I have a 2000 Dodge Ram Sport 5.9 L, Squeal on Start

Asked by Bronco41 Mar 07, 2012 at 05:53 PM about the 2000 Dodge RAM 1500

Question type: Maintenance & Repair

I have a 2000 Dodge Ram Sport 5.9 L, it is squealing on start up, i replaced the belt and it helped for a
few days. The belt looks like its really loose, could the tension pulley be going bad and if so would this
cause a squeal? There does not appear to be any leaks.

5 Answers

955

The tensioner is probably bad. I have had to replace a lot of them. It could also be a belt that is poor quality or the wrong length. Another cause may be the a high load on the alternator, typically caused by the battery voltage being way too low.

1 people found this helpful.

Thanks Tim I really appreciate the answer, the tension pulley can be moved by hand as of now, could the spring be old/bad? I will check the voltage on the battery as well and get back to you.

955

They usually have quite a bit of tension. There is some free play with the belt removed, but usually I have to use a long handle ratchet to pull them back enough to get the belt back on.

Okay, mine is pretty easy to move around and the spring looks pretty rusted. If that is the issue would it cause the belt to squeak?

955

That would cause the belt to be too loose and on my 04 Ram HEMI it really made it noisy

Your Answer:

RAM 1500

Looking for a Used RAM 1500 in your area?

CarGurus has 81 nationwide RAM 1500 listings starting at $4,000.

Postal Code:

CarGurus Experts

  • #1
    Dan Connell
    Reputation
    20,230
  • #2
    dandyoun
    Reputation
    15,280
  • #3
    Gene Arnett
    Reputation
    11,760
View All

Find great deals from top-rated dealers

Search

Related Models For Sale

Used Ford F-150
289 Great Deals out of 15,384 listings starting at $1,712
Used Chevrolet Silverado 1500
211 Great Deals out of 5,943 listings starting at $3,995
Used GMC Sierra 1500
127 Great Deals out of 6,857 listings starting at $3,975
Used Dodge RAM 2500
27 listings starting at $4,000
Used Toyota Tundra
50 Great Deals out of 1,126 listings starting at $5,999
Used Toyota Tacoma
55 Great Deals out of 1,032 listings starting at $8,708
Used Dodge Durango
51 Great Deals out of 2,276 listings starting at $5,500
Used Jeep Grand Cherokee
113 Great Deals out of 3,274 listings starting at $4,995
Used Chevrolet Silverado 2500HD
12 Great Deals out of 1,160 listings starting at $8,999
Used Jeep Wrangler
147 Great Deals out of 5,072 listings starting at $6,995
Used Ford F-250 Super Duty
29 Great Deals out of 1,154 listings starting at $8,995

Content submitted by Users is not endorsed by CarGurus, does not express the opinions of CarGurus, and should not be considered reviewed, screened, or approved by CarGurus. Please refer to CarGurus Terms of Use. Content will be removed if CarGurus becomes aware that it violates our policies.