Belt dressing vs..

[LeakySeals]

The 03 Maxima in my signature has an occasional badly slipping belt. I replaced it. Replace the tensioner. Turned all the pulleys while the belt was off. Nothing binding. AC compressor was a little tight. only thing I can think of now is the pulley itself is slippery. What will belt dressing do for me? Will that make the belt tacky and stick better? What else can I do?

 

[Astro14]

Is there a chance that the pulley(s) got contaminated with a bit of oil? If they feel slippery, I would remove the belt and then hose each one of them off with brake cleaner, catching the runoff in a rag so it doesn't just drive the oil onto another pulley.

 

[StevieC]

Is the alternator spinning freely (bad bearings), AC compressor, Power steering pump, and the water pump? with the belt off, There is a reason the belt is slipping and if you checked pulleys, alignment and tensioner then it's most likely one of these.
Could also be the Alternator is putting too much load on the belt when it's loaded with large electrical loads from accessories. Does it get worse at hot-idle with all the accessories on?

Are all the pulleys grease/oil free? Clean them with brake cleaner with the belt off.

IMO there should be no reason to use Belt Dressing ever.

 

[demarpaint]

It might briefly quiet it, but the noise will most likely return. IIRC it isn't very good for the belt/belts either. Did you clean all the pulleys with a Scotch Brite pad and brake clean or solvent alcohol first? That has helped me with the same issue you're having, assuming everything is properly lined up and there are no issues with the accessories and water pump.

 

[Rand]

belt dressing is to make really old v-belts stop squeaking..

it has no place in a modern vehicle..

 

[Astro14]

AC compressor "binding" would worry me.

With the clutch de-energized (AC off) it should spin absolutely freely...there's nothing, or should be nothing, but bearing load on it. Smooth and easy to turn. If it's not, your compressor could be at fault.

 

[Diesel12]

On all of my sqeaky belts i use Ultra Black Silicone. i just put a few dabs in various places throughout the belt then fire it up. Always works for me

 

[Silverado12]

Originally Posted by Diesel12
On all of my sqeaky belts i use Ultra Black Silicone. i just put a few dabs in various places throughout the belt then fire it up. Always works for me

As in RTV Permatex Ultra Black?

 

[slacktide_bitog]

Try those Continental Elite (formerly Goodyear Gatorback) cogged belts. They are supposed to run quieter

Never ever use belt dressing

 

[KrisZ]

I would check the pulley grooves for small rocks. I know that on my cars, every time I change the belts I can find several embedded in the old belt and in the pulleys.

 

[demarpaint]

Originally Posted by KrisZ
I would check the pulley grooves for small rocks. I know that on my cars, every time I change the belts I can find several embedded in the old belt and in the pulleys.

That's why I clean them. Trav had reminded me [it slipped my mind] when I was having a similar problem after a belt/tensioner replacement on my van.

OP-Make sure the lettering is facing in the same direction if you remove the belt and re-install it for whatever reason.

 

[Sam_Julier]

I've never had any luck with belt dressing. It simply masks the underlying issue. I change the belts in the 240s every 50 during the timing belt/water pump service. The alternator, AC compressor and PS pumps are checked for bearing noise and alignment. Utility bushings are replaced if they show any cracking.

Sam

 

[The Critic]

Originally Posted by Silverado12
Originally Posted by Diesel12
On all of my sqeaky belts i use Ultra Black Silicone. i just put a few dabs in various places throughout the belt then fire it up. Always works for me

As in RTV Permatex Ultra Black?

Any should work. That trick works like a charm for diagnostic purposes, but you should really fix the issue.

 

[Chris142]

Belt dressing destroys the belt in a short time. It attacks the material its made out of. Also most belt dressings say not to use on a serpentine belt.

 

[Kawiguy454]

It is my understanding that all AC compressors have a clutch ...you say it seemed tight ...it should be a ball bearing with the clutch not engaged. Check for bad bearing which is pretty common. The ac clutch cycles on/ off even when the AC is turned off.

 

[StevieC]

Originally Posted by Kawiguy454
It is my understanding that all AC compressors have a clutch ...you say it seemed tight ...it should be a ball bearing with the clutch not engaged. Check for bad bearing which is pretty common. The ac clutch cycles on/ off even when the AC is turned off.

Most do but not all.. Some are clutchless.

Here is an article on it: https://axleaddict.com/auto-repair/Variable-Displacement-Compressors
Another article: https://www.motor.com/magazine-summary/diagnosing-variable-displacement-compressors/

If memory serves me correctly VW & Toyota was using them.

 

[Black_Thunder]

I've heard on some occasions that the crank pulley actually wears down causing the belt to wear faster then normal and lose grip causing it to slip around the crank and none of the other pulleys.



could maybe be the case, but look into the compressor issue first.

 

[crainholio]

Plain white toothpaste on the friction surface of the belt, just a thin coat in a few sections. It's a shadetree trick that happens to work when the problem is glazed pulley surfaces from previous slippage, the abrasives in the toothpaste usually remove the glaze and restore friction with the belt. If you have other problems, e.g. a pulley bearing that binds when it gets warm or a defective tensioner, the slippage will return and you'll eventually destroy the belt...so pay attention to sounds.