Serpentine belt noise in gear at low RPM
The noise occurs strictly under load between 1,000 and 1,600 RPM, such as when the car is in drive with the AC on or power steering engaged. It is most noticeable when reversing from a driveway or turning from a stop sign, but completely goes away at any higher RPM.
Overview
People affected2 accounts across 2 forums
Workarounds found1 item attempted
Community agreement1 total upvotes
What the numbers show
Counted from the threads quoted below. How we count
- People have been saying this in most months since September 2026.
What people tried
Every workaround mentioned in the threads below. We haven’t tested any of them — and nobody here is claiming they worked.
1 item+ Contribute
Found another way around this?
Share your steps and trade-offs so fellow engineers don't have to reinvent the wheel. No account required.
- 1replacing the belt tensioner, serpentine belt, and idler pulleyDid this help you?
In their words
Unedited, grouped by where they were said, most upvoted first within each place, each linked to the thread it came from.
r/MechanicAdvice1 person · November 2026
Where this came up
People with this problem also raised
- 10Drove several miles with a snapped serpentine belt, did I ruin my engine?
- 4Why is my brand new serpentine belt still squeaking?
- 5Why does my car make a clunking noise under load or when turning?
- 3Can't get the serpentine belt back on the alternator pulley
- 8Why is my AC making a loud noise after changing thermostats?
- 3Is it safe to drive with a noisy AC compressor pulley?