need some help in narrowing dwn problem
qb9futurehof
08-29-2010, 10:33 PM
So here is the issue, i have a 2000 alero V6 3.4 liter, coupe. it has 150,000 miles. well about 7 months ago i started noticing that my trac off, service veicle, and anti lock lights all started coming on. well they went off for several months but are now on permanently.
from doing research on the forums i understnd this is most likely a wheel hub assebly.
Ok fine that woulda been an easy enough fix, but then i started having some other issues. and im wondering if they are due to the same prob.
1. one of my tires(left rear i belive) makes an incredible high pitched squealing/humming sound as i drive. this happens weather im going straight or turning.
2. i belive my mpg is low. im getting about 185 miles per fill up. when i get gas i put about 12.5 gallons in.
3. about same time as all this started steering was extremly difficult, and i have a " leak" somewhere in my power steering system, because i have been adding a bottle(real cheap generic stuff) every week.
Reason im asking is if this is all due to the wheel hub assembly deal i can handle it, but if these are 3 seperate problems i am very tempted to getting a new car.
Thanks
from doing research on the forums i understnd this is most likely a wheel hub assebly.
Ok fine that woulda been an easy enough fix, but then i started having some other issues. and im wondering if they are due to the same prob.
1. one of my tires(left rear i belive) makes an incredible high pitched squealing/humming sound as i drive. this happens weather im going straight or turning.
2. i belive my mpg is low. im getting about 185 miles per fill up. when i get gas i put about 12.5 gallons in.
3. about same time as all this started steering was extremly difficult, and i have a " leak" somewhere in my power steering system, because i have been adding a bottle(real cheap generic stuff) every week.
Reason im asking is if this is all due to the wheel hub assembly deal i can handle it, but if these are 3 seperate problems i am very tempted to getting a new car.
Thanks
skeeter123
08-30-2010, 08:43 AM
First off, an Alero with 150K will be a constant source of repair/maintenance entertainment; so if you have the means to upgrade to a more reliable car, do so.
With the loud noise from the rear wheel, I would jack up the car to get the wheel off the ground, and rotate it by hand to see if it turns freely. If its a bad bearing, you can often tell just by doing this. you can also grab the tire at the top and bottom position and try to joggle it; there should be no play in the bearing. On the rear, you can also do this while grabbing at the left and right sides; again there should be no play in the bearing.
A bad bearing usually makes a low grinding noise; your incredibly high-pitched sound may be the parking/emergency brake shoe having come loose. You can take off the tire, take off the rotor, and check out the e-brake to see if it's OK. At 150K, sometimes the e-brake parts have just rusted out, and are grinding up against the rotor. If that's the case, sometimes its really hard to even get the rotor to come off.
Check the bearings on all the wheels, it wouldn't be unusual for there to be a bad bearing and e-brake prob at same time.
Also, the ABS computer also controls the power steering on this car; so that if a bearing is bad and not sending the proper rpm signal to the ABS computer, it may decide not to control the power steering as it should. On my Alero, the effect was that the power steering would be on full-blast all the time. It's supposed to on full blast when you're moving slowing (in parking lots, for instance) but then reducing the boost by closing the EVO-valve (at the bottom of the power steering pump) as you go faster. At highway speeds, you get more road-feel with less power steering. If you're losing that much ps fluid, are you seeing drips/puddles of it under the car?
I'd fix the brake/bearing problem before I drove it much more, then see what probs you still have, and decide from there if you want to keep it.
Hope this helps...
With the loud noise from the rear wheel, I would jack up the car to get the wheel off the ground, and rotate it by hand to see if it turns freely. If its a bad bearing, you can often tell just by doing this. you can also grab the tire at the top and bottom position and try to joggle it; there should be no play in the bearing. On the rear, you can also do this while grabbing at the left and right sides; again there should be no play in the bearing.
A bad bearing usually makes a low grinding noise; your incredibly high-pitched sound may be the parking/emergency brake shoe having come loose. You can take off the tire, take off the rotor, and check out the e-brake to see if it's OK. At 150K, sometimes the e-brake parts have just rusted out, and are grinding up against the rotor. If that's the case, sometimes its really hard to even get the rotor to come off.
Check the bearings on all the wheels, it wouldn't be unusual for there to be a bad bearing and e-brake prob at same time.
Also, the ABS computer also controls the power steering on this car; so that if a bearing is bad and not sending the proper rpm signal to the ABS computer, it may decide not to control the power steering as it should. On my Alero, the effect was that the power steering would be on full-blast all the time. It's supposed to on full blast when you're moving slowing (in parking lots, for instance) but then reducing the boost by closing the EVO-valve (at the bottom of the power steering pump) as you go faster. At highway speeds, you get more road-feel with less power steering. If you're losing that much ps fluid, are you seeing drips/puddles of it under the car?
I'd fix the brake/bearing problem before I drove it much more, then see what probs you still have, and decide from there if you want to keep it.
Hope this helps...
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