I have a 2000 Honda Accord EX, 120,000 miles

I had my timing belt, water pump, and drive belts replaced at the Honda dealership a few days ago. The car was fine when I left the lot. The next day however when I started up the car, there was a squealing/screeching noise for about 3-5 seconds as soon as the car started. It was very loud. I took the car back to mechanic and the noise would not repeat itself since it had been raining and the car had been had for about 30 minutes. So the dealership just tightened the belts so more and said it could possibly be due to wear in the A/C pulley. After I left and the car was off and cooled for about 3-4 hours, the noise came back again.

Now this noise will happen the very second the car starts for about 3-5 seconds (whether the A/C is turned on or off at the time). If you turn the A/C on after the noise stops, it will start again and go for another 5 seconds. Then the noise won't come back at all until the car is cooled and has sat for a few hours.

The mechanic never noticed anything wrong with the A/C pulley when they replaced the belts, so I am wondering is this really the problem? Was this something that the dealership caused to happen and they do not want to admit it? I've already paid $700 to have this work done and I don't want to take the car back there again and have them tell me to replace the pulley and I will have to pay for it.

Any advice?

 

4-cylinder engine???

You can run the engine with both external drive belts removed. Not for long, because it runs off the battery. If you do this, and it STILL makes the noise, then you know it's coming from inside the timing cover. Did they replace the tensioner pulleys?

 

Yes - 4-cylinder engine.

I don't think they replaced the tensioner pulleys. Here's the list of what was replaced from the receipt:

Timing Belt
Drive Belts
Seal, Spark Plug
Gasket, Cyl HD CVR
Water Pump
Belt, P-S- Pump
Belt, Compressor
Clip A, Bumper

 

find out which pulley/belt is making the noise, clean the pulleys and belt with brake cleaner.

tighten the belt so that at the longest straight stretch on the belt, it only twists 90 degrees when you twist it with your fingers.

 

There's 2 timing belts, one for the camshaft and the other for the balance shafts. You don't usually see one replaced without the other.

"Drive belts" are listed, which sounds like a duplicate of PS & Compressor belts?? (Maybe that item actually refers to the balance-shaft belt)

I think adjusting the belt for a 90-degree-twist applies only to the camshaft timing belt. Seems like the external drive belts would be tighter than that.