A few small gremlins...

hastahastahasta


I have a '01 auto with a few small issues that I am hoping you guys can help me troubleshoot (and yes, I did search...just got tired after the 25th page lol).

I have a hard start in the morning, nothing extreme, just 5 or so seconds. Usually starts up great after it turns over, but occasionally will idle really rough and I will have to turn it off and restart it. I have Delo 15w40 oil in it and live in Texas (temps are usually fair to hot and altitude is fairly low). I have heard the suggestion of the oil pump check valve, could this be it? I will also do a throttle body cleaning soon to see if it helps.

I also have a K&N tube-style open filter intake if this matters.

My last and only other gremlin is a squealing belt. I know, sounds simple and normal. But, the belt is tightened correctly. It only happens for the first few minutes after start-up on acceleration. (Belt is really tight with less than a 1/2'' of deflection)

Thanks in advance for any helpful suggestions.




***Thought of one last thing. My rear left door lock motor is super noisy when using the remote. Doesn't make the noise when using the inside switch. Not a big issue, just has me puzzled.

The inside switch as in the electric lock/unlock switch, or the large toggle button? Not sure the 01 had the large toggle button now that I think about it. If it's the electric lock/unlock switch, I would bet that the rivets/bolts holding the solenoid to the inside of the door frame have wallowed out or come loose. Drill the rivets and replace with bolts, or tighten the bolts, and it should go away... I'm not sure how to align it properly, might take a few tries. This was caused on my front passenger door by a rusted, frozen latch mechanism that took so much oomph to actuate for a long time (previous owner knew nothing about car work) that it slowly worked the rivets loose.

As for the hard start... not sure, try that throttle body cleaning, also unplug and replug your CPS and TPS, and you might want to check their operation (all you need is a multimeter) to see if they are intermittent or close to failure. Others hopefully will have a better idea on this. When you clean the throttle body, make sure you pull the IAC (idle air controller) off the side of it and use some TB cleaner and a Q-tip or old toothbrush to clean the plunger carefully and also the hole it seats into.

Is the belt glazed at all? Cracked/worn? If there are over four cracks per inch or one crack going all the way across anywhere, replace it. Also check while the belt is off to see how freely the PS pump, AC clutch, water pump, and fan pulleys spin, if there is excessive binding in any of them it might be the cause.

Hallo. About the belt. Is it not a bearing of the idler pulley?
Try to loosen the belt a little bit..Maybe there is too much stress on it.

wim

How old is your serpentine belt? If it's getting long in the tooth, or shows any evidence of glazing or excessive cracking, just replace it. I like Goodyear Gatorbacks. Great longevity and less noise issues. BTW, the belt on the 4.0 needs to be awfully darn tight to prevent squealing. Tighter than ANY other vehicle I've ever owned.

As for the long start in the morning, you may be experiencing a bit of fuel pressure leakdown. The checkvalve on the fuel pump assembly is often to blame.

Try the poor mans prime on your next cold start.

1. Turn the key to the "on" position. Do NOT crank the engine. Fuel pump will energize and run for a couple of seconds.

2. Turn key to the "off" position.

3. Repeat the above once more

4. NOW crank the engine and see how it starts.

If it starts quickly, then the odds are you have a failing check valve. That doesn't mean that the fuel pump itself is failing. A lot of guys get by for a long time by priming it or living with it. Replacing of the fuel pump is best done by replacing the entire fuel pump assembly (pump/regulator/filter) as long as you have the tank down.

The belt isn't glazed or cracked, it might be the bearing. I will check that out.

As for the hard start, I don't have much hope for the throttle body cleaning, as it was done a few months ago when I cleaned the air filter and oiled it. I will definitely clean the IAC and unplug/replug the CPS and TPS.

The wallowed out screws on the door lock seems like a possible fix. I will look. Wouldn't it cause the noise to happen when unlocking the door from the inside as well though?

Not if you use the large lever "switch" by the door handle - that's a mechanical linkage, it moves slow enough that the solenoid will just slide up/down in the door fairly quietly. The solenoid on the other hand has a fairly enthusiastic clunk to it, so it'll shake things around pretty good if it's loose.

Good luck!

Sorry, I wasn't very clear when I said "unlocked my door from the inside". I meant using the electric switch not the push button. My mistake.

I am starting to think that the door lock controller that the remote activates may be going out or acting up and sending more/less power than necessary to move the solenoid.

That's really weird... I'm out of ideas/explanations then. I think they both activate the same unit, though I'm only passingly familiar with the 97+ models...

So I found out today that the offending door lock is actually going out. It refuses to lock the door about 50% of the time. Looks like I will be buying a new lock motor soon.

On your delayer/rough cold start, as an 01 model, could be related to heat soak from previous driving and possible check valve failure.

Try raising the hood and letting the engine bay cool down for 20-30 minutes after your last drive of the day. If that helps with the rough running in the morning you should add a timer to the efan so that it will run for 3-5 minutes after shutdown to cool the engine, here is a timer link: http://www.at-fairfax.com/P1786-ELK-960.htm

As for the check valve, if the "priming" birchlakeXJ recommended in his post helps, then add an in-line check valve back near the tank. Seller jbass195 on ebay has good ones for $14 for the 3/8" fuel line.