My car has always made a random quiet squeal, like metal spinning on metal sort of. It recently has gotten much worse so I decided to figure out what it was. First instinct was the belt tensioner pulley. Didn't fix it. So my dad said he was sure it was the alternator. Got that rebuilt by my uncle, who said yes it needed rebuilt and was squeaky.

Still have the squeal. So, my stupid as started fiddling around and realized *doh* the sound stops when I turn my a/c on. The a/c doesn't work worth **** so I never realized it before.

SO... why does this happen, and what'll it take to get it fixed?





Second problem: Probably doesn't relate to the first problem, but about 2 months ago my heater stopped working... I'm pretty sure it's something to do with the dial that turns from cold to hot, because no matter where the dial is, it stays cold AND when I turn the dial it feels and sounds different, and is a lot easier to turn. It's not stripped. What could it be? Not a real big deal right now but it's gonna start getting chilly soon at night

 

First prob is probably if you don't use that AC it gets a little rust in the clutch and can make a 'scraping' sound...
Just turn it on a few times see if it helps..

Second prob check the vacuum hoses that go to the underdash heater AC control doors. [they are vacuum operated].

 

Charge the A/C system with some Oil, some may have leaked out (Although it shouldn't by design) This fixed the same problem on my 97 S10.

As suggested check the vacuum hoses too. Do you hear a whistling sound from the interior?

 

The hot/cold dial on the dash is actually attached to a cable to move the door inside the HVAC assy. The different modes are controlled by vacuum actuators, though.

 

Also, try one thing you might have tried from the get-go. Remove your accessory belt and run the car to see if the noise goes away. That'll tell you for sure whether it's any of the accessories.

Dave

 

Tore my dash apart today and sure enough, the cable that turns it from cold to hot had popped off. It was a bitch to get back on, beats the hell outta me how it came off in the first place. Ah well.