Dear Tom and Ray:

I have a 1990 Mercury Grand Marquis, and it has been a great car. It rides beautifully and I've had no trouble with it. But it SOUNDS like a junker! The fan belt wheezes, screeches and screams. When I spray it, it stays quiet for about three days. The fellow at the gas station said the belt looked good, so he hesitated to replace it. What can I do to make this car quiet down? -- Joe

Ray: If the belt is relatively new, Joe, I think the problem is more likely to be your belt tensioner.

Tom: This car has a tensioner that's supposed to automatically take up the slack as the belt inevitably gets older and looser. And if yours isn't working, that would explain all the "loose belt" noise.

Ray: It's worth trying a new belt, Joe. But if the noise comes back before too long, then I'd put in a new tensioner, and that should solve the problem.

Tom: And just be thankful all you've got is belt noise. When my brother is driving, the wheezing, screeching and screaming is all coming from us passengers!

Don't get stuck with a lemon. Be an informed shopper. Read Tom and Ray's guide "How to Buy a Great Used Car: Secrets Only Your Mechanic Knows." To order, send (check or money order) to Ruin, P.O. Box 536475, Orlando, FL 32853-6475. You can also order online.

© 1998 by Tom and Ray Magliozzi and Doug Berman Distributed by King Features Syndicate, Inc.

Back to the January 1998 index