Spray some water on the belt with a water bottle when the engine is running. If the noise goes away, then it's a misaligned or worn belt . If the squeaking or squealing continues after being sprayed with water, it's a bearing on one of the pulleys or components bearing, such as the a/c compressor or the alternator bearing.
Belt misalignment can usually be seen by an uneven gap between the belt and each side of the "valley" of each pulley, or an excessively worn idler pulley, which is seen on older vehicles when the plastic wheels will wear a "lip" on each side, causing the belt to slightly twist.
Whatever you decide to do, just replacing the belt might buy you a little time before it starts squeaking again, but it's a band-aid fix. The more important part is finding the CAUSE of the squeaking, rather than treating the symptoms.
You can lay a straightedge ruler across each pulley from different angles to check, or just close inspection and listening usually shows what pulley is the culprit.
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If you decide to replace the belt, throw the old belt in the glove box or store it somewhere in the vehicle. If your new belt breaks in the future, you'll have a spare to get you off the side of the road.
Spray some water on the belt with a water bottle when the engine is running. If the noise goes away, then it's a misaligned or worn belt . If the squeaking or squealing continues after being sprayed with water, it's a bearing on one of the pulleys or components bearing, such as the a/c compressor or the alternator bearing.
Belt misalignment can usually be seen by an uneven gap between the belt and each side of the "valley" of each pulley, or an excessively worn idler pulley, which is seen on older vehicles when the plastic wheels will wear a "lip" on each side, causing the belt to slightly twist.
Whatever you decide to do, just replacing the belt might buy you a little time before it starts squeaking again, but it's a band-aid fix. The more important part is finding the CAUSE of the squeaking, rather than treating the symptoms.
You can lay a straightedge ruler across each pulley from different angles to check, or just close inspection and listening usually shows what pulley is the culprit.