Squeaky Belt or Pulley...Which one is it!
 

I've tried spraying the belt with belt dressing and it seems to make even more noise, although in the past I've dealt with it, and eventually it seems to dissipate as the dressing dries up (usually 1 week span). From this point, it takes another 3-4 months before I hear any squeaking. I've also had luck spraying the allen bolt that attaches to the alternator pulley with WD-40. It seems to immediately go away, although when driving it resurfaces at around 2-3k. When warm, it goes away almost entirely.

However, now start up when cold is when the sound is loudest and nearly constant no matter what RPM. Do I need to retighten the belt? I've noticed small hairline cracks on the teeth of the belt, so maybe I'm due for a replacement. In either case, its embarassing as ever to drive around with the squeal, let alone annoying and probably bad for the car. Simple instructions/write-up on tension check with a tensioner, amount of tension, how to tighten, etc...would be very helpful.

You never want to over tighten your belts, that can cause problems especially to your water pump. If you tighten the alternator/crank belt to the point you can squeeze ~ 3/4", you should be fine. Same applies to the other belt.

Change your belt
 

I had the same problem with my '04 Pathfinder that has 12K miles on it. I was convinced I needed to tighten the belt or grease the pulley. I did tighten the belt and it worked for a little while. I had the oil changed at the shop because it was still under warranty and the mechanic told me that my belts were getting dry and needed replacement. Well I had him change it out and the problem went away. I was a bit embarassed as I thought I was somewhat mechanically inclined working on my FC for 5 or so years. The problem was, I only put 500 miles on the FC over 4 years, so it really never saw much heat or wear that's why the belts were still good. I was stuck on stupid on this one. Just get a new belt and you should be good to go.

Should I replace the pulley(s) while I'm there? or lube them? Is there a write up on how to change a belt? Not too mechanically inclined, however I did manage to change the FPD on my own.

Once a belt starts squeaking, it gets glazed and loses grip on the pulleys. Squeaking is all about a lack of friction, often caused by incorrect belt tension. If the squeaking JUST started, sometimes a tension change will solve it. But usually not.

Change the belt, and on the pulleys that contact the flat side of the belt, rough them up. I used sandpaper and roughed the pulley surface perpendicular to the direction of the belt.

When the belt is off, rotate each pulley under force and feel for roughness in the bearing. Also try to turn/wiggle each one - there should be no wobble or play in them.

Dave

I had the same problem and all i did was replace the belts and prblem was solved Change the belts first . If squeek is still present find out wich pulley is bad and replace it. That should fix your problem........

Do worn belts or Squeaky pulleys have anything to do with a bad idle? It surges like crazy if the A/C is turned off...On the contrary, if the A/C is on, it idles like a champ.

Changed. Done. No squeaks. THx for the help