I put my contour in a ditch a while back and beat it up pretty good. I replaced the radiator and put it back on the road, but it the motor makes an awful noise. I'm pretty sure its coming from the accessories, and I'm thinking its the ac compressor because there was a bunch of dirt and stuff packed into the pulley when I pulled it out of the ditch. The noise sounds like the low-pitched whine that a bad power steering pump makes, except its independent of any steering effort and a lot louder. I don't use the AC... I'm pretty sure the lines got broken at some point, and the condenser is beat up, so I pulled the fuse/breaker for it.
I'm having some trouble now since it has gotten cold. When I start the car, it doesn't make the noise, but then the belt starts squealing and then the noise starts. It seems like whatever pulley is making the noise is locking up temporarily. So, I need to get it figured out before I throw a belt.
I'm pretty sure it is the AC compressor/clutch. I can just throw a shorter, non-AC contour belt on it, right? Or is the power steering pump in a different location?
What if it isn't the ac? If it was the water pump, it would be spewing coolant everywhere, right? And the noise wouldn't be as awful if it was a idler pulley. I could see it being the alternator though.
I'm having some trouble now since it has gotten cold. When I start the car, it doesn't make the noise, but then the belt starts squealing and then the noise starts. It seems like whatever pulley is making the noise is locking up temporarily. So, I need to get it figured out before I throw a belt.
I'm pretty sure it is the AC compressor/clutch. I can just throw a shorter, non-AC contour belt on it, right? Or is the power steering pump in a different location?
What if it isn't the ac? If it was the water pump, it would be spewing coolant everywhere, right? And the noise wouldn't be as awful if it was a idler pulley. I could see it being the alternator though.