Please help identify noise?
Thread Starter
Race Director
Joined: Mar 2006
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From: Everywhere and Nowhere at all
Please help identify noise? UPDATE
A little spirited driving today.... Get home and hear this?
Alt? AC compressor? Power Steering pump?
Car runs awesome!! gotta fix this. Previous owner recentl installed a new Alternator... wonder if this is a chinese cheepo....? Its definitely not AC Delco... Any help would be appreciated.
Alt? AC compressor? Power Steering pump?
Car runs awesome!! gotta fix this. Previous owner recentl installed a new Alternator... wonder if this is a chinese cheepo....? Its definitely not AC Delco... Any help would be appreciated.
Last edited by TXGS507; Oct 13, 2020 at 05:03 PM.
Drifting
Joined: Jul 2004
Posts: 1,354
Likes: 291
From: MA
Sounds like power steering pump but could be a defective alternator. Have you checked the power steering reservoir to see if it is full?
The actual power steering pump is mounted under the alternator and the reservoir is located on the passenger side near the valve cover.
The actual power steering pump is mounted under the alternator and the reservoir is located on the passenger side near the valve cover.
Thread Starter
Race Director
Joined: Mar 2006
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From: Everywhere and Nowhere at all
Sounds like power steering pump but could be a defective alternator. Have you checked the power steering reservoir to see if it is full?
The actual power steering pump is mounted under the alternator and the reservoir is located on the passenger side near the valve cover.
The actual power steering pump is mounted under the alternator and the reservoir is located on the passenger side near the valve cover.
Yep, power steering is full....
Man, hoping it is just s shitty alternator.... Gonna go buy one and see.... No whining from the pump... It literally just started this today after some spirited driving...
Thread Starter
Race Director
Joined: Mar 2006
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From: Everywhere and Nowhere at all
Safety Car
Joined: Jun 2010
Posts: 4,564
Likes: 1,676
They are all on the same accesory bracket, but the noise will definitely be greater on the one that is having the issue. The only one you really can’t acces is the PS pump.
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Thread Starter
Race Director
Joined: Mar 2006
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From: Everywhere and Nowhere at all
Problem solved... Thank s to KRUSTY for PMing me....
I merely un bolted the hot wire on the Alt... ( isolated it of course) and fired her up... NOISE GONE, PROBLEM SOLVED... Ordered an AC Delco Alt....
This may explain the passenger window randomly not going up, down w drivers side button.... Have to use passenger side and it was still iffy.... also, needle volt gauge has kinda jumped around a little since i b0ought the car... But the digital reading read 14..?
Car running, alt un bolted, turning wheel, NO noise from PSP... Man, this is great... Can't wait to get new Alt installed.
Thanks to everyone for taking time to chime in.
I merely un bolted the hot wire on the Alt... ( isolated it of course) and fired her up... NOISE GONE, PROBLEM SOLVED... Ordered an AC Delco Alt....
This may explain the passenger window randomly not going up, down w drivers side button.... Have to use passenger side and it was still iffy.... also, needle volt gauge has kinda jumped around a little since i b0ought the car... But the digital reading read 14..?
Car running, alt un bolted, turning wheel, NO noise from PSP... Man, this is great... Can't wait to get new Alt installed.
Thanks to everyone for taking time to chime in.
Drifting
Joined: Mar 2018
Posts: 1,362
Likes: 400
From: DFW TX
I have had this issue with several different GM vehicles over the years. It is usually because the passenger side switch is rarely used and the contacts within the switch get dirty or slightly covered in corrosion from not being used.
Drifting
Joined: Apr 2020
Posts: 1,925
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From: Orange, CA
I am not certain how GM wired the window switches on your 96 but the way GM has done in the past was that the driver's side switch is actually wired through the passenger side switch. Basically the driver's side switch is activating the passenger side switch. So if the passenger side switch is iffy, that is likely your problem. Spray some contact cleaner into the passenger side switch and rock it back and forth a bunch of times and see if it starts working good again. If that doesn't work, you might need to pull the switch and clean up the connectors and put some dielectric grease on them and reinstall.
I have had this issue with several different GM vehicles over the years. It is usually because the passenger side switch is rarely used and the contacts within the switch get dirty or slightly covered in corrosion from not being used.
I have had this issue with several different GM vehicles over the years. It is usually because the passenger side switch is rarely used and the contacts within the switch get dirty or slightly covered in corrosion from not being used.
Thread Starter
Race Director
Joined: Mar 2006
Posts: 15,449
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From: Everywhere and Nowhere at all
I am not certain how GM wired the window switches on your 96 but the way GM has done in the past was that the driver's side switch is actually wired through the passenger side switch. Basically the driver's side switch is activating the passenger side switch. So if the passenger side switch is iffy, that is likely your problem. Spray some contact cleaner into the passenger side switch and rock it back and forth a bunch of times and see if it starts working good again. If that doesn't work, you might need to pull the switch and clean up the connectors and put some dielectric grease on them and reinstall.
I have had this issue with several different GM vehicles over the years. It is usually because the passenger side switch is rarely used and the contacts within the switch get dirty or slightly covered in corrosion from not being used.
I have had this issue with several different GM vehicles over the years. It is usually because the passenger side switch is rarely used and the contacts within the switch get dirty or slightly covered in corrosion from not being used.
Thread Starter
Race Director
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From: Everywhere and Nowhere at all
Hmm.... Removed this Alt today... It was definitely making that noise, but it spins freely...? No gridning, etc....? Noticed it has a different serial number than the one i just purchased ( should be here this week)..
The one removed
The one i purchased
The one removed
The one i purchased
Drifting
Joined: Apr 2020
Posts: 1,925
Likes: 610
From: Orange, CA
Just because it spins freely doesn't mean there isn't something wrong with it. This is a high-current device; the sound you hear may not be a physical one like a bearing, but could be an electrical one. Replacing it is still a good idea since you've isolated it as the culprit.
Drifting
Joined: Nov 2018
Posts: 1,760
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From: USA
Just because it spins freely doesn't mean there isn't something wrong with it. This is a high-current device; the sound you hear may not be a physical one like a bearing, but could be an electrical one. Replacing it is still a good idea since you've isolated it as the culprit.
Thread Starter
Race Director
Joined: Mar 2006
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From: Everywhere and Nowhere at all
Man, you guys have helped a ton.... I am not an "electrical" expert at all.... I am thinking of taking the battery to be tested as well while i wait on the new alternator.. Although it has a strip of tape on it stating that it was tested earlier this year. The previous owner installed this alternator sometime this year as well.. Guessing it too was a reman.. Luck of the draw i guess with these...
Should/Could i have this one rebuilt as a spare?
Thanks again guys for the input.
Should/Could i have this one rebuilt as a spare?
Thanks again guys for the input.
Thread Starter
Race Director
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From: Everywhere and Nowhere at all
Also noticed this when i removed... The plastic had been smashed when the PO installed.. The wires themselves seem to be intact.. No fraying, copper showing through the insulation. Thoughts?
Burning Brakes
Joined: Mar 2010
Posts: 1,094
Likes: 68
From: Providence RI
You can replace those but I’d give it a good douse of liquid electrical tape then wrap it with a good 3m electrical tape and be done with it.
my passenger window is intermittent from the drivers door control but always works from the passenger side switch. Makes sense that they’re wired together and I now know where my issue lies.
my passenger window is intermittent from the drivers door control but always works from the passenger side switch. Makes sense that they’re wired together and I now know where my issue lies.