New here / Some weird sound on my STS

[TdM]

Hi,

I'm new here so let me introduce myself

My name is Tony, I'm from Amsterdam (Netherlands) (b.t.w. sorry for typo's) and since a few days I got a '93 Seville STS and I'm soooo happy with it. The car has a great impressive looks, drives good and you don't see them daily on the Dutch roads... so I'm happy. The STS is in good condition for his age and had his check-ups in time... which is a good thing I guess...

The funny thing with the STS is that when you drive slowly the suspension feels very smooth and comfortable but when you take a exit on the highway with a sharp corner the STS stays very stable and I had the feeling I could take the turn much and much faster.

The Northstar engine is impressive and runs very smoothly, when I bought it a independant universal garage did an compression test and everything was ok.

But today, cleaned the STS from the inside and outside, build in my own stereo and stuff and when I was ready I started the car to see if everything was working. Then I heard a strange whispering sound under the hood. I lifted the flap (or something like this) at the side of the battery and I saw very deep below some kinda wheel (pully?) rotating slowly but everytime when it rotated I heard that sound.

When I left my girlfriend this evening I switched on the front window blower and a weird rattling noise sounded under the hood. I switched the blower off and the rattling sound dissapeared. At home I checked again under the hood and the whispering sound became a little worse.

I checked all the messages on this forum but I couldn't find similar problems. Does someone know what this problem is? Can I still drive with it (weather in Holland sux usually so I don't need AC) or can someone tell me what's the best way to fix this? There are not so much cadi dealers here so if I bring it to an universal garage I don't know if they know what to fix and the probably charge me a few hours coz the don't know what they're doing.

Is this a known problem? Can someone give me a hint what to do?

Anyway... long story... still happy with the STS but a little concerned about the noise.

T.I.A.

Tony

[Ranger]

The "flap by the battery" is loosing me, but since it in the vicinity of the battery, I am guessibng that maybe you are seeing the A/C compressor clutch. Was the A/C on? Was the clutch cycling on & off? There is also a spring loaded belt tensioner and an idler in that vicinity, either of which could have a bad bearing.

"Rattling noise" when the blower is turned on sure sounds like a blower motor in it's death throws.

[Cadillac Jim]

Your car is equipped with an On-Board Diagnostics (OBD) computer that uses data from many sensors all over the car and runs programs to determine whether there is a problem. If the the computer sees a problem, it will store a code that will help a mechanic find and fix the problem.

Click here to find out how to read out the codes for your car. The codes will look something like this:

BCM B441

The part you are interested in is the letter followed by three numbers. Write all of these down and post them here. The letter is as important as the number. There will always be some codes because the computer is always taking notes, and you can find out which tire slipped the last time you took a spirited turn from these codes.

If you are intersted in what the codes mean, click here for a list.

It shounds to me like you have a slightly noisy idler wheel or compressor clutch that is not a problem, but that your blower motor or fan has an obstruction in it. In other words, the knocking may be coming from the firewall at the feet of the passenger, and the whispering under the hood isn't a problem. This would explain why turning the blower fan on and off changes the noise.

After you post the codes, we can tell much more.

[BodybyFisher]

Is the pulley shown in this picture?

It sounds like you might have a bad pulley (either the tensioner or idler pulley) and maybe your HVAC fan is making some noise...

[TdM]

He... thanks!

@Ranger

Think so too that it was the AC clutch. The AC was off and then the end rotates very slowly. When you switch the AC on it rotates in the speed of the engine itselfs. But then the noice is much worse. So I think there's a problem. The whispering sound that I hear when the AC is off is also quite hard... not what it should be.

When I switched the front window blower on my guess was that the AC stays off so I could use it. But man... when I switched it on it was like an unbelievable rattling noise... is that normal when a blower motor is in his death throws?

Is the blower motor a standalone or connected to the AC compressor?

@Jims_97_ETC

I checked the Codes... this is what I get...

- Code P056 Current

- NO IPC

- NO ACP

- NO SIR

- NO TCS

- Code 501| History

So I checked the links and this is what I see:

"P056 (E056) ........................................ Transmission Input Speed Sensor"

Ok... that worries me a little... did I buy a "bad" car and what has that to do with the AC and the Blower?

I'm a litle confused here

[Paul_tunney@hotmail.com]

depends what kinda of stereo you put in, it can cause alternator to "whine" when i put a deck and subs in my 96 sts i got a loud whining nosie took it to a stereo shop and it went away.

[Ranger]

It sounds a lot more like a bad A/C compressor clutch. A/C is always activated when in the deforst mode. My guess is a bad clutch bearing when the A/C is off causing the "whispering" and when engaged, a load is put on it and thus the "rattling", or perhaps the compressor is also bad and makes more noise when engaged, but "rattling" makes me think clutch. Try putting the 1/2" drive lug from a breaker bar in the square hole in the backside of the tensioner. Pull (or push) the tensioner to release belt tension (engine off). Now you can spin the clutch by hand to see if there is any noise or play in it.

[BodybyFisher]

Here are a few threads on your P056 to read up on:

http://caddyinfo.ipbhost.com/index.php?sho...408&hl=P056

http://caddyinfo.ipbhost.com/index.php?sho...550&hl=P056

http://caddyinfo.ipbhost.com/index.php?sho...635&hl=P056

http://caddyinfo.ipbhost.com/index.php?sho...432&hl=P056

Here is the location of the HVAC fan on the 4.9 system, it is located about dead center on the firewall behind the engine, see #9 in this picture:

[TdM]

Thanks all for advice. The respons on my problem is really great!!!

The error code is clear... possible caused by removing old devices (satnav, phone, stereo) for a new stereo. Wires looked like connected by a 5 year old child and I reorganised everything. So I will reset the error and see what happens.

Found meanwhile a picture of the AC clutch and it's the thing I saw and what made the strange noise. So I'm quite sure that's my problem. Is there a way to fix this problem whitout putting the AC for revision or putting a new AC there?

Now it's a little bit clear where the problem is located, can I drive with it (till it's fixed) or can it give me more problems?

[JohnnyG]

I think Ranger is correct, and it seems you agree, so you need to know what will happen if you continue to drive the car with it making the noise. There are several possibilities. First, if it is the bearing making the noise, it will eventually get very bad and lock up the compressor. This will damage the belt, and possibly break it. This is never a good thing, since it drives so many other things, its breaking can leave you stranded. It may also directly damage the compressor seal, causing you to loose all the freon...an expensive repair.

I think the bottom line is that to avoid a more costly repair, you should have ANY identifiable problem fixed as soon as possible. The clutch, and maybe the bearings can be replaced without replacing the whole compressor. You will also be able to capture all of the freon and not pollute the environment if you do the work before the seals get damaged.

Congratulations on your new car and welcome to the board!

[PAUL T]

You can buy a smaller belt and bypass the AC compressor until you have the funds to fix it. Check the archives for the belt number or if you can not find it I will post it later. I searched and found it. Get a belt that is 73.9" or 74".

[Cadillac Jim]

The air conditioner compressor clutch is replaceable separately from the compressor. Check and see whether the compressor was changed by the dealer; if so it may be covered by warranty.

[BodybyFisher]

You can buy a smaller belt and bypass the AC compressor until you have the funds to fix it. Check the archives for the belt number or if you can not find it I will post it later. I searched and found it. Get a belt that is 73.9" or 74".

I used an AC/Delco 6K739 to by-pass my compressor... as Paul stated it was 73.9 inches, go to the very next size larger, the 73.9 was very tight but worked fine for over a year..

[TdM]

Thanks!

I made a few calls this morning.

A universal garage who has experience with American cars knows what to do and is looking for a 73.9 of 74" belt.

So I gave him the part that BodybyFisher posted (AC/Delco 6K739) but is that the right part? The man at the garage contacted his supplier and it's a very small belt. The man at the garage told me also that it's possible to replace the clutch like I was reading somewhere else on this forum.

Then I called the Caddi dealer here in Amsterdam (yeah... we got one) trying to get more information but they told me that it's not possible to replace the clutch only and the whole AC compressor needs to be replaced.

My question if I could drive till solution is answered by my STS. Nope... the noise is terrible and when I look at the AC clutch with running engine I see something that concerns me big time... it's metal on metal with sparks etc. Not a funny sight and I leave the car where it is. Tomorrow morning I try to drive to the garage (close to my home) and hope that it will make it.

[PAUL T]

If your compressor is as bad as you say, you will probably need a new one. Check your codes and see if a low freon code comes up. BodybyFisher has a good thread on r & r of his A/C system. I am sure he and KHE could get your system up and running again. In the meantime get the shorter belt until you have a chance to fix it. Good Luck.

[BodybyFisher]

Thanks!

I made a few calls this morning.

A universal garage who has experience with American cars knows what to do and is looking for a 73.9 of 74" belt.

So I gave him the part that BodybyFisher posted (AC/Delco 6K739) but is that the right part? The man at the garage contacted his supplier and it's a very small belt. The man at the garage told me also that it's possible to replace the clutch like I was reading somewhere else on this forum.

Then I called the Caddi dealer here in Amsterdam (yeah... we got one) trying to get more information but they told me that it's not possible to replace the clutch only and the whole AC compressor needs to be replaced.

My question if I could drive till solution is answered by my STS. Nope... the noise is terrible and when I look at the AC clutch with running engine I see something that concerns me big time... it's metal on metal with sparks etc. Not a funny sight and I leave the car where it is. Tomorrow morning I try to drive to the garage (close to my home) and hope that it will make it.

That belt worked just fine for me, and Paul T confirmed that length. If the compressor is really bad you will need to bypass it till you get it fixed. Here is a very good thread about the ac compressor and bypassing it, this was my thread, my name was Scotty back then:

http://caddyinfo.ipbhost.com/index.php?sho...pass+compressor

Here is another thread of mine, it surrounds my compressor replacement, on page 2 you will see how bad my compressor hub was. It overheated really badly, when it overheated, it shorted out the clutch windings and blew the AC COMP fuse, I needed to replace the entire compressor. If it appears that it has overheated badly, it will also damage the compressor seal. If you need to replace the compressor I can help you with it if you want, and can ship it to you, if you find it difficult to do that. I have paypal so that will make it easy. About 3 years ago I shipped a 4.9 engine to one of your countrymen in Amsterdam.... let me know if I can help you with any parts, Mike (Scotty, BodybyFisher)

http://caddyinfo.ipbhost.com/index.php?sho...pass+compressor

[TdM]

Great news, found a belt and I can pick it up. Tomorrow my STS will be fixed...

The next step depends what the garage will say when they change the belt. They can take a good look at the compressor.

@BodybyFisher. Thanks for your offer. If the AC compressor needs to be replaced I would be happy if you can ship one to me. I will let you know asap.

So.. I jump on my bike to pick up the belt (happy it's not raining)

The part nr. for the belt I have is:

Micro-V 6PK1888 (34 Euro)

Maybe usefull for another European Caddy driver with the same problem...

[KHE]

Thanks!

I made a few calls this morning.

A universal garage who has experience with American cars knows what to do and is looking for a 73.9 of 74" belt.

So I gave him the part that BodybyFisher posted (AC/Delco 6K739) but is that the right part? The man at the garage contacted his supplier and it's a very small belt. The man at the garage told me also that it's possible to replace the clutch like I was reading somewhere else on this forum.

Then I called the Caddi dealer here in Amsterdam (yeah... we got one) trying to get more information but they told me that it's not possible to replace the clutch only and the whole AC compressor needs to be replaced.

My question if I could drive till solution is answered by my STS. Nope... the noise is terrible and when I look at the AC clutch with running engine I see something that concerns me big time... it's metal on metal with sparks etc. Not a funny sight and I leave the car where it is. Tomorrow morning I try to drive to the garage (close to my home) and hope that it will make it.

The clutch is replaceable - and can be done without messing with the refrigerant charge. Tell the dealer to read the "Minor compressor repair" section in the service manual...

[caddypete]

If you need a compressor, I have one that I got off ebay because I thought my compressor was bad, after recharging the system and it still would not come on, after a low refrigerant- ac turned off code.Now the shop has told me there is nothing wrong with the AC, but a bad sensor somewhere that has locked off the compressor, they bypassed everything by putting power straight to the compressor and everything works fine, but they need to find which sensor is bad.Here is the ad to the auction.I paid 145.00 for it, you can have it for the same price plus shipping, if interested post back

All compressors sold are accompanied with one year warranty.

1993-2001 Cadillac

Remanufactured A/C compressor with clutch for the following vehicles:

HD-6 with 6 poly clutch

1996-1999 Cadillac Deville with 4.6L

1993-2001 Cadillac Eldorado with 4.6L

1993-1997 Cadillac Seville with 4.6L

1994-1998 Cadillac Concours with 4.6L

All compressors are manufactured with new o-rings, seals, gaskets, and bearings,

All compressors sold are accompanied with one year warranty.

Compressor is shipped with oil necessary for installation.

[TdM]

My car went to the mechanic today, he replaced the belt and my Caddi is driving great, no strange noises and the blower is working fine too. You have no idea how happy I am that this problem could be (temporarely) fixed for just 72 Euro's.

First I'm going on vacation with the Caddi and after that I'm gonna replace the AC

I wanna thank you all guys for the quick response for locating the problem and the solution. This is a really a great forum, I learned quite a lot from it in a short time.

Again... Thanks!!!

[BodybyFisher]

Glad we could help, relax and enjoy! Mike

[Ranger]

Have a nice vacation. Glad to hear you figured it out.