Need some assistance with a 01 ga gt

[blklable91]

When my car idles you can hear a small grinding noise it is just as strong from the right of the car and from the left its not very loud but i dont want it to get worse should i be worried about this noise or not i have already posted a thing about starting my car it makes a scrreching noise occaisonally and it dosent start like a normal fuel injected car either several turns of the motor or it starts up as soon as you turn the key could the small grinding noise be related to this????

[poncho 1]

mine's hard to start sometimes i think it's just the car (ga) but the noise i'd get checked out never know better safe than sorry

[tenspeed]

The alternator, belt tensioner and A/C clutch are all known to make noise. If the noise goes away with the A/C on, it's the A/C clutch.

[rixGAphx]

Combined with the screech (in the other thread), I'm with tenspeed on this.
Might also be the PS pump, which on tenspeed's 4-cyl is not belt-driven but which on your V6 is belt-driven.
The A/C 'on' trick is a good test of that component.

Still undetermined? Get a mechanic's stethoscope and narrow down the exact origin of the grind by listening with the hood 'up'.
Might be the belt tensioner, which tends to grind before its bearing gives up the ghost; and allows a 'screech' at start-up 'cuz the belt is cold and hard and therefore doesn't stick well to the pulleys.

Good luck,
-Rick

[blklable91]

i tried turning the a/c on the noise got a littlw louder so im going to assume that theres a good chance that i could be the a/c clutch

[rixGAphx]

i tried turning the a/c on the noise got a littlw louder so i'm going to assume that there's a good chance that it could be the a/c clutchThat's a fair deduction.
But absolutely Wrong.

A faulty A/C clutch makes noise, some or a lot, when it is NOT engaged (A/C is 'off'); its rotating parts (connected to the pulley) are clanging and banging against the stationary parts (compressor shaft, and internal compressor parts).
When the clutch engages, it locks-up and all clutch parts rotate together along with the shaft and internal parts; this prevents all clutch noise.
If the sound is absent when the clutch is 'oof', and then appears when the clutch locks (A/C 'on'), then that indicates that the compressor shaft bearings are bad.

When the clutch engages, it puts much more stress on the rotating serpentine belt.
In turn, this puts much more stress on the tensioner mechanism and the idler pulley, and slightly more stress on the shafts of the PS pump, waterpump, and alternator.

So your simple AC compressor test tells us your compressor and its clutch are OK, and to look ELSEWHERE for the problem.

Get that mechanic's stethoscope and litsen carefully.

-Rick

[blklable91]

ok thanks for the help im taking it to a mechanic tommorow.
-jimmy

[blklable91]

ya i got a new belt tensioner you guys r good i appreciate the help