Any Automotive experts in the house?

[android]

I know I will probably eventually need to get a mechanic to check it out, but here's my story:

'99 Dodge Dakota - About 115k on it
Has had a small oil leak for 2-3 years

Driving the other day I get a terrible SCREECH, nothing, SCREECH, SNAP, POOF, power steering lost. So I pull over, engine is still running, I think the power steering is out. I drive about 1 mile back home and get it into the driveway without any 'Check Engine' or other alarm lights coming on.

Open hood, serpentine belt had snapped. Upon closer inspection, it was WAY weathered. My bad for not checking it. Now, I didn't have the intuition to check the engine temp as I was driving home but never got an 'Overheat' light or anything either, but the coolant was definitely bubbling when I popped the hood, not surprising. Check engine oil, VERY low. Again, my bad, but of course I was going to change the oil like tomorrow, so I wasn't concerned although I should be checking it more often due to the leak.

So, I go get a new belt, get it installed without much problem according to the routing diagram under the hood. Fill up oil. Had to jump it from the wife's car to get it started, it had a little trouble getting going, but it did get running again and it almost snapped the new belt in half again (got it replaced via warranty today) and some smoke was coming out of I THINK the air intake area... Didn't run it very long as the belt looked suspect...

So, got a buddy who knows cars good coming over tonight to take a look at it, but just thought I'd toss out the thread to see if anyone might have any ideas if I really fudged something up or if it sounds salvageable??

Thanks...

 

[david_42]

Quite possible the power steering pump (or one of the other items in the loop) seized, snapping the belt. That would explain the second belt breaking, and possibly the smoke. Driving short distances without the coolant pump isn't a big deal.

 

[Brew-Happy]

agree with david_42.

Something is locked up and causing the belt to smoke over a stuck pulley.

Many of the pulleys can be turned by hand (no engine running of course )

Try the alternator, power steering, guide pulleys, and tensioner pulley.

Does the dash have an Overheat light? If so, does it light up when you first turn on the ignition? IF not blown bulb, if so, then you most likely did not overheat enough to cause too much damage.

Advice: Check your fluids, belts, air pressure, etc on the first of every month and make it a habit. Helps to prevent incidents. Just saying from experience.

 

[android]

righto, thanks fellas, i'll definitely check those tonight.

 

[conpewter]

Hey I've almost got that exact same truck... '89 Dodge Dakota! (Ok mine may be a tad older...)

Hope you didn't burn it up, but as long as you didn't run out of coolant you should be ok (depending on how it runs through the engine). I think a frozen power steering pump sounds like the culprit. Hope you can get it repaired without spending too much.

 

[Brew-Happy]

android,

I did forget to mention you have to remove the belt in order to turn the pulleys by hand.

Makes a HUGE difference. Good luck with this. I bet you could replace that pump yourself if it is indeed the problem.

 

[Hunlock]

My guess is the AC compressor.

Check that, they are known to freeze.


Good Luck!

 

[android]

heading home to check the pulleys in a bit. and no worries, the belt is already off!

also curious to know if i should be able to freely turn the pulley connected to the drive train or if that one would be more difficult to turn since it's connected to all the engine stuff?

 

[Hunlock]

They will be able to be moved with force...You should be able to budge them.

Make sure to check the tiny grooves in the pulleys. I'm sure in the one that is frozen, you will find small pieces of rubber and/or discoloration. Make sure the AC is switched off, and the DEFROST is not selected either. Again, my bet is the AC compressor. If you can live without AC, it will be cheaper to get a smaller belt than replacing the compressor.


Good Luck

 

[android]

my damn AC compressor was loud as hell too... and i run my defrost almost all the time, especially during the winter, so you might be on to something there. again, thanks for all the suggestions and i'll be sure to report back what i find.

 

[android]

ok, here's the latest. it's obvious where the belt snapped both times. on the pulley for the water pump, major scorch marks. and it will turn, but not like the other ones and now that i think back, it was clearly the area that was causing some problems when i started the truck with the new belt in, you could tell something wasn't right in that area. plus, i've been leaking antifreeze for some time, so i guess that makes sense. the other option my buddy said is that the fan clutch is the problem since it's connected to that pulley also. with the antifreeze leak, i'm thinking it's probably the water pump. plus, there was a bowl sized mark on the driveway when i got home today that was 100% antifreeze.

i think we figured out where the oil was leaking from also. you should have seen how loose some of my valve cover bolts were... kinda embarrassing actually, some were able to be tightened by hand. i can't believe this thing is still running! i'm hoping to get the water pump out and replaced this weekend.

any other advice or thoughts from what i've outlined?

p.s. i rear ended someone real bad in 2003 and the water pump, fan, etc. all had to be replaced...

 

[Brew-Happy]

ok, here's the latest. it's obvious where the belt snapped both times. on the pulley for the water pump, major scorch marks. and it will turn, but not like the other ones and now that i think back, it was clearly the area that was causing some problems when i started the truck with the new belt in, you could tell something wasn't right in that area. plus, i've been leaking antifreeze for some time, so i guess that makes sense. the other option my buddy said is that the fan clutch is the problem since it's connected to that pulley also. with the antifreeze leak, i'm thinking it's probably the water pump. plus, there was a bowl sized mark on the driveway when i got home today that was 100% antifreeze.

i think we figured out where the oil was leaking from also. you should have seen how loose some of my valve cover bolts were... kinda embarrassing actually, some were able to be tightened by hand. i can't believe this thing is still running! i'm hoping to get the water pump out and replaced this weekend.

any other advice or thoughts from what i've outlined?

p.s. i rear ended someone real bad in 2003 and the water pump, fan, etc. all had to be replaced...

Nice job finding the problem. Water pumps can be finicky sometimes. Some may last for a decade others 3-5yrs. I have had more problems with rebuilt units over new ones, but that is your financial choice.

My advice would be to inspect all of the radiator hoses while you have the system open. When were they last replaced: 2003? If so I would replace them now and more peace of mind for ~$20-30. No point in having a new pump and blown hose in a couple of years.

If those valve covers have been loose for some time, the gaskets might need to be replaced. Depends on the type of gasketing material.

At this point, I would make a day of giving your truck a tune-up. But that is me . If I am going to get greasy I want it to be worthwhile and replace plugs and wires, inspect the battery cables to the block and starter, replace any emission valves, PCV valve (if applicable), air filter, etc.

Now you have me wanting to work on my cars

I wonder how low my blinker fluid is getting....

 

[Homercidal]

While you have the belt off, dont' forget to check the other pulleys. I would not bother with the drivetrain pulleys as they are going to be very hard to turn and you will notice noise coming from the engine while it's running if they are starting to go bad.

When you turn them by hand, see if they make any rubbing/grinding noise, or feel "dirty" or very loose.

 

[android]

we did a good inspection of the other pulleys and they all seemed fine...

Brew-Happy, you're probably right, I should just change the hoses while I'm at it... do they normally sell those in a set?

 

[david_42]

You should be able to find the hoses in a set, since many people replace all of them at once.

 

[Brew-Happy]

we did a good inspection of the other pulleys and they all seemed fine...

Brew-Happy, you're probably right, I should just change the hoses while I'm at it... do they normally sell those in a set?

They usually sell them separately. Take your hoses with you and they will find a suitable match. Here is Advance Auto Parts listing for your truck (I guessed at the engine size of 2.5L ) http://shop.advanceautoparts.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/PartSearchCmd?storeId=10151&catalogId=10051&langId=-1&pageId=partTypeList&suggestion=&searchTerm=radiator+hoses

Be sure to replace the thermostat while you are at it as well.

 

[android]

in case anyone's still thinking about this, here's an update:

finally had some time to devote to this today. got the old water pump out with some very innovative methods for removing the fan clutch assembly. the tool they rent out at the auto part stores assumes your pulley has separate bolts on it... not on mine, the pulley is actually part of the water pump. anyway, we wrestled with the hoses and finally got it out. the one part i need to reuse from the old water pump is the coolant return tube (it connects to the heater hose). rare part that no auto parts stores carry, so i had to order it from a dodge dealership because that thing wasn't coming out of the old pump without messing it up. mostly a frustrating day of auto repair! but it should be a relatively easy next day, hopefully that new part will be in tomorrow and i can get this puppy running again.

 

[McKBrew]

Great dedication.

I remember a time when I owned vehicles and as soon as they started to show signs of problems, I traded them in and moved on.

Now I have a 2005 Honda Odyssey that will be paid for next year (no major issues yet) and a 2009 Jeep that I've installed a lift on, and other things. I'm beginning to appreciate the DIY aspect of auto repair more now. Since the Jeep is still under warranty any issues there are going to be handled and they gave me 3 years of oil changes when I bought it, so that's al them. But anything else, I'll be doing it myself. Pretty much the same thing with the van too.

There are so many forums and resources out there now that you can practically walk yourself through just about any auto repair or modification as long as you have a basic mechanical ability.

Unless it's something I don't feel comfortable with yet like brakes, I'm all about fixing it myself. Chances are it's not that hard and way cheaper than what a mechanic would charge.

 

[Brew-Happy]

Keep at it!!

Nothing builds confidence like driving a vehicle that you KNOW you could repair if the need is great!!

Great work!

 

[jppostKW]

in case anyone's still thinking about this, here's an update:

finally had some time to devote to this today. got the old water pump out with some very innovative methods for removing the fan clutch assembly. the tool they rent out at the auto part stores assumes your pulley has separate bolts on it... not on mine, the pulley is actually part of the water pump. anyway, we wrestled with the hoses and finally got it out. the one part i need to reuse from the old water pump is the coolant return tube (it connects to the heater hose). rare part that no auto parts stores carry, so i had to order it from a dodge dealership because that thing wasn't coming out of the old pump without messing it up. mostly a frustrating day of auto repair! but it should be a relatively easy next day, hopefully that new part will be in tomorrow and i can get this puppy running again.

glad it worked out for the most part......welcome to my life...never buy a car that is "Mechanic owned" no way im fixing stuff on my own until it falls off.....damn smileys supposed to be knocking on wood

 

[android]

thanks for the replies. it was evident that the old water pump had failed bearings or something when we tried to turn the internal propeller after getting it off, i'm just praying that nothing else happened to the engine after this blew. i've been having overheating/coolant leak issues for a number of years, so hopefully this didn't do more damage than the water pump. we shall see!

 

[Homercidal]

thanks for the replies. it was evident that the old water pump had failed bearings or something when we tried to turn the internal propeller after getting it off, i'm just praying that nothing else happened to the engine after this blew. i've been having overheating/coolant leak issues for a number of years, so hopefully this didn't do more damage than the water pump. we shall see!

Years? If you see coolant leaking out, it's time to find out what's going on!

 

[android]

i know... but the problem was i wasn't seeing any coolant leaking, unlike my oil drip. so i would just periodically fill up the radiator and all seemed decent with the world... but we all know where that got me!

 

[android]

it's alive! thanks again for everyone's help, it definitely helped me through the diagnosis. took some jumping to get her started, but once up and running, it had a good warm up and good initial drive. the engine ran hard for a minute at first, but definitely got over it and all seemed well. no leaks from the new water pump, pulleys spinning like they should, still leaking a bit of oil, but i can deal with that.

now i can finally stop driving my dad's mazda 626 around (not that it's a bad car, but i'm very used to a truck).

 

[Brew-Happy]

The monster.....it's alive!!!

Good job!

Now you can fix those parts anytime it is needed with this experience

Edit: Be sure to check your fluid levels for the next week or so. You will have air in your coolant system that will take some time and running to get out.

 

[android]

10-4 on the fluids. i just might be checking them every day for a year to make sure everything is kosher.

 

[conpewter]

Sweet! Glad you got it running, I gotta get my car up on jackstands tonight and attempt to replace ball-joints (I just can't give the shop $1700 to do this when I could do it myself for $200 in parts and tools) After the car is drivable I need to work on the brakes on my truck... oh fun!

 

[springer]

Sweet! Glad you got it running, I gotta get my car up on jackstands tonight and attempt to replace ball-joints (I just can't give the shop $1700 to do this when I could do it myself for $200 in parts and tools) After the car is drivable I need to work on the brakes on my truck... oh fun!

I hope you using spring compressors We had a kid killed here a few years back when the spring flew out after he removed the ball joint .

 

[android]

i replaced one of the ball joints on my truck a few years back... what fun that was!