Hi everyone!

I'm hoping for advice.

Today when taking son to school (19 degree weather), my 1999 Expy (4wd) was a weird/slow start. But it did start. I let it warm up and we were fine driving him TO school.

On the way home, it started making a weird noise. Less than 20 seconds later, my check oil light came on. Since I was 3 miles from the house, I just decided to get it home.

Then it started having trouble accelerating, and then the check engine light came on. I COULD accelerate, but it didnt want to, really sluggish. I babied it the rest of the way home...

I took a video so I could record the noise it was making (this is right before the check engine light came on.) It's a bad video, I really just wanted to try to record the noise...
http://vid1335.photobucket.com/album...ps4x01md77.mp4

I got it home and let it cool off and checked the oil level. About 1/2 qt low. We aways use 5w30 Mobil1 for high mileage vehicles. It has been burning through oil lately, but no leaking that we have seen, no smoke that I have noticed, etc...

I'm too afraid to drive it the 10 minute drive (20 round trip) to the nearest autozone to get the engine code checked. Not sure if it's safe???

Anyone have ideas or suggestions for me? Any input would be really appreciated. Hoping it's an easy/cheap fix... (praying!)

 

Is the serpentine belt turning?

 

Good question!

Let me google what that looks like and I'll start up the expy and check.

 

Ok, I googled that, and went and checked. I could NOT get it to move at all.

Should I start the car and try? **Edited to add-- hubby just informed me that it wont turn when the car is off... going back out to check again... (duh. LOL)



Looking on youtube for changing the serpentine belt, I saw the guy say that you need to check these things before changing the belt: Compressor, pulleys, alternator, water pump (both ways) idle pulley, tensioner power steering pump... If any of those things are locked up, then changing the belt won't work...

I've long suspeted the a/c compressor is dying. I couldn't find the ac compressor (or any of those other things) on the expy when I went out there, so don't know.

I'm searching online now for where to find those things -- while warming up-- so I can go look. It's SOOOO cold out there! LOL

I'm praying it's just the belt. That's a cheap fix!

 

Okay let me be more specific in my instructions...start the engine, open the hood, and now look to see if the belt is turning with the engine running. DO NOT TOUCH THE BELT OR THE FAN WHILE THE ENGINE IS RUNNING.

 

Yes, it looked to me like the belt was moving.

I apologize for the wait. First chance hubby has had to look at it in the daylight.

He said that the thing that you turn to get the belt off is stuck/locked up. He cannot get that loosened to get the serpentine belt off.

He said he has to get the serpentine belt off to check the things around it...

Ok. another update.
He cut the belt. Spun everything just fine. But that weird squeak/grinding noise he could duplicate when he spun the engine fan thing.
His plan right now is to wait until this weekend (sunny 65 degree weather expected) and replace the pulley, the belt and some part that the engine fan is attached to.

But he's not exactly sure how, so we're looking online now.

 

The belt tensioner is spring loaded, you have to put a wrench on the nut in the center of the pulley and pry it over to remove or install the belt.

That fan thingy is the water pump.