'98 Windstar Serpentine Belt Question

I started hearing a squealing sound coming from one of the pulleys on my fan belt. It's not the standard loose or worn-out belt; it was replaced a few months ago.

This sound is actually coming from one of the pulleys on the belt. It sounds like a bearing trying to sieze up, maybe in the water pump, but I'm not sure which pulleys run which items. If there's a diagram out there somewhere, it would help a lot. I think I know which pulley it is, I just need to know what it runs.

Also, would a bad water pump, or whatever is causing this noise, cause the "check engine" light to come on?

Thanks in advance.

Yup, it could. There should be a diagram on the hood showing the belt path, that ought to tell you which pulleys are which.

Probably an idler pulley with bearings gone south. it should be the pulley just to the right of the water pump.

Didn't even think to look on the underside of the hood. I just looked on the part in the front where the hood latch is. That's where it is on my truck, so I figured it must've fallen off.

Stan
Your vehicle is covered under the "ford truck" section of "repair guides" (the free section) of AutoZone.com. Look under the "general information" tab once there. The belt schematics are shown for the 3.0 and the 3.8.

12Ounce.... you have alot of good insights and known how to find info aka free websites. How do you stumble accross these free sites? Just curious... sorry doesn't pertain to repairing the Windstar serp belt question.

Thanks for the kudos. I'm just an info thief and packrat: when another poster puts an interesting link, or other info, online ... I hit the archive button.

And I've had many of the Winnie problems myself...so I've had the "need to know".

Replacing the serpentine on my 3.8 L 96' actually right now. Check the look/alignment to the furthest back pulley and see if it looks twisted in any way? In the 3.8 L the idler pulley has a spring tensioner built into it and the spring has become weak and literally the pull from the belt has twisted it away from the mounting bracket and it looks literally twisted and hence the bearings are toast and requires a new pulley assembly/tensione/idler. I went to t wrecker and got one off a motor that was lying there for $5.00. The belt was sitting there as well and they said "take it"! The belt is abolut $32.00 + the pulley /tensioner is about $70.00 + all the installation costs.. assume I'll save a few $$doing it myself! But , Stan the Man ..check the alignment first and this may be your scenario as well ! Good luck

Stan, hopefully you've fixed the problem and running fine. I am wondering what the computer code was during that problem? Mine is doing the same thing. All pulleys seem fine and now I'm getting a Cam Shaft Position Sensor code.

Thanks,

Stan, hopefully you've fixed the problem and running fine. I am wondering what the computer code was during that problem? Mine is doing the same thing. All pulleys seem fine and now I'm getting a Cam Shaft Position Sensor code.

Thanks,

I believe the code was 0340 or 0430, something like that, but it came up as a cam sensor code.

The part was covered under my extended warranty, so I only paid a deductible. Check with them first to see if yours is covered if you have one. Otherwise, the dealer charged the insurance company $400 for it.

I kept the old part, and it was pretty trashed. A crescent-shaped metal piece had gotten bent & was killing the plastic housing on the inside.

Before the fix, it would stall out, especially when accelerating after almost coming to a stop. It runs fine now, and it's been about a month. Definitely fixed my problem.

Before the fix, it would stall out, especially when accelerating after almost coming to a stop. It runs fine now, and it's been about a month. Definitely fixed my problem.[/QUOTE]



What part did they change because mine has been doing the same thing that you describe. Thanx for anything that you could provide.

What part did they change because mine has been doing the same thing that you describe. Thanx for anything that you could provide.

At first, they just replaced the cam sensor housing, but that didn't work. I wound up taking it to the dealer to replace the entire unit. It ran OK after that, but we were ready to get rid of it.

We replaced it with a crew cab Ram 2500 diesel. Holds more people comfortably & will last forever. I'll never buy another minivan again, definitely not a Windstar.

Good luck - hope you have better luck than I did.

Note regarding problems like this:

I finally bought a real mechanic's stethescope, just because I was tired of guessing when tracking down belt-driven accessory problems. A very useful tool.

It looks like what you might expect: A stethescope, except the "patient" end has a long, thin probe. Place the probe near the bearing on a belt-driven accessory, and you'll hear exactly what that bearing is doing. The probe is long enough to reach rear accessories on my Windstar.

A healthy bearing had a smooth mechanical sound to it; a failing bearing has a distinct grinding sound.

My stethescope was cheap at Harbor Freight. Much more effective than the "long-screwdriver-up-to-your-ear" method, and safer, too.