Customer complaint: squeaking noise coming from the engine especially when the car is started.
Diagnose: a bearing was bad, causing all the noise.
Solution: replace the bad part, inspect the other moving parts, replace them as needed.
Work done: upon the initial inspection, we took the customer’s car for a test drive, as well as to get the new part and install it. While in AutoZone, the car didn’t start anymore. The starter just died! We found out that it was getting weak and sometimes it was not working properly, but it died while WE were driving the car. A new starter had to be installed.
We also found the bad part causing the noise: a bad alternator. That’s some bad news for anybody, to find out he needs a new starter and a new alternator!
As the customer was a student, we decided to replace the idler pulley at no cost, in order to avoid future problems.
Later on, we installed a new starter, a new alternator and the serpentine belt. The same job in Firestone was quoted at about $750!

[Show as slideshow]

View of the pulley mounting part. The engine mount was removed.

Here is the new pulley: all shiny!

Here is the old pulley.

The engine mount that was removed. Notice the water on the car: yes it was raining!

Here is the new pulley installed.

Old starter on the left, new starter on the right.

Yes, the customer car was stranded right in front of AutoZone!

Under hood view. At night it was still raining...

The new starter in mounted in place.

Here is the main culprit: the old alternator on the left was causing the terrible squeaking noise. The new alternator before being installed is on the right side.

Here are the new alternator and the new belt installed.