Need help diagnosing problem with 97 Camry

By mous on 1/23/09 3:38pm
7 Comments

My 97 Toyota Camry makes a whine when i start it cold. It sounds just like when a power steering pump is going out, only it goes away as soon as the engine is warm, instead of whining when i turn like a typical pump that's about to go. I can't tell what's making the noise as the power steering pump, and the alternater and who knows what else is all right on top of eachother and on the same belt.
Also the car seems to get hot faster than it should....i mean it doesnt get "hot" just to the middle of the heat gauge, but it does it almost right away,and if i go to check the oil or anything the top of the radiator feels VERY hot. I never had a car like that, but i assume it could be normal as it does'nt ever overheat. (of course i checked the water level)
Also I've noticed a wierd rattle when i go over bumps....it's like if you had a shoe in a plastic box and you shook it. Very strange......it's coming from either side of the engine compartment, or just over or behind the front wheels...i can't tell.
Can anyone help me?

Comments

Submitted by car0 on 8/19/08 2:19pm.

I thimk all you need to do is

Submitted by car0 on 8/19/08 2:20pm.

I thimk all you need to do is tighten the belts,if you don't feel your power steering cutting out on you then it's your alt belt that needs tighting

well.....the belt for the alt

Submitted by otterpop2001 on 8/19/08 2:33pm.

well.....the belt for the alt and the ps is the same.......but why do you think the belt needs to be tightened? It does'nt make a loose belt sort of a screetch......it's a little lower than that, and steady.

A timing belt that is

Submitted by Veelix on 8/19/08 3:01pm.

A timing belt that is adjusted a little too tight will make a noise much like a whining p.s. pump, and may get quieter as it warms up. Do you know if the timing belt has been replaced recently? Is it at that mileage and you recently acquired the car, maybe? An engine is at its most efficient when it is at operating temperature, so late model engines are designed (by EPA mandate) to warm up as soon as possible. Normal coolant operating temperature is usually around 195 deg. farenheit. Anything above 150 feels very hot to a human hand, so I don't think I would be concerned as long as the guage reads normal and there are no other signs of overheating. Sorry, the rattling noise doesn't ring any bells with me.

I did just aquire the car,

Submitted by otterpop2001 on 8/19/08 3:19pm.

I did just aquire the car, and it's at about 94,000 miles. Where is the timing belt located? Because the sound is eminating from the area of the ps pump, and the alternater and the belt around them........there is something else there sharing that belt but i don't know what it is.

The timing belt is behind a

Submitted by Veelix on 8/19/08 3:21pm.

The timing belt is behind a plastic cover just behind the serpentine belt that drives the alternator, p.s., etc. You can't see it, but it is in exactly the same area.

So is there anyway for me to

Submitted by otterpop2001 on 8/19/08 3:23pm.

So is there anyway for me to make certain this is the problem........and if i want to try to loosen it, how would I go about it? Also...would the bearings in the alternater make the the same sound if they were wearing out? The sound does'nt just get quieter as the car warms up, it dissapears completely.