4eyes

It just dropped below freezing this weekend, and my car wouldn't start. It made a terrible sounding rumble and some awful squeals, but wouldn't keep running. I don't know anything other than what I've found on google, so I was poking around this morning trying to get it to start and finally figured I'd take a video. Well, I actually got it started when it was on camera, but it still sounds absolutely terrible. I managed to take it down to the shop right, and they should be looking at it right now. I figured it wouldn't hurt to have some of you take a quick look/listen to check against what the shop finds (they're always expensive, but right around the corner from my house).


I was surprised when I stopped trying to start it and it actually continued running, though it definitely sounded off for the first minute. At about 50 seconds, it sounds like it's going to die again but manages to keep going. After driving it to the shop, I stopped it and tried to start it again. Since it was warm, it started right up with no issue. Anyone fix something like this before?

Also, I checked for error codes with a bluetooth ODBII adapter and it found nothing.

Thanks in advance, and happy new year.

JoshG

Could be engine coolant temperature sensor.. since the issue only occurs when its cold and not when warm. That start up just makes me cringe..it doesn't look normal at all..

4eyes

The coolant temperature sensor was reading 53.6F, and the air intake sensor was reading 55.4F. The "air temp" sensor wasn't reading anything, though. Not sure if it actually exists or what.

I was using Torque Lite and a bluetooth ODBII sensor to get those readings.

On that subject, I also wasn't getting a reading for fuel pressure. Again, not sure if there's just no sensor for that that the adapter/torque can read from or if it's actually an issue.

97_GXE

Sounds like bad belt/pully and or starter...

4eyes

They ended up saying the starter and crank shaft position sensor were bad, though I don't think they ever actually saw/heard it do what I caught on video. They wanted $850 to fix it, though. Don't think I'm ready to put that much more into it, so I went to pick it up this morning and it started right up with 0 issues. Maybe it was just caused by that first cold.

JoshG

Lol $850? For a starter and crank shaft replacement?... I'd look somewhere else. But atleast u know what it could potentially be.. I'm thinking more on the crank shaft sensor is causing the problem, cause a starter just starts the car and usually when it's bad it will either not crank or just crank normally.

maxima297

Starter? Maybe $150, depending on where you buy it from. Mine was 96, for a brand new one. Crankshaft sensor? Under $100. Both are very easy to swap out. Might take an hour to do both, tops.

JoshG

$250 both parts, and we charge $600 for an hr labor cause we can. Lol hahaha.. I'm going somewhere else. I would go buy the parts and have them install for 1-2hr labors worth.. which usually shops charge 30-$40 an hr.

CS_AR

Looks like a nice clean low miles 96 model. I can't distinguish the belt noise.

An item to check is in the area of the front crankshaft sensor, is the crankshaft pulley damper. That is a rubber ring that you see in the picture below on the outer edge of the smaller pulley. When the rubber ring separates from the pulley (due to old age) the pulley will rub against the power steering belt and make a squealing noise.

I'm not saying this is your problem. This is just something to be aware of as the rubber on our cars gets old and brittle and "if" you see the crankshaft pulley rubbing against the power steering belt.

Rit

iTrader: (3)

Whoa - 1960 called and they want your credit card back. Where can you get automotive repairs done for $30-40 per hour ? In NY, minimum wage is $15/hr. I'll bet that shop rate are more like $100-120/hr.

JvG

The starter sounds like it is under great strain.

Once the car starts, I hear a screeching sound.

I'm thinking that you might have a bad bearing in the alternator, or the ac unit, or the belt tensioner.

Try loosening the serpentine belt. Tgen start the car. I expect that the awful noise will go away.

Someone else said to check the harmonic balancer.
Makes sense.

93SCMax

iTrader: (3)

+1 on the potential of the crankshaft outer pulley rubbing against the PS belt. If you remove both belts and the noise goes away, you have found your problem.

As far as the crankshaft sensor, make sure it is clean (no engine oil or grit on the metal tip), or pick up an extra at the junk yard. They rarely go bad, but when dirty or not lined up against the pulley tang, it will be hard to start, or it will stall after initially starting.

Good luck.

4eyes

Thanks everyone. I'll try and look at it more once I get time. Other than 1 or 2 squealing starts, it was working fine all weekend. I was actually out looking at newer cars, just in case repairs on this start getting too expensive. My family thinks I need a newer one for more reliability and safety, but I feel like this 96 was actually built to last. Repairs have just been on the pricier side lately (probably a result of DC shop prices). If the noises aren't indicating that something is about to catastrophically fail, that's comforting at least. I might need some new tools to get in there and really do any testing with the pulleys/belts. I have a few wrenches, but probably nothing proper for getting into the tighter spaces.

JoshG

lol there are shops that do it for $30-40 an hr here... and they're not bad reputation shops, well known shops I'd say. Your comparing NY min wage which is currently $15 an hr.. yeah those shops in NY are expensive to maintain, pay employees, shop supplies and rent. While most other states min wage is still at $7.25. So shops charge $30-40 an hr for body work or mechanical.. I heard body shops here charging $90 an hr for mechanical work.. which most people really never do..

maxima297

You'd be surprised. Average hourly labor rate here in Central NY is $85. I don't know a single shop that charges under $75 an hour. Even my ex's stepfather gradually upped his labor rate from $45 to $85 starting about 6 years ago. And minimum wage here is like $9.

jholley

iTrader: (13)

When you first got it started the squealing noise was jumping louder at the same time when the RPM needle bounced. I would follow CS_AR and investigate the crankshaft pulley.

At the last second of the video also noticed smoke appearing right above that crankshaft pulley. Did it smell like burning rubber?

Worn away pulley bearings normally have a constant humming noise that won't bounce around like that.