You might have had a noisy (screeching) fan belt before, this can be because there's been a bit of an oil leak causing a slip and a squeak, it could be you've got a bearing on the way out (not nice if your alternator fails, or your power steering pump, and it will choose a dark night on a country lane to do it), or it could be because your pulleys are a bit polished from minor slipping. You can cure the noise with silicone spray, but this will just cover up the problem for a few days. Belt dressing spray helps the belt to grip for a while longer, but rubs off and will have polished the pulleys a bit more, making it even worse. Eventually after all this mucking about, the pulleys can be coated with a kind of hard varnish which makes the belt slip and screech like a banshee. The best cure is to take it all to bits and clean the pulleys with wire wool and brake fluid cleaner. An almost as good solution is to use a bit of taylors chalk. It's supposed to be for sale in any haberdashery but I've not found it in one. I just bought some online for about 90 pence. Get a stick and put the chalk in, to save having your fingers removed in a pulley, start the engine, and press the chalk against the running belt to coat it lightly. It's deeply satisfying, and the squeak will go away as if by magic. If it doesn't, then at least you know you've got to change a bearing.
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