QuestionQUESTION: I have a Mitsubishi Galant 2002.
The heat used to work great. Then I believe my repair shop changed the water pump during a scheduled maintenance.
It was in the summer so I wasn't using the heat, the AC worked fine.
I notice that when I start my car now in the cold it makes a high pitched noise that goes away after about 1.5 minutes.
This noise used to only happen if I put the AC on too quick after starting the car in the summer.
I've looked online and the only thing I've found is "You may be low on coolant or have a thermostat stuck open". I appreciate any feedback before scheduling a day off to bring it into the shop.
Thank you.
ANSWER: Joe: Sounds like to me that you have a belt slipping so the high pitch noise. Or it could be that you have a bearing going out on one the pulleys. But if your shop replaced the waterpump, they might not got the drivebelt back on right or tightened down right. So the belt slips for 1.5 minutes before it gets going and stops the sounds. So I would get that checked, but also when I replace a waterpump I always replace the thermostat too, I wonder if your shop does this? But if you have no heat, I would say that the thermostat is stuck open, your low on coolant, waterpump going or you have a vacuum leak. Hope this helps and God bless: Linda
---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------
QUESTION: Thank you Linda for such a quick response. Here's an update. Last night was one of the first really cold nights here in NY. I tried the heat again and this time it went on. I couldn't keep it on though because I was smelling smothing noxious, almost like burnt rubber. Does this make any sense? I will make an appointment with the shop and remind them of their work done and whether or not this could have been something inadvertently done by them.
AnswerJoe: Think about what you wrote, the smell of something on the order of burnt rubber. What is the belt in your car made of? Rubber. I still think that belt is loose and slipping. Or maybe they even got it to tight and so it is being pulled apart. But look you paid that shop good money for a job and they should stand behind their work. If you now have a new problem you did not have before they worked on your car; then they caused the problem. So get them to fix it. I have to say that a lot of people write in to say they had their car fixed and now this or that is going on. But oh they paid that shop a lot of money to fix something on their car. They get all upset with me, so I tell them to go back to the shop and get upset with them. Shop people are super busy with a lot of different cars to be worked on, sometimes the person working on your car is pulled away for some reason and maybe forgets to tighten something up. Or does not tighten it up as it should be. So as you drive the car down the road, it slowly loosens up. Please have this shop check that belt, both the outside but the inside too. Maybe the belt is old and just needs to be replaced. I hope do you get your problem fixed, because it is getting cold outside and you need that heat. Take care now and God bless: Linda
