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'07 Caddy SRX 3.6L AWD just died. help!


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Wasn't sure where to post stuff, so I thought Id try this first. My wifes SRX just did something which seems almost catastrophic. I was just driving it locally, no more than 35mph, and caught a whiff of something burning. Smelled metallic or electrical. Then I got a sensor a minute later for the ABS. At this point I noticed some "drag" when I pushed on the accelerator. Heard a faint whine. More burning smell. Then I got a traction control warning light. Then a service stabillitrac message. Then as I turned on my street, several messages all at once. Battery light came on, as well as a message that said service battery charging system, and finally battery saver active. I pulled into the garage and got out. Yep, still smelling. Got my wife, popped the hood, everything looked ok. Tried to get into the car, and its 100% dead. Battery replaced 3 months ago. IS it possible that the cascading failures are due to a failed alternator? Because the alternator or belt is the only thing that makes sense to me because of the smoke smell and electrical warnings. But the ABS is throwing me off. Thank you for your time reading this. Any direction you can give is definitely appreciated.

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Now that its been a day, I tried to get back into it and see if there was power. Stuck the key in and twisted. Nope, completely dead, no lights, nothing. Now, I can't get the key out, and I can't get it into neutral to get out of the garage. Any ideas on easy things to check at this point?

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Have you looked at the serpentine belt to see if it self destructed?

Do you have a volt meter?

@BravoSierra

Pre-1995 - DTC codes OBD1  >>

1996 and newer - DTC codes OBD2 >> https://www.obd-codes.com/trouble_codes/gm/obd_codes.htm

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@BravoSierra

It is possible that an accessory seized, an idler wheel, alternator, ac compressor, steering, or tensioner.  Check the battery voltage with your meter what is the volts?   

Recharge the battery with a portable charger back to full charge.  

Stay clear and have someone start the car and look, at the belt area for something seized.

 It may not turn over as an accessory is seized, look at lights to see if they dim but the engine doesn't turn.

Do not hold key more than 5 seconds if lights dim and engine does NOT turn.  

If engine starts and there is a squeal locate it fast and turn engine off.

Stay out of the line of the belt in case it breaks, do NOT hang your head over the belt!!

Be careful, keep hands away

Pre-1995 - DTC codes OBD1  >>

1996 and newer - DTC codes OBD2 >> https://www.obd-codes.com/trouble_codes/gm/obd_codes.htm

How to check for codes Caddyinfo How To Technical Archive >> http://www.caddyinfo.com/wordpress/cadillac-how-to-faq/

Cadillac History & Specifications Year by Year  http://www.motorera.com/cadillac/index.htm

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OK. Had to get a new multimeter. Making 9.9 volts. That's not going to cut it obviously. Going to take it out and bring it back to oreillies since its only been 3 months since new. Will report back once I install, and do what you asked me to do carefully. Hoping that its a seized component, and will be obvious once we attempt to turn it over a few times.

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Direct a message at me if you are in a rush using the @ sign, like this and Ill see it faster, I get a message, do this >> @BodybyFisher 

The coils will discharge the battery quickly without the alternator.  The symptoms make it sound like you lost a belt, I am surprised you didn't.  It's rare for an alternator to seize but I suppose it's possible. Something caused your battery to drain

Pre-1995 - DTC codes OBD1  >>

1996 and newer - DTC codes OBD2 >> https://www.obd-codes.com/trouble_codes/gm/obd_codes.htm

How to check for codes Caddyinfo How To Technical Archive >> http://www.caddyinfo.com/wordpress/cadillac-how-to-faq/

Cadillac History & Specifications Year by Year  http://www.motorera.com/cadillac/index.htm

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Ok,

Got the battery back  20 minutes ago. Oreillies load tested it and recharged. Had a nice note on it to look at the iginition system, alternator, and cabling. Looked everything over, and reinstalled battery. Fired it up for just a few seconds. Everything turning over but for one engine accessory pulley. If your standing in the front, lower most accessory on the right drivers side. Looks different than the others, kinda like it has a clutch type assembly on it. Looks like A/C compressor? dunno, but everything but that is spinning. I did notice a slight squeal during the few seconds it was running, not sure where it was coming from, didn't leave engine on long enough.

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It is possible that your A.C. compressor hub bearing is shot and binds.  Do not drive far till you confirm.  

Remove belt and rotate each accessory and feel for roughness and drag. 

I had an A.C. hub go bad, it makes racket and will smoke, squeal, and throw belts off.  

How does it sound?

Pre-1995 - DTC codes OBD1  >>

1996 and newer - DTC codes OBD2 >> https://www.obd-codes.com/trouble_codes/gm/obd_codes.htm

How to check for codes Caddyinfo How To Technical Archive >> http://www.caddyinfo.com/wordpress/cadillac-how-to-faq/

Cadillac History & Specifications Year by Year  http://www.motorera.com/cadillac/index.htm

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Just started it for a few more seconds. Sounds like a belt is rubbing. I also looked up how to do a quick alternator check. Turned off it shows 12.6V, turned on it drops to 11.8 Volts. Rubbing sound got much louder this time, although it was just for a few moments to jump out and get the voltmeter on the battery.

 

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I'll do as you suggested in about an hour when I have to pick my kiddo up. Need a 1/2" socket/breaker bar, and I don't have one. Wont hurt me none to have one, so I'll get and confirm whats spinning, or is lose, or not right.

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Got the 1/2" socket and and loosened the belt tensioners enough to check all pulleys. On the left side, everything rotated. Center pulleys, no problem. On the right side, neither of the pulleys wanted to budge. I pushed harder on the belt tensioner and the bottom one freely spun. Top one no problem either. Perhaps just a coincidence that I wasn't pushing hard enough on the tensioner, though I could see slack.  Followed up with a quick start of the engine again. This time the bottom right accessory/pulley/AC? was spinning along with the belt. Looked over everything this time and all were spinning. definitely making a sound of rubbing. Can't nail down which side it is. Hmmmm.

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3 hours ago, BravoSierra said:

I'll do as you suggested in about an hour when I have to pick my kiddo up. Need a 1/2" socket/breaker bar, and I don't have one. Wont hurt me none to have one, so I'll get and confirm whats spinning, or is lose, or not right.

It's a good tool to have, you will love it for tough lug nuts and axle nuts.  

Pre-1995 - DTC codes OBD1  >>

1996 and newer - DTC codes OBD2 >> https://www.obd-codes.com/trouble_codes/gm/obd_codes.htm

How to check for codes Caddyinfo How To Technical Archive >> http://www.caddyinfo.com/wordpress/cadillac-how-to-faq/

Cadillac History & Specifications Year by Year  http://www.motorera.com/cadillac/index.htm

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1 hour ago, BravoSierra said:

Got the 1/2" socket and and loosened the belt tensioners enough to check all pulleys. On the left side, everything rotated. Center pulleys, no problem. On the right side, neither of the pulleys wanted to budge. I pushed harder on the belt tensioner and the bottom one freely spun. Top one no problem either. Perhaps just a coincidence that I wasn't pushing hard enough on the tensioner, though I could see slack.  Followed up with a quick start of the engine again. This time the bottom right accessory/pulley/AC? was spinning along with the belt. Looked over everything this time and all were spinning. definitely making a sound of rubbing. Can't nail down which side it is. Hmmmm.

Did you spin the A.C. hub?  Key off! Have someone hold the breaker bar, someone you trust not to slip or let go and grab the hub with both hands and see if it rocks or has play.  When that bearing begins to go bad it will cock and bind on the compressor itself.  

Look under the hood for a belt diagram.  Take the belt off altogether, don't replace it yet until you find the problem as you could damage the new belt.  Don't remove it unless there is a diagram, there should be one.

When you install it start from the bottom and work up being sure that belt is in the pulley grooves.  Use a broom stick cut to 4 feet to guide it onto the crank pulley.

When the belt is off check each pulley for looseness,.roughness, binding.  Check A.C. and alternator, idler pulley, tensioner pulley, air pump if you have one, steering, etc.

If you want to listen, use a 3/4 inch hose about 3 feet long and carefully, CAREFULLY, place the end of the hose near every moving pulley and the other end by your ear.  

Work slow and safe, stay clear of moving parts, no loose clothes or strings or hair....

Pre-1995 - DTC codes OBD1  >>

1996 and newer - DTC codes OBD2 >> https://www.obd-codes.com/trouble_codes/gm/obd_codes.htm

How to check for codes Caddyinfo How To Technical Archive >> http://www.caddyinfo.com/wordpress/cadillac-how-to-faq/

Cadillac History & Specifications Year by Year  http://www.motorera.com/cadillac/index.htm

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@BravoSierra

I edited the post above please re-read.  New Galaxy S7 likes to change spelling to the wrong words

Pre-1995 - DTC codes OBD1  >>

1996 and newer - DTC codes OBD2 >> https://www.obd-codes.com/trouble_codes/gm/obd_codes.htm

How to check for codes Caddyinfo How To Technical Archive >> http://www.caddyinfo.com/wordpress/cadillac-how-to-faq/

Cadillac History & Specifications Year by Year  http://www.motorera.com/cadillac/index.htm

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Were in the middle of a lightning storm so I will go at it in the morning. Yes, I have already taken off my ring, put on a t-shirt, and going slow and methodical like. Now, its more like a puzzle, trying to figure out whats wrong. Kinda fun.

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Ok, went out and was able to get off the belts with little drama. I pushed pulled, wiggled, etc, and everything checks out ok in that regard. I didn't check the tensioner itself. I will do that after I drop my kid off to school this morning. Belts still off, no biggee.

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Very odd that you didn't find anything.  How did the alternator feel?  Pay close attention to the AC compressor

Pre-1995 - DTC codes OBD1  >>

1996 and newer - DTC codes OBD2 >> https://www.obd-codes.com/trouble_codes/gm/obd_codes.htm

How to check for codes Caddyinfo How To Technical Archive >> http://www.caddyinfo.com/wordpress/cadillac-how-to-faq/

Cadillac History & Specifications Year by Year  http://www.motorera.com/cadillac/index.htm

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Just put the belts back on and tried to fire it up again. Battery is dying. it turns over, but it has no cranking power and slowed down to almost nothing during the start cycle. Without doing "swaptronics" I'm forced to believe that its the alternator first, and A/C second. On a neighbors suggestion, I'm going to jump it off and start one last time. I'm going to take a spray bottle and spray just a bit on the bare pulley and see if the squeaking stops. Theory is that if the belt is bad too, then the squeaking subsides. It may make it easier to hear and confirm which component is causing the problem. But the car does have 110K miles without a new alternator or belts, so I'd garner it wouldn't hurt anything to do replace, other than as you suggested if another component is bad, don't waste time replacing belts yet.

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Your a/c compressor (clutch) is unengaged when the engine is off so you are not going to see that pulley locked-up with engine-off/belt off if you have an internally broken compressor.  Do you recall whether the a/c produced cold air when you were running your test (and you were getting the squeaking belt scenario).  Just some random thoughts; good luck with your repair.

Chuck

'19 CT6, '04 Bravada........but still lusting for that '69 Z-28

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