UIM/LIM leak?( L27)

[spoiledred94]

I have several small problems with my 94 SE and am wondering if they are all connected.

occasional hard start-sometimes it may take up to 5 secs of crank time to start/other times starts instantly.

My heater get fully hot but blows cool air on drivers side (with hot air on passengers side). It may not be an actuator as this happened before and was a vac leak. Which I can't find now

Now I am getting what may be a vac leak hissing sound near the passenger side end of the UIM. I can kind of localize the sound as directly behind the tensioner around the UIM. I will spray some carb cleaner tomorrow and listen for idle changes. I am just not sure what I am hearing. It may be a vac leak, but it also sounds like a pwr steering pump slightly low on fluid. But the sound does not come from the pump and it's full of fluid. And lastly adjustment of the heater mode knob can change the sound the sound in question. In fact it's pretty loud in the cabin on the passenger side.


So. just don't know

[mhfromphila]

Check for a small vac. hose on the fire wall , plastic hose changes to small rubber hose from UIM . Check your PCV valve it's next to your P/S pump could be the o-ring leaking vac.

[spoiledred94]

Hey thanks. I'll check the PCV valve and o-rings tomorrow too. That small vac line falls off too easy. The other end goes to a "check valve t" on mine at the UIM. The fitting is tapered and the hose slips right off. It has been a reoccurring source of odd problems in the past. I'll check to see if that lines is drawing a vacuum at all.
Are there pics of your SE on here?

[spoiledred94]

The weather was oozing cold all day but I checked the PCV valve and o-rings. No problems there. That small vac line that goes to the heater assy box was drawing vac and the carb spray had no effect on idle when sprayed in that area where I thought I localized the whirr/whizz/hiss. Different settings and conditions might prove the carb spray useful. I just didn't want to hang out in the ooze today.

[1oldman]

If you're having those kinds of problems with the vacuum lines, just go ahead and replace all of them. I did a number of years ago. It saves you from having to go and keep re-visiting the "rotten" hoses under the hood. It gets old in a hurry, at least to me it does. - BC

[spoiledred94]

I have done that with all my vac lines except for the two "U" shaped hoses that come off the UIM vac Tee and go the other direction. They show deterioration but seem ok. I haven't replaced them because they are dealer parts. The whirring/sucking sound comes from the opposite end of the motor, over by the belts, but centered just over the end of the UIM. Timing belt? Anyway I'll try the spray in a wider area tomorrow, but I don't know what else to do beside to wait until something breaks.

[spoiledred94]

The noise was everywhere today the more I listened to it. Tried a bunch of stuff. We then tried the heater knob and for every A/C on setting the compressor would come on and that's when you hear the the noise. If it's a bearing in the pulley area can I replace just that? Can I buy an A/C delete belt?

[mhfromphila]

spoiledred94, just unplug the wires at the compressor.If it's only happing when the compressor is energized. I'm trying to get my son to take some pic of are cars he's got a good camera. But he had along night last night So I don't know when it will get done.

[spoiledred94]

That's great hmfromphila. I'll do that for sure. Thanks

[spoiledred94]

I zip tied the end way off from the belt area. I couldn't hear the noise if it was there. I'll know for sure after tomorrow. (:+-

[spoiledred94]

Well no go. After the car warmed the noise reappeared. It changes sound and comes on irregularly when I switch the vent mode selector knob. On my car this knob switches vacuum to move vent doors in the heater box etc. So I'm guessing, again, that this is a vac leak. I tried carb spray all the way around the manifold and heard no changes in engine operation. I am stumped, what do I do?

[mhfromphila]

Spoiledred94,you need to find out if the noise is under your hood or under your dash. Disconnect the plastic vac. line that goes to the fire wall and plug it. Then turn knob and see if it makes the noise. If you think it's something to do with your pulleys,water pump etc. remove the belt and run the engine with it off .(only for a short time to check on the noise don't over heat your engine!) Good luck I hope you find the problem.

[spoiledred94]

Thanks for your persistence you guys. I stuck my head under that hood a bunch of times. Finally a guy at Oreilly's convinced me it was the AC Compressor Clutch. I got a 72 3/4 " belt and bypassed the Clutch pulley. No sound at all after 2 days. It was getting worse. Glad It turned out ok.

[enslow]

I don't know if it's true for our cars or not, but the AC clutch can be replaced without discharging the AC system on some vehicles. Youl will have trouble defogging your windshield with the AC inactivated. Just a thought to consider.

[spoiledred94]

Yeah Enslow, this has got me going. I think I will rebuild the AC compressor including the clutch. This is a project suited to winter in limited indoor space.

[spoiledred94]

A little advice would be nice. I put the shorter 72 3/4" belt on to by pass the A/C pulley. That stopped that noise, as stated. A week or two later though the pulley on the water pump squeals a lot. I'm sure thats it too. If I spray wd 40 on the pulley center the noise stops for a few minutes. Does this mean I have to replace the pulley bearring or the water pump ? The new belt was just an inch or two too long I think. The tensioner resides a lot further along its travel than it did with the regular belt. If I went with a bit shorter belt would that change the force on the pulley?

[willwren]

Dood. The noise stopped because the WD-40 got on the BELT. There's nothing you could have lubed in or on the water pump to make it quieter. Scuff the back (flat side) of your belt with 200-grit sandpaper VERY carefully while the engine runs.

[spoiledred94]

I don't think so. Spraying the belt directly made no difference. Spraying the indentation and space at the peak of the wp pulley face does deaden the sound for a few minutes. I just tried the sandpaper on the backside of the belt and it did not change the sound at all. It;s a very metallic metal on metal sound.

[1oldman]

you think there is any chance it might be the harmonic balancer? - BC

[willwren]

I don't think so. Spraying the belt directly made no difference. Spraying the indentation and space at the peak of the wp pulley face does deaden the sound for a few minutes. I just tried the sandpaper on the backside of the belt and it did not change the sound at all. It;s a very metallic metal on metal sound.

Spraying the open space in the face of the water pump pulley would not have gotten any lube or solvent on any bearing on the water pump. The bearings are BEHIND the spindle, and there's no way it could migrate around it to the face of the water pump where the bearings are.