New 04/13/2006
Yup, must be summer! First issue arose earlier this week when I went to use the AC, since my engine is only running on seven I have been avoiding adding the load of the AC but we have had a couple of 90+ degree afternoons here and a black car even with the windows down is really warm. Must be getting old and soft. Anyways, I drive all the way home and no cool air. I removed the shim last year after trying the "broomstick-test" and had positive results, so I was hoping this no-AC issue didn't mean the ultimate failure of my compressors clutch. Since I hadn't used it for several months I just couldn't imagine that being the case, but the engine was hot and I was tired not to mention not feeling well so I gave up for the evening thinking I would get to it on Wednesday. More on this later.
Wednesday night when I get home I find my daughter, grandchildren and her red '94 sitting in my yard steaming from under the hood. She said it started as she was crossing the bridge from Oklahoma and she ended up pulling over several times to let it cool off before traveling on to the house. As I put water in the reservoir I can hear it coming back out slowly from somewhere under the throttle body. I end up removing the entire intake from the engine and discover a 6" section of very soft hose bonded to a hard line that feeds the heater core oozing antifreeze like a puss filled zit. After removing the entire line I cut the bonded clamp and replace it with some fresh hose along with a new clamp. All is well after I refill it and they are off after a couple of hours. I am drenched in sweat, it is dark and to late to start trying to find the AC issue on my car now.
I get to work this morning but could not find my diagnostic test procedures for the football in my car. I come in to the office and discover an E-Mail from Gosha in Russia asking about the leak in his water pump and wondering if it requires the removal of the engine as the dealer has been telling him needs to be done. I forward him the information from the site along with some of my personal experiences that might aid in his venture. He also says he will provide me with information regarding Igor's headlight washers and what is up with the picture that shows either a lot of liquid in the bottom of the housing or a melted housing just inside the lens I asked him about yesterday.
While I am at the V8 Site I grab the EATC trouble codes and procedure and head back out the door. Before I start checking the system though I remembered the issue I had a couple of years back after I replaced the motor and discovered the compressor's ground was relocated on the '97 from the square plug above the transmission to the firewall ground strap. Rather then running a new wire all the way through my brand new '96 harness to put it on the firewall I simply and quite temporarily ran a wire to the square plug above the tranny and used a piggy-back connector to splice it into the exposed ground wire on the engine side of the plug. Well, I am here to tell you that those connectors do not last long under the hood of a car where they are susceptible to spilling of various fluids and exposed to some extreme temperature conditions not to mention the occasional shredding of drive belts from the Vortech that removed several other solidly attached items in that vicinity at 14,000 RPMs. Jiggled the connector and the compressor kicked right back on. Now only if that number 5 cylinder issue was that simple.
Carter Fuji