KissMyWhiteSS

iTrader: (3)

For starters, I have searched and searched for answers and similar problems, which leads me here.

I have a '99 SS that has less than 92k on the car. I bought it a little over a month ago and have hated it ever since. This isn't my first LS car, but the first with these issues.

Ok, here we go...

To my knowledge the last owner, who had the car for over 11 years, just recently replaced all of the AC components. As this is what he told me when I bought it. The AC was blowing ice cold, up until this past Friday. I decided it was a good day to take the T-tops out and roll down the windows. I noticed it started ice cold, then as I got to work 17 miles later it wasn't blowing cold. I thought maybe since I had the windows and tops off it was just the ambient temperature I was feeling... Well it wasn't. It stopped blowing cold air. Now it is just air..kinda warm.

But let's back up a few.

The day I test drove the car, there was a slight whine/squeal. Nothing crazy and nothing to get bent out of shape over. However on the way home the low coolant light came on. I get to my house and realize that the water pump went out. By that time the low squeal turned into the devil squeal. So the next day I replaced the w/p the and the serp. belt. Everything was going smoothly until I got to work and my low coolant light came back on. Silly me pinched the gasket for the t-stat housing. Luckily it came with another, so I replaced it. Buuuuuut, the squealing was back and I was ready to flip **** over. I sprayed the new belt with belt dressing and it shut up the squeal...but you could still hear a faint chirping noise...

sounds like a damn hamster under my hood.

I went ahead and replaced the tensioner and tensioner pulley and idler pulley. Repacked the grease in the 2 AC idler pulleys. I have since then replaced the belts with Gatorback belts and still...the chirp is there...but now it is very prominent. Very annoying. Very embarrassing.

I have taken off the serp belt and started the car to see if it was on the AC drive...no sound at all. So I believe I have narrowed it down to the main drive somewhere...but where???

I can't narrow down the squeal, and I do not have a stethoscope...and I'm not sure I have the ***** to put my head up to a screw driver up to a moving engine...

So here is what we know...

New AC components (whatever they all may be)
New Alternator
New WP
New Idler Pulley
Greased AC Idler Pulleys (No Sound when main drive belt is off)
New tensioner
New tensioner pulley
New Gatorback belts

AC blowing hot, stopped in the middle of a drive to work
I believe the compressor clutch is not kicking on...from what I could tell in the dark.
I understand that if the freon is low, the pressure switch will not allow the ac compressor to cycle???

If it is low on freon, why? If the system is new?

and lastly...please speak english to me in regards to the AC system...I'm not very experienced in this area. Pictures work great...

I'm trying to contact the guy I bought the car from...but switched phones and lost his card...

If I don't fix this soon, i'm putting full coverage on it and leaving the keys in the door...

wssix99

iTrader: (5)

Just buy the stethoscope. The $5-$15 you will spend will be far less than anything else you will experiment or try to find the squeal. Think of it as an investment - this won't be the last time you'll use it.


Let the car cool down and try the AC again. Is it cold? If so, the core may be getting too cold and freezing up.

KissMyWhiteSS

iTrader: (3)

Well I figured out part of my AC issue. There was ZERO freon in the system. Now I need to vacuum and shoot some dye in it to find the leak.

I also think I may have narrowed down the squeal/squeak. I at first thought I had it narrowed down to the new water pump. My Grandfather and I both thought we narrowed it down. He wasn't convinced so he grabbed a can of belt conditioner and sprayed it at the crank pulley. At first the sound tripled in size...sounded like a belt squeal. He let it run for a few then sprayed it again...and repeated that cycle until the sound almost went away while idling and flip the throttle. We noticed the crank was looking a little rusty?

Is it possible for the crank pulley to wear out and cause this chirp? It is more of a surface issue it seams. Can it be conditioned, and could the W/P leak have caused it to dry up any lubrication that was on it?. BTW, the sound was still there on the way to work, but not as often.

02ls1gun

Did you check the idler pulley above the alt?

LS6427

iTrader: (2)

Pulleys are not supposed to have lubrication on them, they should all be bone dry. Belt conditioner is a joke. There's a problem. Are the pulleys all aligned perfectly..?

.

bp m1009

iTrader: (2)

dumb question, have you checked the P/S pump pulley at all? The P/S pumps like to leak and get fluid on the pulley which will sometimes make the belt squeal.

KissMyWhiteSS

iTrader: (3)

I know there isn't SUPPOSED to be lubrication on it, but wasn't sure if it should be conditioned...if you get what I am saying.

Anyhow, from the looks of it, everything looks like they are aligned. I just read about the TSB that GM put out for the updated pulley/bracket. Apparently, the previous owner has tried to fix this chirp as well.

wssix99

iTrader: (5)

Once you start spraying this stuff, it gets on the belt and then gets on all the other pulleys. So, spraying at one location really doesn't prove where the rub is. Once it comes back, you'll need the right tool if you want to eliminate guessing. If a pulley is messed up, odds are that its not the crank pulley.

KissMyWhiteSS

iTrader: (3)

I'm still at a loss. This morning I replaced the alternator bracket and the idler pulley (again). This time with the recommended parts from the Technical Service Bulletin. The chirp is still there. Replaced the belt with my old auto zone belt, still there. The only thing left to replace is the power steering pump. I've tried the old screw driver trick and I still can't get an accurate read. I'm about to throw my hands up.

KissMyWhiteSS

iTrader: (3)

BTW, I cleaned all the pulleys and the belt to remove any residue from the belt conditioner. All that did was make my gatorback belt squeal like a wounded pig.

wssix99

iTrader: (5)

Hmmmmmm.

SparkyJJO

iTrader: (11)

Since you can't stand the squeal and are ready to blow the car up, I'll just take it off your hands

KissMyWhiteSS

iTrader: (3)

Yeah yeah yeah...I hear ya.

For now the squeal is gone. I replaced the brand new gatorback belt with another belt and I haven't heard anything. The squeal from the GB belt was all I could hear and couldn't tell if the new pulley had corrected the chirp.

So far, no squeal, no chirp. We'll see how long that last.

KissMyTushZ28

iTrader: (4)

Let us know what happens man!

xxtremes33

a friend of mine had the same squealing issue. spraying belt conditioner made it mildly better. ultimately he had to replace his belt also. all is good now.

KissMyWhiteSS

iTrader: (3)

so far no chirp, no squeal. I'm bummed that my gatorback belt was causing a squeal, but I am happy to know that the service bulletin with the new pulley and alternator bracket fixed the chirp. If anybody has that mild chirp, I recommend doing this.

wssix99

iTrader: (5)

Not sure that you have proven this true since your old belt also squealed and others of us have Gatorbacks without issues.

My best guess is that the old belt and the Gatorback were slipping somehow. The new plain belt has more/better surface area than both of the other two, so maybe its getting more traction on your pulleys?

I'm glad your issue is finally resolved.

SparkyJJO

iTrader: (11)

I had heard good things about gatorbacks but I wasn't overly impressed with the one I had. It got noisy and showed signs of wear a lot sooner than the old Dayco polycog belt did, so I got another one of those and everything was quiet since. This was a different engine too btw.

IMO, Dayco Polycog > Gatorback.