Q: Car squeals loudly when turning on and also at times when accelerating with the A.C. on

asked by on September 03, 2017

Most of the time when I start my car it gives of a loud squealing sound.. The car will also do it when I accelerate or first leave from a stop sign or stoplight while have the A.C. on, once I turn the A.C. off the car will stop squealing and move a lot faster . I have also noticted it doing when I turn at times but those times I believe the AC was in. I . The serpentine belt was replaced last year. Today a mechanic came out and said that the belt was fine and that it was tightened enough. He believes the alternators bearings are going bad which is causing the squealing that having the A.C. on was causing to much on it, like over working. Should I replace the alternator or is their another issue that could be causing This? I've used belt dressing before and it was only a temporary soultion.

I also have noticed sometimes when I first start the car and try to drive off immediately the car kind of stalls for a second and then goes.

My car has 111167 miles.
My car has an automatic transmission.

If the belt is in good condition and is tightened properly, then suspicion falls on the accessories that it is driving. You could be right about the alternator bearings, but it’s premature to replace the alternator. It could also be a tensioner bearing or even a problem with the air conditioner. If there is a significant drop in power when you turn on the AC, that points to the AC compressor. It may be trying to lock up or if you have had it serviced, it might be overcharged causing a heavy load while it is operating. Too many things need to be checked before you start buying expensive parts. Contact YourMechanic to have a technician come out to your home or office to check out your squealing belts and tell you what your next step should be.

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