Paddletrucker
07-01-2012, 01:50 AM
Well, after driving the wheels off of my little stock Jeep for over a year, I finally have a problem. This thing's been an awesome vehicle. I like it so much that I haven't even wanted to park it long enough to put the Rough Country lift I bought on it:crazy::o I really haven't had the time and haven't been able to health-wise, anyway. It's never offered to run hot. It drives like a new car. It's still doing great on gas, averaging 21.5 since I've owned it (stock wheels/tires and 5-speed manual;). 235,000 miles and runs GREAT. I LOVE it! I had to brag on it before I started whining.:p
I was driving home and inside of three seconds, my A/C started blowing warm air, I lost power steering, it stopped charging, and it began to run above 212 degrees, something it NEVER does. I knew I'd lost the serpentine belt, but I'd never heard or felt anything. I've thrown lots of belts, had lots of engines eat belts, but that's the first one that never made a noise and I didn't feel anything . I was on top of a hill, less than one half mile from an exit with an O'Reilly's, so I coasted onto the off ramp, saw a green light at the intersection, and turned off the engine, and rolled in stealth mode into the parking lot of the parts store. I figured I'd buy the belt, throw it on and go home, just a little later.
As soon as I stopped, I heard fluid hitting the ground. Got out and saw a river of anti-freeze running everywhere. Dang it! Called the wife and had her hook onto a trailer and head my way. Turns out the water pump gave up the ghost and I spent about a lifetime removing little strings of belt from behind every pulley.
I spent last night all night replacing the water pump between beers. I didn't want to do it in the 100+ degree heat on my driveway. I don't have a garage. It wasn't a terrible job, I just have to learn how to work on little stuff. I've driven pickups my whole life and I own a semi. I'm used to everything being big and easy to get to and out in the open. I'm also not used to bending over to work on things. My semi has most everything at eye lever or close to it. I had to remove lots of things to get the pump replaced, but I did. Wasn't a bad job at night without the Oklahoma sun leaning on me.
I finished it up a little while ago and spent about three weeks trying to pour some coolant back into it. I wonder who's idea it was to make a neck with a 90 degree angle on it for the filler cap? I had to pour SLLLLOOOOOOOOOWWWW to get it to fill. I finally did, and took her for a test drive. Everything was great. Didn't get a needle's width above the 210 mark and the electric fan came on and cooled her right down at an idle in the driveway with both the heater on and then the A/C on. Drove it up to 70 on the highway for a couple miles, which I NEVER do. I rarely make it above 60. I'm a slow poke, but it gets me good gas mileage. I never saw 210 and I headed for the bunkhouse.
On the way home, I turned on the A/C and it started squalling and squealing terribly. Lights dim and the volt meter goes from 14 volts down to about 10. Turn off the A/C and everything goes back to normal. At an idle, the A/C blows ice cold, as it usually does. In fact, it does while the Squealing is going on, too.
The belt is as tight as I feel comfy tightening it. COuld it be TOO tight? I'd almost suspect the clutch on the compressor, but it seems awful coincidental that it just started this with the new belt. It NEVER did this before the water pump and belt replacement.
Before I take it to the shop, is there anything you guys can think of that I might have done wrong to make this thins squeal? I'm not a mechanic, just a cheapskate, so everything I've worked on has always been a learning experience. I've only done two other water pumps. One when I was about 18 on a 300 six cylinder Ford truck, but I don't really remember it well. The other was last year, but it was on my Caterpillar. That water pump was gear driven and weighed about 70 pounds, nothing like this. This is also only the second serpentine belt I remember replacing. My Cat uses one, but it uses a spring loaded tensioner pulley and only takes about three minutes to change and you only need a 1/2 drive ratchet to move the tensioner. One tool. Three minutes, and you're back on the road. NOT SO, with the XJ.:D
I'm thinking maybe I've done something wrong. Before I take this thing to the shop to let an actual mechanic work on it, can y'all see anything I missed?
Thanks in advance.
I was driving home and inside of three seconds, my A/C started blowing warm air, I lost power steering, it stopped charging, and it began to run above 212 degrees, something it NEVER does. I knew I'd lost the serpentine belt, but I'd never heard or felt anything. I've thrown lots of belts, had lots of engines eat belts, but that's the first one that never made a noise and I didn't feel anything . I was on top of a hill, less than one half mile from an exit with an O'Reilly's, so I coasted onto the off ramp, saw a green light at the intersection, and turned off the engine, and rolled in stealth mode into the parking lot of the parts store. I figured I'd buy the belt, throw it on and go home, just a little later.
As soon as I stopped, I heard fluid hitting the ground. Got out and saw a river of anti-freeze running everywhere. Dang it! Called the wife and had her hook onto a trailer and head my way. Turns out the water pump gave up the ghost and I spent about a lifetime removing little strings of belt from behind every pulley.
I spent last night all night replacing the water pump between beers. I didn't want to do it in the 100+ degree heat on my driveway. I don't have a garage. It wasn't a terrible job, I just have to learn how to work on little stuff. I've driven pickups my whole life and I own a semi. I'm used to everything being big and easy to get to and out in the open. I'm also not used to bending over to work on things. My semi has most everything at eye lever or close to it. I had to remove lots of things to get the pump replaced, but I did. Wasn't a bad job at night without the Oklahoma sun leaning on me.
I finished it up a little while ago and spent about three weeks trying to pour some coolant back into it. I wonder who's idea it was to make a neck with a 90 degree angle on it for the filler cap? I had to pour SLLLLOOOOOOOOOWWWW to get it to fill. I finally did, and took her for a test drive. Everything was great. Didn't get a needle's width above the 210 mark and the electric fan came on and cooled her right down at an idle in the driveway with both the heater on and then the A/C on. Drove it up to 70 on the highway for a couple miles, which I NEVER do. I rarely make it above 60. I'm a slow poke, but it gets me good gas mileage. I never saw 210 and I headed for the bunkhouse.
On the way home, I turned on the A/C and it started squalling and squealing terribly. Lights dim and the volt meter goes from 14 volts down to about 10. Turn off the A/C and everything goes back to normal. At an idle, the A/C blows ice cold, as it usually does. In fact, it does while the Squealing is going on, too.
The belt is as tight as I feel comfy tightening it. COuld it be TOO tight? I'd almost suspect the clutch on the compressor, but it seems awful coincidental that it just started this with the new belt. It NEVER did this before the water pump and belt replacement.
Before I take it to the shop, is there anything you guys can think of that I might have done wrong to make this thins squeal? I'm not a mechanic, just a cheapskate, so everything I've worked on has always been a learning experience. I've only done two other water pumps. One when I was about 18 on a 300 six cylinder Ford truck, but I don't really remember it well. The other was last year, but it was on my Caterpillar. That water pump was gear driven and weighed about 70 pounds, nothing like this. This is also only the second serpentine belt I remember replacing. My Cat uses one, but it uses a spring loaded tensioner pulley and only takes about three minutes to change and you only need a 1/2 drive ratchet to move the tensioner. One tool. Three minutes, and you're back on the road. NOT SO, with the XJ.:D
I'm thinking maybe I've done something wrong. Before I take this thing to the shop to let an actual mechanic work on it, can y'all see anything I missed?
Thanks in advance.