deana98204

Now that my rear brakes have been replaced, I am still having a problem. It is still lugging in the front. When my van warms up, and I am going 35-40, it luggs and rattles in the front, passanger side. Someone told me to replace the pcv valve and that might work, but I don't know. Any suggestions?

jeffcoslacker

I don't think a PCV is gonna be your answer. Is the rattle light pinging, like the motor is hot or overloaded, or a more pronounced rattle like something actually loose and hitting? When you say lugs, like the brakes are dragging or something holding it back, or does the motor start running rough?

deana98204

It is hard to say...It is making a noise! And it happens after my van heats up, to normal running temp, and after I reach 35 mph. Then the noise starts, but it stops when I take my foot off of the gas peddle. And it also stops after I get past 40 mph, then happens again at 55 mph. HELP!!!!

deana98204

Also, the motor has a terrible miss in it, I can hear the missing when I am stopped. Thank you for the reply.

deana98204

The pcv valve was not the problem. But, whatever the problem is, it is 10 times worse now. I can hear a rattling under the hood, passenger side of the car very badly, worse when I am stopped at a light now. HELP.....this is my only transportation.

dwalmop

What exactly do you mean by "lugging" from your discriptions is almost sounds like something that is driven by your acc. belt is going bad; i.e. power steering, a/c or alternator. Could even be the tensioner.

dwalmop

Believe it or not, I also one time had similar symptoms on one of my cars and the problem turned out to be a broken harmonic balancer, and part of it was rubbing on the timing chain cover, and nearly wore through it by the time I caught it. I doubt that's what your problem is, but it's worth at least taking a flash light and looking at.

deana98204

Jeff
By lugging, which is probably the wrong word, I mean it does not have the power it used to. When my car warms up, it feels like it is trying to hard to gain speed, and it makes this weird noise from the front passenger side of the engine.

deana98204

Jeff
My serpentin belt is fine, I replaced it about 5 months ago, it has good tension. Thank you for your replies to my postings. I find your information very helpful. Your suggestions are great.

deana98204

Where and what is the harmonic balancer, and how expensive is it to fix. I am running on limited funds right now.

jeffcoslacker

Harmonic balancer is at the end of the crankshaft, where the crank belt pulley is. Bottom center of the motor, the one that actually drives the belt. There is a weighted ring around it that is there to absorb crankshaft harmonics, sometimes they seperate, and the outer ring comes loose, rattling around with the pulley as it turns, makes godawful noise and vibration.