OK.....

   About 200 times, I have started the Vanagon, without the headlight
"forgotten" in the on position, since I first encountered that squeal...and
no it did/does not squeal.  This morning, with the headlights in the ON
position it DID squeal again...But it won't squeal again right now when I
try starting with the lights in the on position.

   So, I deduce that the belt must be ever-so-slightly loose and an
additional load (if indeed having the lights left on first thing in the
morning when starting up adds any extra load to the belt) makes it
squeal....

  ....or, and here is my concern,  something is just starting to fail or
getting ready to fail and when I get into the most remote darkest coldest
part of Nevada...it could let loose.  I would like for that not to happen.
So, I ask the wise lists...

  Don Hanson

On Thu, Feb 24, 2011 at 11:11 AM, Robert Stevens <mtbiker62@gmail.com>wrote:

> You know when you go to the doctor and tell him/her that "when I do this,
> it hurts?"
> .... and they say: "then don't do that."
>
> Well, why not just turn the head light switch off and start the engine and
> let us know
> if this still happens?
>
> I'd "treat" the belt with "treatment" that your FLAPS can provide. It
> sounds like an
> alternator-load-related matter to me.
>
> bob
> On Feb 24, 2011, at 11:58 AM, Don Hanson wrote:
>
> >  Twice in about a month, my engine alternator/water pump belt has
> squealed
> > on start up...ceasing to make the noise after just a slight blip of the
> > throttle.   I think this  happened  both times when I've forgotten and
> left
> > on the headlight, then started the van from there.
>