Eldorado Bob Posted May 3, 2004 Report Share Posted May 3, 2004 hey all, i've been experiencing a pulley whine for some time now, and recently the whine has quieted down, but now i'm getting a sort of squeaking noise from the front of the motor along with the smell of burnt rubber after driving a little ways...i brought the car to my mechanic with whom i've had good dealings for several years...he says he is 99% sure the the source is the alternator...i personally thought that was not the problem simply based on the fact that it seems to charge rather well (usually stays above 13.4 unless several accessories are on at a stop)...can the alternator need changing even if it charges well?? the car has 94,000 miles on it...i appreciate your responses....thanks, bob Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ben Posted May 3, 2004 Report Share Posted May 3, 2004 Can you use a piece of rubber tubing or a stethoscope to try and locate the noise? Sounds like a pully is binding and casuing the belt to rub and burn if you are smelling something. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KHE Posted May 3, 2004 Report Share Posted May 3, 2004 hey all, i've been experiencing a pulley whine for some time now, and recently the whine has quieted down, but now i'm getting a sort of squeaking noise from the front of the motor along with the smell of burnt rubber after driving a little ways...i brought the car to my mechanic with whom i've had good dealings for several years...he says he is 99% sure the the source is the alternator...i personally thought that was not the problem simply based on the fact that it seems to charge rather well (usually stays above 13.4 unless several accessories are on at a stop)...can the alternator need changing even if it charges well?? the car has 94,000 miles on it...i appreciate your responses....thanks, bob The bearings in the alternator may be going bad causing the binding or the bearing in the belt tensioner may be bad. With the accessory belt off, you should be able to rotate each accessory by hand to determine the source of the binding. Kevin '93 Fleetwood Brougham '05 Deville '04 Deville 2013 Silverado Z71 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KenD Posted May 3, 2004 Report Share Posted May 3, 2004 I replaced both my tensioner and the idler pulley and the whine went away. I still have a grinding noise, but I know that it's my a/c compressor bearing which I'll have to get fixed very soon. Once that's done it'll be purring like a kitten! 1994 STS Pearl White 260,000 KM (163,000 miles) <img src="http://img45.photobucket.com/albums/v137/caesar/caddycaesar.jpg" border="0" class="linked-sig-image" /> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MAC Posted May 3, 2004 Report Share Posted May 3, 2004 In March, I had a similar problem and found out it was a bad A/C hub bearing. The rubber smell is possibly a result of the A/C pulley overheating. If it’s the hub bearing, I suggest you repair it A.S.A.P. or purchase a serpentine belt to bypass the A/C compressor until it can be repaired. To my recollection, bbobynski some time ago warned of possible A/C compressor damage due to seizing of the pulley and/or metal bearing or hub fragments flying of the pulley. Following are two belts that will allow you to bypass the compressor: ACDelco/Belt # 6K739 and CarQuest/Belt # K060739. MAC Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eldorado Bob Posted May 4, 2004 Author Report Share Posted May 4, 2004 good call MAC, that was exactly the problem (it was not the alternator as i had originally thought)..it is already fixed and all is well....thanks for the replies, i appreciate it...bob Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scotty Posted May 4, 2004 Report Share Posted May 4, 2004 Hey Mac and Eldorado Bob, what kind of noise did the hub make when it was bad? Thanks, Mike Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PAUL T Posted May 4, 2004 Report Share Posted May 4, 2004 What was the cost of the repair, I might have the same problem. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KenD Posted May 4, 2004 Report Share Posted May 4, 2004 Scotty, mine sounds like it does when you place some stones or gravel in a cup and swish it around. It's definitely a growling noise. It's 42.00 Cdn for the bearing and the dealership quoted me around 2 hours to fix. ($200) If they have to purge the system it was another $150 1994 STS Pearl White 260,000 KM (163,000 miles) <img src="http://img45.photobucket.com/albums/v137/caesar/caddycaesar.jpg" border="0" class="linked-sig-image" /> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MAC Posted May 4, 2004 Report Share Posted May 4, 2004 The sound my defective hub bearing made was quite misleading. It made the same type of sound that you would expect from a defective alternator; sometimes it was a high pitched squeal, while at other times it would change to more of a grinding sound. The sound was more pronounced at idle or slightly above. At high rmp, the sound would dissipate or completely go away. I was able to isolate the problem after using 2½ feet of ¾ inch rubber coolant tubing as a stethoscope. If you smell rubber and/or suspect a defective hub bearing, I suggest trickling some cold water on the A/C pulley to see if it steams and bubbles/beads off like water on a hot wood stove. The A/C pulley should not be so hot. MAC Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
loucar1 Posted May 4, 2004 Report Share Posted May 4, 2004 Hey Mac and Eldorado Bob, what kind of noise did the hub make when it was bad? Thanks, Mike Scotty, If you have a bad hub bearing it would be cheaper to replace the hub and bearing than to R/R the compressor. Just keep in mind you still have to purge/recharge the system when you replace that compressor. Lou 94 Seville STS Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scotty Posted May 4, 2004 Report Share Posted May 4, 2004 THis will sound like an odd description but my noise gets louder when the clutch engages. it sounds like when you were a kid and you used to attach something to the spokes to make noise (maybe some of you still do that!), that is what it sounds like, while the clutch is engaged its a repetitive metallic clicking (but relatively loud) noise....when the clutch disengages it gets almost quiet but not fully. Does that sound hub related? Now that you mention it, I have been smelling burning plastic or rubber and ASSUMED that a plastic bag had wrapped around my muffler system, but that smell should be gone by now as the plastic bag should have burned off by now, so maybe the smell I have been smelling IS related to the HUB, that would be great..... and relatively easy to fix.... Let me know what you think guys.... Thanks, Mike I am afraid to drive this car any major distance with this noise, as I probably would end up on the side of the road with a glowing RED hub.... LOL Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ranger Posted May 4, 2004 Report Share Posted May 4, 2004 Mike, The hub turns continuosly while the compressor sits idle until the electromagnetic clutch engages and the turns the compressor. So, if the noise gets louder when the clutch engages it would seem to me that the noise is compressor related. Now, to throw a monkey wrench into the diagnosis, I suppose it is posible that the added load on the hub bearing when engaged could result in a different sound. Try disengaging the belt and spin the hub by hand. You may hear or feel a bad bearing that way. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scotty Posted May 4, 2004 Report Share Posted May 4, 2004 Mike, The hub turns continuosly while the compressor sits idle until the electromagnetic clutch engages and the turns the compressor. So, if the noise gets louder when the clutch engages it would seem to me that the noise is compressor related. Now, to throw a monkey wrench into the diagnosis, I suppose it is posible that the added load on the hub bearing when engaged could result in a different sound. Try disengaging the belt and spin the hub by hand. You may hear or feel a bad bearing that way. Larry that is what I was thinking that the additional load was causing the noise to become louder. I am on another thread here also regarding the noise, and I am going to add an oil charge and see what happens. Will advise. Mike Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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