Hi Mechanics,
I’m a hobby enthusiast who likes to fix things on my Toyota RAV4 2004 gasoline car.
Long story short, I’ve had a squealing noise for a few months. It has usually disappeared after 1 or 2 minutes whenever I started the car.
But in the last 1–2 weeks, the squealing has increased, especially whenever I turn the steering wheel all the way to one side or the other AND when I turn the AC on.
Things that have been repaired: I cleaned and changed the power steering fluid, along with installing a brand new serpentine belt, in the hope that it would stop the noise. The belt feels rather tight—I can maybe push it a few mm down with my finger.
Suspects:
- Either the tensioner is not making it firm enough, or maybe the AC pulley is bad?
- I’ve read a lot about tightening the serpentine belt, but as far as I can see, it’s not possible with the tensioner—or am I missing something?
- Should I try giving the tensioner wheel / AC pulley some WD-40?
Background: The AC works fine and without noise if I turn it on after I have driven the car for a short period of time. The battery is working properly. The steering is smooth.