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Ok sorry to be the never ender noob problem but as i am working through this issue my belt/pulleys started squeaking worse than before. Yesterday after driving about 20 miles I stopped at a store for about a half hour. When I started her up it squeaked some but went away pretty quick. My thoughts have always been belts or tensioners. But as I took off I got a pretty high squeal that she has never done before. I left off the gas and it stopped and didn't come back. Drove fine all the way home. When i turned her off there was a small "Chirp" sound after the engine was off and a low click sound.
This morning I started her up and she squeaked as normal. I put some water on the rib side of the belt and it stopped some but not all of the squeaking. Sounds like it may be coming from power steering pulley. But then I noticed squeaking coming from the near the intake manifold. When I had my son turn off the car that "chirp" i heard last night came from where the squeaking near the manifold was and then some low clicks. I took a quick video of it right after to see if I could catch it so you all could hear it. There is a link below to it on youtube I just uploaded. It is like 20 sec long. My guess, and not the most educated probably, is that is the throttle position sensor? Thanks again.
I would check the idler pulley for the squeak, even if it is a little gravelly sounding...replace it. Check to make sure no fluid are dripping on the belt. Also, remove and inspect all the vacuum hoses for leaks. Spray starting fluid around all the vacuum line connections, throttle body, and intake. If the engine revs up, then you have an air leak in that area. DO NOT get electronics wet.
I replaced the TPS and some of the noise that I heard in the top of the engine went away. However the belt noise is still there. I will check that pulley. She is still running rough though. When at a stop light it still has a very rough idle. But put her in neutral and the idle is fine. Also I am noticing a stutter/hesitation when taking off from a stop and also up around 40 MPH. But you can gun the engine and she will take off, easily rev to over 5k RPM. Transmission seems to shift smoothly just that hesitation/stutter from stop, rough idle while in gear, and hesitation/stutter when hitting the accelerator around 40mph. Maybe spark plugs and wires? I was going to dive into there next with an ohm meter and do some testing. I have no idea when the plugs were changed last so that is probably a needed maintenance anyway.
Thanks for the heads up on the vacuum hoses. I did a visual inspection and didn't see any rips or tears but that doesn't mean there is any. I'll get some starter fluid and try that out. Thanks again.
What you are describing is almost exactly what my 98 was doing. After finding the cracked PCV hose by removing it and inspecting it, I would say it was a huge problem. Here is a list of other things I have done:
1. For hesitation at start and cold shifting from 1st to 2nd -- I did a transmission flush that took 15 quarts total to get the fluid to run clear.
2. New plugs and wires - old
3. New coolant temperature sender - my housing was cracked
4. New idle pulley - if it squeaks or feels like gravel when you spin it
5. New Fuel Filter - doubt this needed done
6. Oil change and filter - due
7. New valve cover gaskets - the grommets on the old ones seemed to have shrunk and lost torque. hardest valve gasket I've ever done.
8. New battery - 1 1/2 year old battery was leaking
Last edited by Michael88; 07-17-18 at 04:54 PM.
Reason: addition
I replaced the TPS and some of the noise that I heard in the top of the engine went away. However the belt noise is still there. I will check that pulley. She is still running rough though. When at a stop light it still has a very rough idle. But put her in neutral and the idle is fine. Also I am noticing a stutter/hesitation when taking off from a stop and also up around 40 MPH. But you can gun the engine and she will take off, easily rev to over 5k RPM. Transmission seems to shift smoothly just that hesitation/stutter from stop, rough idle while in gear, and hesitation/stutter when hitting the accelerator around 40mph. Maybe spark plugs and wires? I was going to dive into there next with an ohm meter and do some testing. I have no idea when the plugs were changed last so that is probably a needed maintenance anyway.
Thanks for the heads up on the vacuum hoses. I did a visual inspection and didn't see any rips or tears but that doesn't mean there is any. I'll get some starter fluid and try that out. Thanks again.
A vacuum leak can cause shudders, much like transmission shudders. I just saw you were having shudders and was thinking transmission.
I am hoping it isn't the transmission. If it is that may be the end of this little project. However, this morning when I started up there was no squeak and the CEL was off. Before the error codes I had got were 41 and 71. I figured the TPS would clear the 41 but looks like both of those cleared. The shuttering is still there and I am noticing that the warmer the car is the worse it is.
When I first started driving this morning, and for about the first 10 miles, there was not shuttering. Even while idling in gear. But once I had been driving for about a half hour it started to come back. I went to lunch with the wife and then drove home. The shuttering got really bad on the way home, I thought she was going to stall out. Especially around a constant 40MHP or when I hit the accelerator.
I bought an ohm meter to see if I can find out what is going on before I just start throwing parts at it.
So far I have done nothing with the transmission but check the fluid level. the level was fine and the fluid looked ok. No evidence of any leaks but I don't know what is exactly going on in there for sure. I have a cousin who is a mechanic, I may have him come and take a look at it.
This may seem odd, but is your key and key fob still intact/ cracked? If so, then the transponder can make the ignition cut out. I would remove and critically inspect all the vacuum hoses. Careful with the three on the air box, Careful removing the box, they can break very easily and are a pain to repair the holes. Check the PCV valve, remove and clean and make sure it shakes.
I was finally able to have someone give me a hand and hold the car in gear while I looked under the hood. While I had the hood open, the car in gear, I heard what sounded like a popping sound under the hood similar to an electrical charge that corresponded to when the car would rough idle. But when the car was in neutral or park it would not make the sound. Finally I was able to observe a spark near the underside of the driver side timing belt cover. Here is a pic of the area where I saw the spark. I circled the area where I saw the arc going between. To be honest I am not sure what those wires and hose are. I am assuming the hose is a vacuum hose and it is arcing between the wire and the metal part of the hose. The hose had not damage to it. Any ideas? Thanks.
07-14-18, 07:44 AM
