How can I make sure the belt needs to be replaced and not a more extensive repair?

The belt on my 1996 Toyota Avalon is squeaking when I turn the AC/Heater on.How can I make sure the belt needs to be replaced and not a more extensive repair?Inspect the belt to see if it looks frayed or anything. You may just need to lube it with some belt lube (spray). But you should be able to tell if it needs replaced and if not run to your local auto supply store and get some spray for it and see if that does the trick.

Good luckHow can I make sure the belt needs to be replaced and not a more extensive repair?There are a couple of ways to check that. 1. is the squealing steady?? If it is that means your compressor is locking up. 2. Does it squeal for a little bit then be o.k.?? if that is the case then it could be either that your clutch plate is wore out a little or that you need to replace the belt. If it is in the first case for the time being you can remove the fuse for the a/c and work on the compressor issue later in the spring. Or you can unplug the compressor making sure that you tie the wire up so it does not get tangled in any thing. good luck