OK, so I take it in for waterpump replacement, and two months later the belt squeals, and then.........When it is cold it sounds like a bolt is kicking around somewhere, as it gets warmer, the noise diminishes or goes away entirely. Have had nothing but nightmares trying to get a dealer to look at it. I have made two appointments, one to two weeks out, it sits there for 3-7 days until I get pissed and take it back home. It has not even made it into a bay!!! I schedule it, they hang me up and then I take it home. It is snowing and I am merely trying to get an appointment to repair whatever is wrong, take it in (and I mean inside), diagnose it, repair it, and then I take it home. Apparently, they don't see what the big deal is.........they'll get to it when they get to it........but I am uncomfortable leaving it for an extended period of time. Am I being unreasonable?? I just want my 2006 Vert fixed. Now I need to get an idea of what could be wrong so that on Nov 10th when I take it in for the second time, I will get it back in a reasonable amount of time. When I took it in for the waterpump it cost me $800 plus and I had to wait two weeks for the parts to get there and have it installed...Sounds like this will be a repeat. Any ideas as to what that noise could be??????? I may try to fix it myself if I can nail down which bearing is going out. I tried the screwdriver on the suspect (the alternator, the waterpump) but didn't get the bolt bouncing around noise coming through the screwdriver, and the noise is quite pronounced. Help!!!!!!!!

 

First Harbour freight has a cheap stethoscope which works a lot better than a screwdriver
next it's probably the idler or tensioner pulley and they are cheap ~ $30 or so
i'd just replace both of them myself and see if the noise stops

 

Does that sound I explained (bolt rattling around) happen with the belt tensioner pulley?

 

fixed

 

?????

 

Never had a crank pulley come loose so I can't say

 

Another big thumbs up for the stethoscope method. Recently located a bad pulley bearing on the good lady's explorer.

It was unbelievably obvious with the stethoscope method. One garage wanted to change the power steering pump and another wanted to change the water pump. Wouldn't mind but I wasn't even asking! Merely putting air in tires or collecting parts for the Vette. 10 Dollar fix.

The screwdriver or hose pipe method can be helpful but the stethoscope is spot on.

 

$800 for a water pump replacement?

I'd start by checking to see if the new pump is leaking onto the belt (when cold). Perhaps they didn't install new gaskets (wouldn't surprise me). Or, didn't tighten the bolts enough/correctly or even installed a bad/leaking pump.

 

Bump for more input

 

Yes, it can sound like that. WITH THE ENGINE STOPPED, try taking the belt tension off the pulley and see if the pulley is loose. If it is, it should be replaced. You can also check the idler pulley in the same way.

If it's the tensioner pulley and it gets really bad, the belt can be thrown off (had that happen on the wife's C4).

 

Thanks so much for your reply....I will check that out this weekend with the Boys. Dread taking it to the Dealer if I don't have to. Feel much better with it sitting in my garage. Had bad experiences with this Dealer (and the other only one in this town). I've been overcharged, disrespected, work not done, or not done right........I don't get it. All I am asking for is a decent job for pay!!

 

Final report on which bearing question.....The mechanic found that the bolt on the crank pulley had backed out, causing the noise. Further, it caused the crank seal to leak oil. So, to replace the bolt, which is a use one time only bolt which cost 10bucks, and other miscellaneous parts and oil which was another 90 bucks, labor was $900. Further, the service contract that cost me $2300 when I bought the car did not cover the repair as it SPECIFICALLY states bolts are not covered. In my mind, I thought I had bought the best 2 year extended warranty money could buy......only to find out that it was a service contract. I have not been able to drive my Vette for 30+ days, it was in the shop for 2+ weeks and they returned it to me just as it started to snow heavily. I am not a happy camper. dpb

 

They are all Service Contracts. No such thing as buying an extended warranty. By the way why did they write it up as a bolt if a seal had to be fixed? I can understand the service plan not paying for bolts but a leaking engine seal is a different matter. Sometimes it isn't the service plan that is the problem but the guy writing up the problem description.

Bill

 

If they had read the contract they could have foreseen the outcome and listed the failure as a bad seal.

Who's contract do you have? I have administered numerous names covering cars and RVs to boats and off road items and those I didn't handle directly the company I worked for underwrote many others.

If you have a reputable contract and there are some, you can argue your case and get them to cover it. Explain to them that this isn't just a 'bolt'. A 'bolt' holds the AC compressor to the block, this particular bolt is an integral part of the engine and holds the damper to the crank, is a one time use, like a head bolt. If a head bolt or rod bolt fails and damages the engine they will cover it.

If need be, have your lawyer send the letter, it gets their attention. Look at the terms for arbitration, most the time it will be cheaper to pay the claim than go to court and pay fees or arbitration. Check to see if your state considers this an insurance policy or a service contract, it can differ by state, although most states consider them contracts but are regulated by your states insurance commissioner, regardless. If they get too many complaints with the insurance commissioner it can cause them trouble when it's time to renew their deal with the state.

But don't give up, this is a coverable item that should be paid, call their bluff.

 

Bill, I absolutely agree!!! It was the service writer that screwed me. He did not write it up correctly and it cost me $1K. Learned lesson.

 

Thanks Glen for the advice. I will get back with the service contract people. The name of the coverage is Premier Essential VSC (Vehicle Service Contract). I don't believe that they are at fault......it was the way the Service Writer at the Dealership wrote it up. And once the cat is out of the bag.........he stated it was the bolt backing out that caused the seal to leak...I am screwed. I don't think they are going for a re-write of the service order but hey....I can give it a shot. dpb

 

Also, I might add.......I was the one who took it in for the bolt noise specifically. Had I taken it in for a oil leak I may have been covered. That noise was very pronounced and was my major concern. The oil leak was minor and secondary in my concern. I should have been more diligent in reading the contract and I hope this gives others a heads-up. BOLTS are not covered and I had an inexperienced Service Writer (a young kid) write me up. dpb

 

This company is located in San Diego, California is very pro consumer and has an active, some would say hyper, consumer division.

We had a case were the holder overheated the vehicle and continued to drive it until it seized, California still made us cover it, not just part, as we offered, but the whole replacement.

Also, if the place you bought the agreement from is in good standing, they can pressure on the company to cover it.

If it came across my desk, after the initial denial, from a lawyer, I would buy it in a heart beat.

It's your money, good luck