Different problems out of nowhere!

[olopezm]

Hi guys,

I've been trying to find out the source of 3 different problems but had no success . I don't know in the U.S. or other countries, but here in Mexico we say "I'm saltier than cod" which means you have very bad luck LOL.

1.- The starter seems to be having some intermittent problems, the other day I turned the key and hold it to the start position but I could only listen to a clicking relay under the dash, all the lights go out like the car tries to start but the starter won't engage for about a second, after that the car started and everything worked normally. This has happened only less 5 times since december 31st.

I was thinking about the ignition switch, but besides the blower motor resistor not working I've never had any other electrical gremlins.

Do you think the starter/solenoid might be on their way out?.

2.- This one started only a week ago and happens after the car sits overnight and I start it int he morning.

I've had a whining sound coming from the steering pump for a long time (at least 2 years) and the steering has been stiffer than usual specially when the engine reaches normal temperature, the RPM's drop too much because of the steering effort when the car is idling (guess who's got huge biceps? LOL). I replaced the pump twice, got the rack inspected and rebuilt, a mechanic checked the hoses and he said there were no leaks only one hose seemed to have been welded... After that I inspected the hoses myself but couldn't find the weld.

So the other day I got in the car, started the engine and I heard a loud noise coming from the steering pump, like it had no fluid at all. I turned off the engine, went to the front and checked the fluid. There seems to be some pressure building up in the reservoir, when I open it I can hear a "whooosh" from air escaping out of it. The fluid level seemed to be OK, anyway I added a small amount of fluid just in case and started the car, everything went back to the usual condition. It happened last saturday again, and again this morning, the weirdest thing was that I only turned the steering, with the engine off, from side to side without hitting the stops; removed and re-installed the reservoir cap (air came out again) and started the engine and everything was fine! This time the steering was pretty soft, like factory soft but still had the whining sound which is more noticeable with a cold engine.

Do you think I should just go ahead and replace the hoses? I'm not loosing any fluid!

3.- The A/C compressor seemed to have a bad bearing, every time I turned the AC on, I could hear a humming sound coming from the compressor. The noise faded away out of the sudden, I know it's weird but I didn't care too much of it I was happy. Today I turned the AC after some time without using it and the humming sound is back with the RPM's staying higher than usual, about 1000 RPM and holding when I come to a stop. This condition fades away without AC.

Is this a clutch bearing problem?.
Is it DIY job if I rent the extractor from autozone?.


Thanks for any help you can provide guys.

Best regards,

Oscar.

[richtazz]

Your power steering issue is air in the system. Usually, the only way air gets in is if there is a fluid leak, but if you're not leaking fluid it could be from a loose hose clamp or pinhole in one of the return lines. When the car is running, there is negative pressure in the return hose, so it can suck in air without leaking fluid.

The A/C compressor clutch noise is common on these cars. It is DIY servicable, but does require special tools for clutch and bearing removal/installation.

[BNaylor]

In most cases if its an A/C clutch issue it rattles or makes noise with A/C off which means the air gap is off or needs adjusting. If the noise is with A/C to on then its a compressor issue to include bearings. Also, a low charge may cause the compressor to make a motorboat sound and will vary since it is a Harrison V5 variable displacement compressor.

[tblake]

I was just going to say exactly what Bob and Rich said. Sounds like a small leak in the PS system. And if the AC compressor only makes noise when the clutch is enguaged, best to check the air gap, as the bearing is always spinning when the motor is running.

[olopezm]

Thanks Rich, Bob and Tim.

I will start with the hose clamp on the return line if I have some time tomorrow I'll give it a try. I'll replace the pressure type clamp (still original) and install a screw type one .

Should the problem be a pinhole, there would be a small noticeable leak when turning the wheel right?

This morning I removed the cap before starting the car and some air came out. After that the steering was very soft for the entire trip (about 60 miles) only the whining was a bit noticeable becoming less noticeable as engine temperature came to optimal value.

About the compressor, I read lots of posts regarding the air gap, but was thinking it would only cause a rattling noise as described by users, never thought it could cause a humming sound too. The sound DOES ONLY happens when the clutch is engaged

The original was replaced about 4 years ago, when we bought the car the A/C wasn't working. The guy who did the job installed a delphi compressor, he said it was still the original heavy duty version. I'm not sure if it's the Harrison V5 you mentioned Bob. Is the air gap the same for all compressors? ".020?

Any comments on the starter thing?

Best regards,

Oscar.

[richtazz]

on the starter issue, is the security light on, or has it ever come on in the past?

[olopezm]

Originally Posted by richtazz

on the starter issue, is the security light on, or has it ever come on in the past?

Negative, everything acts like it normally would, the car tries to start as usual only the starter engages a second after the lights in the dash go out.

[richtazz]

I would use a test light on the "s" terminal on the solenoid and watch as an assistant turns the key to the start position. If it immediately lights, but the starter doesn't immediately engage, then the problem is in the starter. If the lamp doesn't light until the starter actually engages, then the problem is in the starter circuit components.

[olopezm]

Thanks Rich, I'll check that but I think it's gonna be hard: the problem happens randomly and there is no apparent way to reproduce the symptom. I'll keep an eye on this.

Hopefully with a bit of time I'll replace the clamp on the return line and check the air gap on the compressor next weekend.

Is it possible that the increased effort on the steering pump can cause the compressor to make the sound? I'll post a video of it maybe tomorrow.

Best regards,

Oscar.

[olopezm]

Hello again,

Finally I replaced the 2 rubber pieces on the return line, the old hoses didn't seem to be bad, I don't know about the crimped clamps on the shorter piece; yet I still decided to cut these and put new new hose and clamps.

Since I was already there I flushed the entire system and put some fresh fluid in it, also I decided to remove the pump and replace the o-ring between the reservoir and pump assembly (there was a lot of dirt and oil close to the area) along with the o-ring at the tip of the pressure hose.

I bled the system by turning the wheels several times from one side to the other while keeping the fluid at the cold level. After about 12 times I decided to start the engine and the noise was a bit noticeable at the beginning but went away after a moment. I let the engine idle until normal temp and everything was still good!.

It seems this time I finally got rid of the whining and grunting, I couldn't take the car for a drive but I'll surely do it tomorrow and will post back with the results.

The starter problem hasn't showed up again, I don't know if it could have been related to my alarm system since I kept using the lock button on the doors every time the car was parked: the button on both remotes weren't working due to being worn, until last week...

The compressor has stopped humming too, I checked the air gap and it seems to be a bit misaligned at one point but that's a work for another day .

Finally I want to ask one thing. When I removed the serpentine belt I decided to spin every pulley and noticed the alternator is making a "brushing" sound. I've never had a problem with alternators so I don't know how would a bad one would sound. Taking into account that the rotor and stator do not have any contact at all I'm guessing the bearing has gone bad, right?. Is it possible to replace only the bearing or will I have to replace the entire alternator?

Thanks again for all your help guys, you really have helped me a lot and I've learned lots from all of you.

Best regards,

Oscar.

[olopezm]

UPDATE

Nope, forget about it guys.

Everything is back to the usual grunting and the hard to turn steering wheel, the higher the temperature the harder the steering and louder the grunting. The whining sound is the opposite, it vanishes as soon as the engine reaches normal temp. I guess I'll have to replace the lines and see if that fixes it. Maybe they have some debris inside.

About the starter today it happened again and I think it is related to the alarm system. My fob stopped working again (I'll have to get a new set of buttons) and I had to use the lock control on the door. After that when I got in the car again it happened... Weird thing is the security light does NOT comes on. Anyway I really don't care much about it as it seems I found the cause of it.

Best regards,

Oscar.

[richtazz]

GM's Pass key system and aftermarket alarm/remote start systems don't seem to play well together, and after a while will start to cause all sorts of odd electrical anomalies.

[olopezm]

Originally Posted by richtazz

GM's Pass key system and aftermarket alarm/remote start systems don't seem to play well together, and after a while will start to cause all sorts of odd electrical anomalies.

Thanks Rich but I don't have any aftermarket systems installed, everything is OEM, I'll keep an eye on this just to make sure my thoughts are correct.

Best regards,

Oscar.

[BNaylor]

Also, keep in mind that GM didn't have Passkey PK3 on GPs until '99 and up. Before that it is neither Passkey or Passlock VATS/Immobilizer like other GM cars around that year group. If you have a stock alarm system it is called content based.

Regardless any GM VATS disables the starter so the engine should not crank and disables the fuel injection system pulse width modulation meaning no spray from the injectors.

[olopezm]

Originally Posted by BNaylor

Also, keep in mind that GM didn't have Passkey PK3 on GPs until '99 and up. Before that it is neither Passkey or Passlock VATS/Immobilizer like other GM cars around that year group. If you have a stock alarm system it is called content based.

Regardless any GM VATS disables the starter so the engine should not crank and disables the fuel injection system pulse width modulation meaning no spray from the injectors.

Bob, I'm not sure if I'm following up correctly, but that means my car DOES NOT have a coded key, but a common one?.

If that's the case then my starter problem would be a completely different thing instead of the alarm not disarming properly, right?.

Thanks,

Oscar.