1989 Lesabre Noise Driving me Crazy!!

[Diamond57]

My Lesabre is a good car, it drives just great. It has lots of power, no performance loss with this problem.

It has an incessant rattle, when I try to locate where it is coming from, it sounds like it coming from everywhere. Like it echo's throughout the engine. Although it sometimes seems to come from the passenger side where the belt system is. It has one of those serpentine belts, the one piece runs all. I have changed the idler pulley, the belt, the power steering unit and pulley, water pump and water pump pulley, alternator, removed the metal spash guard under the engine all to no avail. I drive this car all over the place, it runs great, just this noise is driving me crazy.

Any help would be greatly appreciated, and help my nerves immensely!!

[dogonastick]

Diamond57

HOPE HOPE HOPE HOPE

Someone ' has ' answered you on this / that / your SUBJECT issue. I ' ve got almost the same EXACT issue with my 1995 LeSabre ; we ' ve changed , replace and re-replaced every belt and driven item on front side of engine, Still has that NOISE !! Mine sounds like someone ' banging a rubber hose / hammer somewhere on or near right front cover of engine. Buick folks LOST ; local Mechanical folks LOST and still noise drives me INSANE !!

Is it SAFE to drive ?? I keep driving and it keeps going but the NOISE is still there. I ' ve sort of been ' divorced 'from Buick and local Mechanical folks Shops due to money spent and still that NOISE is there and my wallet is empty.

IF one has told you any advice please allow my BRAIN their answer too !!

Please reply back MIGHT be both of ' US ' can find the correct answer.

NO NO NO it is not BUICK ' s answer of the harmonic balance with a rubber cone trying to discentergrate !!

And if if if it was a bearing it would of ' froze ' by now I ' ve got 105,000 + and its been doing this from 89,000.

Dogonastick

HONEST !!

[malibuss]

If you can feel slippage when turning the balancer thats it. I had the same problem. Does it only do it at certain RPM ranges?

[Diamond57]

It does it when I start the car, and I am idling, but at higher speeds while driving, no noise whatsoever. Also, when I turn the car off, it gives one last resounding Ker-Klunk!!

However, last week, I lost power steering, I pulled into a parking lot, thought my belt broke. I opened the hood, and the belt wasn't broke, it was still around everything, but very slack, nothing was turning. Upon further inspection, the idler pulley (which I got at the junk yard), the plastic spindle had broke leaving just the center bearing. fortunately I still had the original one in the trunk, which there was nothing wrong with in the first place, but I replaced these things one at a time trying to track down this noise.

But, I went in and started the car BEFORE putting the other idler pulley back on, to see if the noise was still there when nothing on the belt system was turning..........LO AND BEHOLD....... The noise was STILL THERE. So, I might be wrong, but I am assuming since the car makes this horriffic noise whether the pulley's on the belt are turning or not, that it must be something that is NOT on the belt system.

I have spent all kinds of money trying to track this noise down, I just can't imagine what the heck it is. Every where I have taken it for an estimate, to see what's wrong with it, tells me that the cause, is something that I have already replaced. So, again I am at a loss.

[Hypsi87]

It's hard to troubleshoot a noise on the internet but Ill give it a shot. First of all is it a grinding noise or a squeak or what. Is it RPM related? or is it it speed related? any type of info would help. Has anyone checked the CV Joints yet?

Andy.

[malibuss]

My car DID the E-X-A-C-T thing it was the harmonic balancer.

[pcv]

Like the moderator mentioned earlier, it is very hard to diagnose on the internet. I think the noise is either from the crankshaft pulley or the timing chain has a lot of play causing the rattle. Another heavier rattle could be from the crankshaft bearings, but that would be easily detected at the shops that you have taken it to.
All the best.

[Diamond57]

Originally Posted by Hypsi87

It's hard to troubleshoot a noise on the internet but Ill give it a shot. First of all is it a grinding noise or a squeak or what. Is it RPM related? or is it it speed related? any type of info would help. Has anyone checked the CV Joints yet?

Andy.

It is a metal on metal clanking noise. You know how it sounds when a rod is knocking, like that, only alot louder. I had that checked too and its not that. As for RPM.Speed related, when I start the car it bangs like that, the more RPMS the less noise. When I am idling it makes noise all the time. When I accelerate, it quits and as long as I am driving along there is no noise, but slow down to idle, and there it is again.

Hope this helps me figure this out.

thanks for replying

The CV joints were replaces 11-14-03

[Hemo]

I have an unbalanced fan behind my radiator on the driver side. Whenever this things starts or stops, it makes a 'rattling' sound. When driving, it is usually quiet, unless the ride is rough, then it seems to make more noise.

When shutting the vehicle off, I hear a final 'rattle-ther-cluck' come from it as it stops.

probably not your rattle, but you could have multiple.

[chevelle66]

have you checked your Cadillac converter thats whats wrong with mine i have a 89 buick lesaber limited and to get ride of the noise i just turn the radio up but if thats the problem you shouldnt worry.

[Hypsi87]

I would have the timing chain checked. The way I look at it is when it's idleing your chain has all sorts of slack and is able to bouce around. Maybe it's a case of more engine speed you have the less the chain bangs around

[kcpapp]

I have a '90 LeSabre that is doing the same thing, I replaced the timing chain when the crank sensor went out but the noise is still there. The noise sounds like there is a bolt loose on the torque converter but all 3 bolts are tight. Guess I am as lost as everyone else is!

[HannabilRox]

I would try the old "stick-to-the-ear" test, or "poor mans stethoscope". I was able to locate an odd "fluttering" noise on my Buick using this method. Just find a long stick, or tube and place one end on the engine somewhere where you think the noise is coming from, then put your ear against the rod/stick "near" the other end in your hand, press the side of the rod/stick to your ear...(NOTE don't put the end IN your ear). Believe it or not, the sound at the point where the rod/stick is touching the engine, will be carried through the stick. WARNING, careful putting the rod on the front part of the engine where the drivebelt is turning. I think we all know what potentially could happen with that!
My "fluttering" sound was coming from the solenoid attached to the charcol canister.

I am wondering if maybe it might be lack of oil pressure at idle and maybe a worn/sticky lifter? Loose/worn engine mount?

[Vancouver_TType]

OKAY GUYS, LISTEN UP.

I have a 1988 Lesabre TType. The 3.8 is bolted to a TH440 tranny. This is a four speed WITH lockup. I went through all of this when I bought the car. I mean ALL of it. I replaced every single thing on the front of that motor, and it was still chattering...like it had no oil in it or something. I replaced the entire exhaust system, thinking a piece of rust was dancing around in the stock cat. That wasn't it either. I was at the point where I had this GREAT motor that haulled butt, but sounded like crap. IT WAS THE CHAIN IN THE TRANNY. Alot of FWD trannies have chains in them, and this one was stretched all to hell. THAT WAS THE NOISE. The thing is, the sound bounced off everything in that engine bay, so I couldn't zone in on it, even with a hose in my ear. I hope this gives you guys something new to consider.

[suzqlar2]

Originally Posted by malibuss

My car DID the E-X-A-C-T thing it was the harmonic balancer.

I agree, almost certainly the harmonic balancer.