belt help

[91xjrunner]

ok guys i know that there are a lot of topics or threads about belt squeal but non are really what i am having trouble with.

heres the deal my xj belt is squealing but only at idle it started at the car wash yesterday i looked at it and it goes away slight ly when you put oil or water on it but it also didnt do it this morning untill the jeep was warm, if you give it any gas it goes away.

its a 91 xj 4.0L 160k

[AlohaBra]

Retension it..one to one half turn.

[91xjrunner]

ive heard that this is also the alt going out any other signs or things i should try and do to it while im at it?

[CODevilDog]

This exact thing happen to me in moab a few weeks ago. It ended up being a bad barring in one of the pulleys and finally ceased on the trail. Find the culprit pulley and replace it asap. You just need to get under the hood and listen carefully to which one is making the noise. mine ended up being the fan pulley.

[AlohaBra]

When you go to retension...loosen it first to see if the bearing is still running smooth and is not going bad on you.

Having a listen for the other turning items is a good idea.

[91xjrunner]

ok heres the deal. i retensioned it and it finaly went away to some extent it still does it but it is really faint you can barely hear it should i get some belt dressing?

[sjx40250]

So I had a squeal once too. What I did was take a belt sander belt and cut it to the width of the belt. I then used my 3/8 drill to drive the belt and did each pulley/accessory until I found the offender. Endded up being the bearing (barring?) in the alternator, the rear one. I replaced the bearing and all is good! The second offender is the idler between the A/C and Power steering - $15.

[91xjrunner]

hey cool thanks thats a good idea i have a few old sanding belts left from this weekend too ill try that