Engine still squeaking after replacing water pump and tensioner
New cooling and belt components often fail to resolve an idle squeak because residual load issues — such as a failing AC compressor or auxiliary pulley alignment — keep putting uneven tension on the belt system. This leaves drivers dealing with persistent noises and vibrations that defy straightforward part-swapping fixes.
What people tried
Every workaround mentioned in the threads below. We haven’t tested any of them — and nobody here is claiming they worked.
- 1Carefully spraying individual bearings with a small shot of WD-40 to see if the noise quiets down
- 2Replacing engine mounts one by one
- 3Inspecting engine movement while revving under the hood
In their words
Unedited, grouped by where they were said, most upvoted first within each place, each linked to the thread it came from.
“after replacing the water pump, tensioner, friction wheel, and valve cover when it reaches operating temperature it starts to squeak at idle.”source ↗
“It gets more consistent and louder when the AC is turned on. AC doesn’t work to add to that”source ↗
“I’ve been dealing with a low rumbling/vibration under light acceleration, mainly around 20–40 mph. It sounds like a rattling/purring noise, and I can feel some vibration through the front of the car”source ↗
“The noise has decreased slightly, but I can still hear it while driving, and it seems more noticeable on the left side.”source ↗
“Any insight would be appreciated as I’m so tired of driving with all the rattling and vibrating!”source ↗
Where this came up
People with this problem also raised
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- 7Engine rattling noise and sudden coolant leak while driving
- 63How to figure out what an unfamiliar car engine noise is
- 94How to explain an intermittent car noise to a mechanic