they stretch due to the fact that the pulleys on your car’s engine are turning faster than what the belt can keep up with when it is not tight against the pulley. This can also happen in extremely cold weather conditions due to the fact that the rubber belts become slightly brittle and less pliable in cold weather. I would recommend having an expert from YourMechanic come to your location to diagnose and inspect your vehicle.

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