Hi there,

I have an 89 4L Pioneer and I decided to change the belt because it would squeak ocasionally in rain. Bad idea. The first belt that I purchased from Canadian Tire squeeked something awful. Wetting the belt makes the sound go away for a couple minutes. I tried a whole range of tensions, and checked the pulley alignment and wobble. The worst problem I could find was a wobble of about 1mm on the power steering pulley, not even noticeable to the naked eye. There is a bit of rust on the inside of the pulley and it might have become weaker over the years. Anyway I went back to Canadian Tire and had a tech look at it, and they conceded that their belts did not work in all cases and that I should try a belt from United Auto Parts.

So I bought a belt from UAP (about 50% more expensive) and it's about 70% better, however the belt still squeeks sometimes, particularily when cold.

I would appreciate any suggestions. Thanks!

If this belt is better, I would try tightening the tensioner a bit more. My 00 XJ had the same issue, after carefully tightening the belt, it stopped and only squeaks when I get the front-end seriously water logged.

Make sure the belt is tensioned correctly. Then try some belt dressing.

Try a Goodyear Gatorback belt. I've had very good luck with them.