QuismO Posted October 28, 2005 Share Posted October 28, 2005 hey all, i just got my car back from the shop yesterday...took it in to change all of the drive belts and the timing belt, water pump and seals. was fine when i drove it home. but now, whenever i start the car, i get this squeal from the engine bay which lasts for about half of a second or so. i'm told that the belts tend to stretch a little after they're broken in. so i'm assuming that the fix for this would be to tighten them via the tensioner pulley? if so...where is/are the tensioner(s) located? and how about should i do this? i have a 1997 qx4, vg33e 3.3L v6 motor w/4WD...any information would be great!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Filthy Luker Posted October 28, 2005 Share Posted October 28, 2005 Go back to the shop and have them fix it. They should stand by their work. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rokris8079 Posted October 28, 2005 Share Posted October 28, 2005 If you don't mind me asking how much did all that set you back. I am about to bring my pathy in for the same thing and didn't want to drop dead from the price shock. Thanks! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nick1716 Posted October 28, 2005 Share Posted October 28, 2005 mine squel too! i tjhink its cuz all th emud and junk tho Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lowrider Posted October 28, 2005 Share Posted October 28, 2005 Likely its one of two things: the new belts are now streched (they're supposed to) and because they are now slightly longer, they are no longer tensioned correctly. DIY or take it back to the shop for a readjustment, it is retardedly simple to retension the belts on a VG --- or --- one of the pulley's became glazed as the old belts wore out. The pulley in question would need to be removed, the mating surface sanded down, and reinstalled. Not that hard to do, but not that likely either good luck Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
94extreme Posted October 28, 2005 Share Posted October 28, 2005 just tighten your belts.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
QuismO Posted October 29, 2005 Author Share Posted October 29, 2005 hey guys...thanks for the info, and yes, they did stretch a tad as they're supposed to after they've been broken in. took it back to the shop, a quick 5 mins for the re-adjusting of the tensioner. as for the price, it set me back $525 (US)...which is a bargain anywhere in the US let alone living in san francisco. called 3 infiniti dealers, and 3 nissan dealers, all gave me prices for $850-975 just for the timing belt, crankshaft seals, and water pump. as for retensioning...which pulley/bolt is it? i would like to know for next time Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
94extreme Posted October 29, 2005 Share Posted October 29, 2005 hey guys...thanks for the info, and yes, they did stretch a tad as they're supposed to after they've been broken in. took it back to the shop, a quick 5 mins for the re-adjusting of the tensioner. as for the price, it set me back $525 (US)...which is a bargain anywhere in the US let alone living in san francisco. called 3 infiniti dealers, and 3 nissan dealers, all gave me prices for $850-975 just for the timing belt, crankshaft seals, and water pump. as for retensioning...which pulley/bolt is it? i would like to know for next time depends on which belt.. that's a pretty good price and if i had the money i'd probably have it done too Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rokris8079 Posted November 1, 2005 Share Posted November 1, 2005 Yeah I don't think I can get that price anywhere around here. A lady I know with a xterra paid over a thousand for that and that wasn't even at a dealer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
QuismO Posted November 2, 2005 Author Share Posted November 2, 2005 yea i hear that dropping a grand for a timing belt change is about right. it just turns out that there are soooo many auto shops in san francisco, that the competition is tight, so some places are dirt cheap. as for my "how to adjust the tension" question, i believe that it's the belt that goes around the alternator pulley...how would i go about adjusting the tension on that belt? sorry if it's a stupid question, don't know much about cars except electrical, and how to change brakes/oil/plugs =P Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
94extreme Posted November 2, 2005 Share Posted November 2, 2005 can't remember exactly but i think there is an adjustment bolt on the alt itself.. just have to look. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IndianRider Posted November 11, 2005 Share Posted November 11, 2005 wow .... the price for a timing belt/water pump change is still high .. i was quoted $400 (parts & labor included) by NAPA and i still said, screw it .. i can do it myself.. got the parts from courtsey nissan for around $250 .. tb + water pump + cam seals + tranny filter + all rad. hoses + thermostat + dist. rotor cover .. after running into problems with getting the crank pulley off and $12 later for a pulley "extractor" not the traditional pulley "remover" from NAPA + 2 weekends later i did it myself .. ive put 3k miles and it runs like a champ .. no squeals .. an i followed the manual and took tips off here .. :o touch wood !! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
k9sar Posted November 11, 2005 Share Posted November 11, 2005 Glad to hear that you sucked it up and did it yourself. I often looka t what a job would cost from the dealer (like 300 for a timing belt) then subtract off the actual parts cost (about 20 bucks for the t-belt) and come up with a cussing factor. Is it worth the cussing factor to go through the aggrivation to do it myself? Usually is. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rokris8079 Posted November 11, 2005 Share Posted November 11, 2005 Did that $400 napa job include new seals and waterpump or just the t-belt. If it did I think I will be going to napa. That is dirt cheap. I would do it myself but I am going to be honest. I just lack the knowledge, time, and warm garage. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
QuismO Posted November 17, 2005 Author Share Posted November 17, 2005 hehe i'm with rokris on this one...i'll do the basic stuff like brakes/oil change, filters and plugs...but for something as serious as a t-belt, i'd hate to have messed up pistons and bent rods etc because i TRIED to do it on my own ahahahaha =P Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IndianRider Posted November 18, 2005 Share Posted November 18, 2005 sorry for the late reply Rorkis ..dont know why i got an email alert a week late.. anyways, No , NAPA gave me the quote just for the timing belt, water pump and thats it .. usually i dont think shops know or include vehicle specific problems .. for example the vg-33 and maybe older pathy might leak at the cam seal esp. on the passenger side .. maybe some vehicles have other stuff that needs replacement .. so i kinda had to let napa know about the cam seals and tb tensioner .. but still ..i dont have a lot of money to spend.. i spent a whole week on diff. forums ..then got parts from nissan, did it myslef.. was it hard ? yes , for a first timer like me with decent mechanical skills.. is it impossible ? NO ..if u take ur time , follow instructions and tips on forums, u can get it done ..i just rechecked, and rechecked the timing belt allignment marks over and over again .. turned crank over a few times with a wrench ..didnt feel any resistance .. once i was sure, i fired it up and bingo ..right on .. good luck to u if ur doing it urself ..we are always here to help with tips .. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rokris8079 Posted November 18, 2005 Share Posted November 18, 2005 Still a good price. Seriously how much more can they charge to change the seals and other stuff. They are already right there. Shouldn't be too much more. I am going to start pricing different shops. She has 102k on her so I have to hurry up. I really don't want to go over the recommended 105k change interval. Anyone know of any good trusting mechanics in CT? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LINDERS Posted December 4, 2005 Share Posted December 4, 2005 super late post, I know. But I paid 300 for both the timing belt and water pump here in SD, CA. little asian place. wicked cheap. And had all the belts done because of a sqeal that turned out to be my crank shaft pulley, but because it took them so long to find it they replaced the other pulleys and didn't charge me. :-) for all the belts replaced it was 89 bucks but then the carnkshaft pulley install was ...don't remember...but that one hurt. They wanted to do the timing belt then for an additional 700... so true to the wicked cheap asian place the 300 bucks was a steal. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
QuismO Posted December 5, 2005 Author Share Posted December 5, 2005 hehe linders, i hear ya on that one. but here in san fran, calif, practically any non-dealer service shop is dirt cheap. but not as cheap as your $300!!! that's damn good for the t-belt and pump. where in SD was it? i visit my parents a lot in SD, as they have homes in the chula vista and oceanside areas. although i fly most of the time, maybe i'll drive down the next time i need a t-belt change on one of my vehicles. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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