Running engine without acc. belts?

[Plazaster]

Hi all, this is my first post.

I inherited a '98 V6 camry in need of repair, which has been a pet project of mine these last months, to learn auto skills.

I am currently diagnosing a squel/persistent chirp from the belt area. I removed the alternator(and ac?) belt that was easy to get at, it was in good condition, the three pulleys it ran through were true and spun freely. I reattached the belt, tightened, started engine and the is noise still there.

Before I go further, is it safe for me to remove this belt and start the engine? I would like to be thorough, and I am curious to know now.

I'll probably have more questions in coming weeks and months, I'm enjoying working on the car and have found previous threads from this forum to be very useful.

Cheers, Mic

[trentmeyer23]

The only crucial belt is the timing belt, the others are just there to make living with the car easier. The car can be run without the alternator being connected, however, beware that the battery will drain much faster and will eventually reach a point where the ECU will not have enough power and the engine will shut off.

[Plazaster]

Ahh thanks, I isolated the noise to the power steering belt. I removed, inspected and put it back on tight and the noise seems to have subsided. I will replace these belts in due course, meanwhile there are others noises to silence!

Cheers, mic