My Cruze has a squeaky belt, noise goes away as I accelerate. All pulleys are turning. Is belt dressing a temporary fix until I get home?
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No need for a temporary fix. Just replace the belt when you have time. It's very easy to do yourself. – Spivonious Jan 18 '17 at 15:14
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What really is happening when you no longer hear it at speed is that the noise of the engine is covering up the belt noise that has increased in frequency because it is occuring more often. If you leave near a place with a tunnel drive through that with the windows down and you will likely hear it again -- reflecting off the walls of the tunnel. An underground parking garage works for this too, but you have to drive slower there. – Rowan Hawkins Mar 25 '20 at 5:01
Usually a belt squeaking is due to one of two things: worn out serpentine belt; tensioner has lost spring tension. Of the two, I'd suggest the belt is probably at fault as the tensioner should last much longer than a little over two years.
You can put belt dressing on the belt, but your better bet is to just replace it. The belt should be okay for a little while, but you'll want to replace it soon. All-in-all, the belt dressing is just a placebo. Usually, once the belt is warmed up, the slipping is either stopped or is dramatically reduced. It doesn't mean you you don't need to change the belt, because it will only be getting worse. If you have to go to the parts store to get dressing, it only makes sense to just get a replacement belt and be done with it. There usually is very minimal risk of the belt jumping off of the pulleys or of it self destructing before you can get it replaced, so have no fear of that.
answered Jan 18 '17 at 11:35
