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1993 Dodge Spirit Engine sounds strange


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ruppert92
User

Dec 24, 2011, 12:23 PM

Post #1 of 14 (2443 views)
1993 Dodge Spirit Engine sounds strange Sign In

This is a link to what my Engine sounds like running in idol:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6AEj5tLfF4U

Don't know if its related, but just in case it is:
My car would not start one morning, but started after a jump. Now i just noticed that my engine is sounding like this.

Know problems:
-small oil leak
-heater core malfunction


(This post was edited by ruppert92 on Dec 24, 2011, 12:24 PM)


Tom Greenleaf
Ultimate Carjunky / Moderator
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Dec 25, 2011, 6:54 AM

Post #2 of 14 (2389 views)
Re: 1993 Dodge Spirit Engine sounds strange Sign In

Not a nice sound. Try taking belt off and start it, if noise is gone spin the pulleys for any that don't feel right especially the alternator as it didn't start which may or may not be related but if it took a jump start for whatever reason if a bad or near dead battery it could have seriously overheated/overworked alternator and damaged it.

Hard to say too much without witnessing these things but hope it's that simple. Check that it charges a known good battery all charged up - don't make the car do it.

* Small oil leak? Gotta hunt that down.

* What's up with the heater core?

Merry Christmas,


T



ruppert92
User

Dec 25, 2011, 2:48 PM

Post #3 of 14 (2377 views)
Re: 1993 Dodge Spirit Engine sounds strange Sign In

Alright thanks I'll give that a try and update on what if find. The oil leak is a simple fix, and I know where its coming from. Also with the heater core I have antifreeze getting on the inside of my windows.


Tom Greenleaf
Ultimate Carjunky / Moderator
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Dec 25, 2011, 3:18 PM

Post #4 of 14 (2370 views)
Re: 1993 Dodge Spirit Engine sounds strange Sign In

OK: Oil leak you seem to know what it is and some are nothing and some can take out your engine for lack of oil.

Heater core is leaking if fogging up windows. You won't like how much work those can be even though not to costly in parts. Keep coolant full till you decide on that job.

Noise again: You'll know if it's belt driven fast with belt(s) off and a run but not long enough to overheat - just long enough to see it that noise is gone or not.

Good luck. If too many items at once are wrong you can decide on fixing everything or jump to a newer vehicle,

T



ruppert92
User

Dec 26, 2011, 3:48 PM

Post #5 of 14 (2354 views)
Re: 1993 Dodge Spirit Engine sounds strange Sign In

Ok so i tryed the thing where you take the positive off the battery while the car is running, and my car kept running so the alternator is fine correct? Had my battery tested at autozone, and it was at 13v fully charged so thats probably the reason my car didnt start. Also he said it may be a loose bearing and to use a stethoscope against the part that is located above the alternator. I did that, and It sounded like it may be comming from there.


Hammer Time
Ultimate Carjunky / Moderator
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Dec 26, 2011, 4:09 PM

Post #6 of 14 (2350 views)
Re: 1993 Dodge Spirit Engine sounds strange Sign In


Quote
Ok so i tryed the thing where you take the positive off the battery while the car is running, and my car kept running so the alternator is fine correct?


That is the fastest way known to fry every computer in your car. That should never be done on a computer car.



~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

We offer help in answering questions, clarifying things or giving advice but we are not a substitute for an on-site inspection by a professional.



Discretesignals
Ultimate Carjunky / Moderator
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Dec 26, 2011, 5:06 PM

Post #7 of 14 (2344 views)
Re: 1993 Dodge Spirit Engine sounds strange Sign In

Why do we have a rash of people unplugging their alternators while the engine is running lately? If you want to see if your alternator is charging, put a volt meter on the battery terminals.





Since we volunteer our time and knowledge, we ask for you to please follow up when a problem is resolved.

(This post was edited by Discretesignals on Dec 26, 2011, 5:11 PM)


ruppert92
User

Dec 26, 2011, 5:33 PM

Post #8 of 14 (2329 views)
Re: 1993 Dodge Spirit Engine sounds strange Sign In

The guy at autozone told me to do it, so I trusted him... my bad. But back to the point, if the alternator is fine is it probably a bearing in the a/c compressor. Or could it still be something with the alternator?


Tom Greenleaf
Ultimate Carjunky / Moderator
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Dec 26, 2011, 5:36 PM

Post #9 of 14 (2325 views)
Re: 1993 Dodge Spirit Engine sounds strange Sign In

That was a dumb test to see if a GENERATOR would work as they didn't require a battery - alternators do as we know. Holy crap, gotta wonder how many things have been fried with trying that stupid trick which is no info anyway.

Folks, generators for cars pretty much ended in the 1960s or quickly when much smaller and lighter ALTERNATORS became the way as they put out about as many amps as they are going to at a much lower RPM vs generators which would just keep putting out more consistent with RPMs and some were manually regulated - I OWN ONE!

The idea of taking the belt off was to check for noise or not, not whether alternator put anything out or not and while belt was off see if noise was easy to find spinning bearing items by hand.

A 93 Dodge Spirit probably just sustained enough damage to hurry to find another car,

T



ruppert92
User

Dec 26, 2011, 5:51 PM

Post #10 of 14 (2317 views)
Re: 1993 Dodge Spirit Engine sounds strange Sign In

Alright people please calm down. I don't really know anything about cars, but I am capable of removing and replacing things, so when an automotive professional tells me to do something, then I assume that they know what they're talking about and have done it before. I just did that test cause i dont trust myself putting the belt back on correctly after removal. If I use a stethoscope on the compressor and the alternator instead of removing the belt and spinning them, would that also work fine? Also my car is still running fine.


Hammer Time
Ultimate Carjunky / Moderator
Hammer Time profile image

Dec 26, 2011, 5:55 PM

Post #11 of 14 (2313 views)
Re: 1993 Dodge Spirit Engine sounds strange Sign In


Quote
an automotive professional tells me to do something


And there lies the error. They are sales clerks and tech wannabes who give out a lot of advice on subjects that they are not trained in. Professional couldn't be further from the truth. They are in the parts selling business.



~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

We offer help in answering questions, clarifying things or giving advice but we are not a substitute for an on-site inspection by a professional.



nickwarner
Veteran / Moderator
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Dec 26, 2011, 6:14 PM

Post #12 of 14 (2303 views)
Re: 1993 Dodge Spirit Engine sounds strange Sign In

Ok, you didn't know better. You thought the guy at the parts store was experienced with cars and could give sound advice. Yes, the guys are jumping around when they heard you pulled a cable on a running engine. I cringed a good bit myself. Please realize, as HT hit squarely on the head, that parts guys aren't mechanics. They are salesman who happen to sell parts for your car. Some are decent, most are idiots and if they knew what they were talking about that much they would be making a living fixing cars which pays much better than the $10 at the store does. You can get access to repair information free of charge at autozone.com, which can show you the right way to get the belt off and back on again so you can see if the noise is in the accessory drive or the internals of the motor. Please realize that we react to the unhooking of the battery like this because every single on of us would be fired on the spot were we to do this in the shops that we work. Ignore advice from parts people. Take advice from the experts (us) who don't tell you to do something that can and will fry an ECM (expensive thing worth more than a 93 Shadow). We won't give ideas out like that one.


ruppert92
User

Dec 26, 2011, 6:51 PM

Post #13 of 14 (2296 views)
Re: 1993 Dodge Spirit Engine sounds strange Sign In

Alright everyone, thanks for the help and now I know that these employees know less than the average consumer expects. I'll do the belt test tomorrow, and if it's a bearing like I expect, hoe easy or difficult of a fix would that be?


nickwarner
Veteran / Moderator
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Dec 27, 2011, 4:39 AM

Post #14 of 14 (2284 views)
Re: 1993 Dodge Spirit Engine sounds strange Sign In

everything except the ac clutch bearing are simple bolt ons requiring no special tools and no degree of difficulty beyond the scope of a DIY guy in his driveway with the proper instructions.






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