Honda Car Forum

too tight? I ask this because when I crank my car it makes a brief screeching sound and sometimes when i back my car up or drive normally it also makes that same sound and I was told it is due to the timing belt being put in wrong so I was just wondering about it...

I have been putting timing belts on Honda/Acura products for 15 years, and have never heard of the belt being on too tight. Now, if the timing belt was installed and a new tensioner was NOT installed, then the tensioner bearing may be at fault. More than not, though, the screaching sound comes from the other belt, i.e. the altenator belt. Slippage of this belt, especially when starting, will cause the screaching sound.

You cant get it on to tight but you can get it of time.When you put it on you may have gotten it right untill you let the auto belt adjuster pull up the tension.At this point it changes the timing.the timing is off and if you keep driving it can do damage to the car.Rechecking the timing and adjusting will fix this problum

First guess without seeing your car is that the alternator belt is too loose. That will make a screeching sound when you first start the car as the belt is cold as well as the alternator is under load to replace the juice you just sucked out of the battery cranking the car. If the timing belt was changed then all those belts were removed in the process. Easy to not tighten the alternator belt enough on some of the Hondas as well as Mazda and Mitsubishi. I would check there first. Also as mentioned in another answer the tensioner can do that as well as the water pump, which drives off the timing belt. Start with the easiest first though if the engine appears to run okay otherwise and has usual power. Check the alternator and other belts before tearing it back down. While you can tighten a timing belt too tight, it only shows up in reduced life of either the belt, or tensioner or water pump. Other than that too tight and the car will still run fine and should not make any undue noises if both tensioner and water pump are still okay. If you want a good "rule of thumb" on timing belts that works on practically any vehicle, when installing and after having tightened belt, take the side with the slack "tensioner side" and find the longest stretch of belt. Twist that with your hand and see if you can move it 90 degrees. In other words to where it is perpendicular to the way it should sit. If you can do that it is okay. If it will easily go past that point it is too loose, and if you can not get it to that point is too tight. Got that info a few years back from Gates Belts representative as well as some auto repair manuals give the same specs to check. Gives an easy way to check without any sort of "tension measuring" tools. Some manuals also give a "deflection" rate but seldom have seen that listed. The test "must" be done though on the side with the slack and not the drive side and also after having rolled the engine to make sure that it actually has the slack on that side.

make sure u have the right timing belt..........

you didnt install it right..you didnt do the TDC(top dead center) dont drive your car...your causing more damage

Timing belts have teeth so it is impossible to screech a timing belt on any pully except the tensioner pulley which is just a free spinning wheel keeping the belt tight.Since you had to remove all the other belts in the process of replacing the timing belt, the most probably cause is one of those belts, i.e. alternator or A/C belt. Check the tension on those before you draw any further suspicion on the timing belt. If the engine runs fine, you know you have the timing set properly and if you adjusted the tension per the manual, the auto tensioner should keep it tensioned to specification.You put the belt in just fine... Check the others!