alan t

So the other day I had just finished up aligning my hatch (again), and as I was walking around when I felt something slippery on the ground. Coolant was everywhere. My friend referred me to a mechanic nearby to replace the busted hose. So while he replaced the hose, I went ahead and had him change the belts, seals, water pump, and thermostat. So tonight at start up the car began squealing REALLY LOUD and gets louder as I give it gas. I was on and off throughout the night. Since the work, the car vibrates like crazy, and at 4k rpm in any gear the shifter feels like you're holding a vibrating phone on steroids. Apparently friends who have driven behind me say they can smell my car. ?? I'm just frustrated. Sorry this is all just a lot of complaining, I just need a place to vent a little. With the sunroof now starting to leak and leaving a pool of water in my passenger side seat, and having electrical issues with some of my parking lamps and reverse lamps not working right(at all), it seems like everything's happening at once.

fortysixandtwo

The vibration is from the balance shafts being incorrectly indexed to the crank. This is a common mistake for first timers and mechanics that are not familiar with these cars.
The sqealng is probably a lose belt, and also probably the source of the smell your friends mentioned.

V2Rocket

the balance belt is out of time, and the smell of the belt may be the belt being ruined by being tensioned improperly. it happened to me once, belt lost like 2/3 the teeth on one side.

remove the sunroof, get a wire coat hanger and straighten it but put a small loop at the end and put it down each of the 4 sunroof drain tubes, they frequently get clogged causing the leak.

go under the back of your car and feel around on top of the transmission for the wires to the reverse light switch and see if theyre hooked up or dirty or whatnot. also check fuse and bulbs

944Ross

Print out the Clark's Garage section on balance shaft timing, where it explains the "O" and "U" and how not all of them are stamped.... etc. Take it to your mechanic and ask if he understood all that when he did your belts.

V2Rocket

dont even mess with the O and u, do it the right way, check the balance shaft alignment using the notch marks at the back of the sprockets and on the belt covers, no way to get it wrong there.

tod84944

Using the notches on the sprockets, someone who is not use to these cars can still get it wrong. Tell your mechanic to make sure that the keys on both balance shafts point up. ON the upper one, the notch needs to point up toward the timing mark, on the bottom one, the notch needs to point DOWN, towards the timing mark. Then alingn the notches with the marks on the back the timing belt cover. The sprockets have 2 key cut outs, that is how a lot of first timrers mess up the bottom one. Which from you have described, is the problem. What happens, they put the keys point up, then they put the sprockets on with the notches pointing up, then they spin the bottom around to align with the timing mark, which put it 180 degress out. Which is not what you want. All this has to be done with the crank at TDC.

odurandina

i hope to god you got your money back + towing.

911racer

So the vibrating and squealing started as soon as you picked up the car, or did it start a while after.

Thanks

Ed

Rock

Bring the car to me. I will fix it

alan t

the vibration was immediate, and the whining noise didn't start until almost a week later. Rock, are you serious about helping me out?

Rock

Yes sir I have nothing better to do. We can fix it together!

Van

Typical of inexperienced mechanics. Let this be a lesson to others - if you're not doing the work yourself, only use a mechanic that has a long history of working on 944s!!!