GenVibe - Community for Pontiac Vibe Enthusiasts

I have a sound coming from under my hood, seemingly from the passenger side. I think I first really started noticing it a week or so ago, but its been getting worse over the past few days. If I had to guess, it sounds like the belt tensioner is going bad. Anything else that it could be on that side of the engine? I haven't noticed any performance issues, no check engine lights and the A/C is working fine.

I tried my best to record the sound, but you may need to turn your speakers up a bit to hear it. FYI - It was easier to isolate the sound from inside the car.

to me it sounds like a bad AC clutch bearing.

It makes the same sound whether the A/C is on or off. Although... I guess that wouldn't matter, since that pulley is always turning....

So, I'm at least on the right track that its something in the accessory drive path and not something else? I suppose I could remove the belt and start it to see. I wouldn't want to run it very long, but it wouldn't take more than a minute to figure out if that's where the problem is or not.

Correct, runningslow. Taking the belt off for a minute is a great way to figure this out.

I had an AC clutch bearing going bad on a Mazda Protege. I was able to buy just the bearing and put it in. I found a Youtube video on that job.

Thanks. I now have a weekend project, presuming that nothing catastrophic happens before then.

Really, it'll be the second project. I was already planning to check my brakes. I think I've got a stuck caliper.

hah, look what cptnsolo77 did last night.

viewtopic.php?f=20&t=30525&start=2850#p499591" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

It could be any of the accessories.
I'd recommend looking around w/ the belt on and engine running. Look for something that's vibrating or shaking. Use a mechanics stethoscope (or a short wooden broom handle held up to your ear) and probe around for the offending piece. Be careful of the belt when the car's running, it will take your fingers off.
I'll add that I replaced a failed water pump in an 08 a few months ago, made a loud 'rumbly' or 'growly' noise while running.

vibrologist wrote:hah, look what cptnsolo77 did last night.

viewtopic.php?f=20&t=30525&start=2850#p499591" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Actually it took 1.5 hrs after work. I had to stop at 8pm to have dinner and i was wasted after work as well. I called in from work and spent another hour this morning. I just didnt have the energy to finish and I felt i was rushing. I hate rushing on a repair I cant take credit for doing it all in one night. Sorry

cptnsolo77 wrote:

vibrologist wrote:hah, look what cptnsolo77 did last night.


Actually it took 1.5 hrs after work. I had to stop at 8pm to have dinner and i was wasted after work as well. I called in from work and spent another hour this morning. I just didnt have the energy to finish and I felt i was rushing. I hate rushing on a repair I cant take credit for doing it all in one night. Sorry

That's quite alright, cptn! You got the job done and you got the job done right!

Every time I do a fix like that the car becomes more "mine". I bet you and others who turn a wrench feel like that too.

Since the brakes have come up, I may as well ask about it.

I've had an ongoing, lingering brake problem with this car since I bought it last August. It would be fine for awhile, but then eventually I'd start getting a pretty bad shimmy when braking, especially from highway speeds. Each time, I'd take it back to the dealer where I bought it (a Hyundai dealer actually) and they would just machine the rotors and send me on my way (twice for free, the last time they made me pay). The car would brake beautifully for a little while, but eventually the shimmy would come back.

The last time I had it in they snapped this picture of the drivers side rotor for me before turning it. The passenger side didn't have that pattern.



My speculation is that the passenger side caliper is seized and causing the drivers side to over work. What's odd though is that the car isn't pulling at all while braking. Possibly related, last winter when I was driving in ice and snow, I'd get a pretty bad grinding sound from the brakes when the ABS would be kicking in. That may just be normal sound ABS makes, but I'm not convinced.

That looks like impressions of the brake shoes.

I would clean the sliders, grease them and put them back together. Then I would push the calipers in and out a few times to make sure they slide easily. Do this on both sides. There should be no significant difference between the sides.
Bleed the calipers.
Drive for a while and see if the problem returns. If it does return get new rotors and calipers on both sides.

When the ABS makes a grinding or buzzing sound it is active.

For clarification: when you say "shimmy" you probably mean "pulsating"? There are two possible reasons for pulsating felt in the brake pedal: warped rotors or thickness variation of the rotors. In either case new rotors are the best solution, Resurfacing may help in almost new rotors. Buy only quality rotors, the cheap ones will warp or wear uneven after a few heat cycles.

vibrologist wrote:

cptnsolo77 wrote:

vibrologist wrote:hah, look what cptnsolo77 did last night.


Actually it took 1.5 hrs after work. I had to stop at 8pm to have dinner and i was wasted after work as well. I called in from work and spent another hour this morning. I just didnt have the energy to finish and I felt i was rushing. I hate rushing on a repair I cant take credit for doing it all in one night. Sorry

That's quite alright, cptn! You got the job done and you got the job done right!

Every time I do a fix like that the car becomes more "mine". I bet you and others who turn a wrench feel like that too.

Its great, when im done with a repair I feel i know the car better. I cant get rid of this car until dies. Its been so reliable & I have spent lots of time and effort keeping it in top shape. I feel if I get rid of this car im giving my time and efforts away who wont care for the car as I did.

vibrologist wrote:That looks like impressions of the brake shoes.

I would clean the sliders, grease them and put them back together. Then I would push the calipers in and out a few times to make sure they slide easily. Do this on both sides. There should be no significant difference between the sides.
Bleed the calipers.
Drive for a while and see if the problem returns. If it does return get new rotors and calipers on both sides.

When the ABS makes a grinding or buzzing sound it is active.

For clarification: when you say "shimmy" you probably mean "pulsating"? There are two possible reasons for pulsating felt in the brake pedal: warped rotors or thickness variation of the rotors. In either case new rotors are the best solution, Resurfacing may help in almost new rotors. Buy only quality rotors, the cheap ones will warp or wear uneven after a few heat cycles.

Yeah, I would probably say pulsating would be a better way to describe it. There is zero pull one way or the other when braking (tested at high speeds this morning in heavy Dallas traffic). If I brake hard enough (but not enough to engage the ABS), it gets to a point where the pulse goes away and it brakes smoothly again.

I don't know the history of the vehicle before I bought it last year, aside from the Carfax saying it was a one owner car. I bought it with about 112K on the odometer, so there is a chance it had brake work done before. Maybe they used cheap parts? So, I probably just have a rotor that is prone to warping? That would explain why the machining would help for a little while and the problem would return. I'll check things out tomorrow. If the calipers and pads are fine, I'll replace the rotors and get a hardware kit. Lube everything up, bleed the brakes, and hopefully be good to go.

A good possibility is that the rotor shown has a brake disk "tattoo" on it from a panic stop to zero mph (or locking the brakes - as in anti-lock) on a fresh brake job! It will ruin the rotors every time! New brakes need to be broken-in properly. See this easy explanation: http://www.ehow.com/how_5942969_break-brake-pads.html

Good point's by Chiadog.

Here is another consideration: let's say the mechanic managed to get his greasy finger prints on the rotor and he did not clean it with solvents. This will lead to spots that don't grip. These spots will also wear less and add to thickness variation. Another effect is uneven heat build up. That in turn is a recipe for warping the rotors. With a little good luck that can be remedied by resurfacing the rotors. Maybe you did not have this kind of luck.

Brake job done. Replaced pads and rotors. Drivers side pads were worn completely down. However....

...when I went for a test spin to start the break in my new brakes, my other issue came to head. Initially I thought it must have been my alternator, since I saw the charging light flash up on my dash... but when I make a corner, I didn't have any power steering either. Pull over and pop the hood... everything is wet on that side of the engine.

Water pump.

That's what the noise was?

I was driving a customer's Tundra the other day on the highway when something metal blew out of the engine bay and tumbled out behind me, I lost power steering and got a battery charge light.

The customer changed to universal coolant (the wrong kind) as well. We still haven't looked at it again.

vibrologist wrote:That's what the noise was?

Yep. Water pump. It was a long day, but everything is all put back together and appears good as new.

That's a great feeling!
Wishing you many happy miles!

Called it, thanks for keeping us updated.

sideshowalan wrote:Called it, thanks for keeping us updated.

You sure did!

I'm just glad that the water pump didn't decide to fail when I was halfway across the city with my daughter in the backseat. Around the corner from my apartment was far more convenient!

Ok, second opinion time again... Should I flush the radiator and put in clean fluid? I used universal prediluted coolant when I topped it off after changing the water pump. I'm assuming the stuff that came out was the proper Toyota red coolant. Is it okay to miss?

Its probably something I should do anyway, since I don't know the last time it was completely changed... where is a good place to get the red Toyota stuff?

I would do a thorough drain/refill twice with pure distilled water, then drain/refill with your choice of antifreeze. Always use distilled water when mixing with antifreeze! Toyota antifreeze can be bought at CarQuest Auto parts, They also carry many OEM fluids - ATF, etc. Good Luck!
http://www.carquest.com/webapp/wcs/stor ... ?acesApp=0

runningslow wrote:Ok, second opinion time again... Should I flush the radiator and put in clean fluid? I used universal prediluted coolant when I topped it off after changing the water pump. I'm assuming the stuff that came out was the proper Toyota red coolant. Is it okay to miss?

Its probably something I should do anyway, since I don't know the last time it was completely changed... where is a good place to get the red Toyota stuff?

Amazon carries the Toyota long life coolant. You'll save a great deal buying undiluted coolant, a gallon of grocery store cheapo distilled water, and just mixing the two in another container. I think you'll only need to make about a gallon, so mix it conservatively and see as you go.