like the title states.every once in a while when i start my car it makes a high screach like a stuck pig. it goes away after a second but today that sound hung around for a good 4 or 5 seconds then i couldnt take it anymore so i shut the car off.i started it right away and nothing,car started just fine not a damn sound.whats the problem?im not sure if this has anything to do with it or not,but some times ill be driving all day for days at a time and then outa the blue my car wont start say when i run into the store real quick.
i talked to the guy who had it before me he sed it is a typical problem with b series motors "yeah right" any ways thos are this weeks problems.91 hb si
b16 swap

 

Try replacing the alternator belt. Startup squeels are almost always caused by old belts.

I assume you're not running A/C, or else I'd say replace that belt too.

If you don't feel like replacing them, get a spray can of belt dressing and hose down the belt while the car is running. It's always better to just replace the belt though.

 

hey i could be worng but i think if your belt is also either to loose or to tight it could start squeaking.

question = would the pulley itself on the alt, pwrstearing or ac be the cause of the squeaking? is it just the belts? i helped a friend with a swap, his brand new alternator sat for 2 days and started squeeking.

advice = one way to test which belt it is = disconnecte and pull out the power stearing belt and fire the car up, if the squeaks go away... its your power stearing. if not, take out your ac belt, if it goes away, its ac (at that poiint it cant be the pwrstearing becase its already out). if not, it has to be your alternator; i dont think the timing belt would squeak. an overly tightened timing belt would just have shortened life....

am ii right or worng on this one?

 

Well, I am assuming since it's a 91 hatch/B16, it only has the timing belt and alt, and timing belts don't make squeeling noises. If the belt just randomly starts squeeling, the cheap fix and most common cause is a simple belt. Misadjusted belts may squeel, and worn alts may, but the second is unlikely.

Before my Civic moved on to another owner, it developed the belt squeel. A new belt and a few minutes cured that, as it has in one of my RX's and many other vehicles I know of. It's just what old belts do before they just plain brake on you.

Once upon a time, I did have a PS belt snap on the highway on me. That was fun, getting off the highway and noticing the PS was gone. The alt belt would have been worse, to just be driving around and have the car die on you.

 

the alt belt snapped in my friends teg while we were on the highway. we notice the battery light come on about 10 miles from his house, so we canceled our plans for the day and went straight to his house. there, we saw the alt belt just kinda dangling in the engine bay... so if an alt belt does snap, i bet you can get about 10 or 20 miles out of the battery.

just thought i would throw that random fact out there

 

That's it? I thought the battery would have a bit more reserve power then that. I've never had to drive a car in that situation, though. :dunno:

 

I actually thought it would have less. Well it depends on how well the battery holds the charge.

 

'twas a generic battery from walmart. we did get 10 miles out of it, but it didnt die on us. once we parked it, we didnt start it back up, til we went to walmart and exchanged it, lol! anyways, i bet it did have a few more miles in in, but we didnt want to find out exactly how many more miles it had

 

damn good advice i started poking around then i realized that a paqrt of the pulley is rubbing on the frame.and is digging into it.now i got a bigger problem.when i was leaving work i heard a loud pop.than when i get a couple of feet from there my car starts to shake on acceleration.i got home and jacked it up .my tie rod was loose on the left tire.i tightend it up and took it on the highway it went away and then bam it started shaking worse.we jacked it up again but couldnt see anything.i swere to god every day its something new.

 

Oh, yeah, forgot about that. In some cars the right side frame rail has to be knocked back or a shorter alt belt has to be used to clear it. I figured you already did that since the engine's in the car.