So I was dropping off my son today and as I was merging into traffic and got on it a little, I got this really bad vibration from the engine. Almost sounded like something was hitting the radiatior fan. It happend when the car downshifted (this is an automatic tranny) and continued even after th up shift for about 10 seconds.

I dropped my son off and as I was leaving it did the same thing again, when I was trying to merge into traffic, the only difference was that my "Service Engine Soon" light came on.

I had some squeeking from my alternator a few months back, but some belt spray and WD-40 seemed to take care of that issue.

Any ideas? I'd really like to try to get to work at some point today!

*** More info: I just pulled a DTC Code P0340 Camshaft position sensor. I got that through my X-Cal II....any ideas? I looked around and it might be the spark plugs and wires, but they seem to be ok...I just replaced my spark plugs with E3 spark plugs about 4-6 months ago....The wires look like they are in good shape...

 

Does it do it when youre at idle, or is it just when youre going a certain speed?

 

Actually, it's not speed related, from what I can tell. It seems to happen more in a higher RPM range while in gear. If I'm in neutral, I can get it up to 4 grand and no problem. If I'm pulling out into traffic and hit 3500, that's when it starts

 

Do you think it could be something with the transmission?

 

I just got off the phone with my mechanic and he's telling me that it's the cam sync and maybe the base....he said it'll be about $270 with labor, if it includes the base.

Hopefully that'll resolve the issue...

 

That stinks. It could have been worse though.

 

Actually, it ended up being better than he thought....it was just the sensor and with labor it was only $68!!!

Back on the road and I'm off to work...boooooo! lol

 

Sweet! Im glad to hear that it was nothing serious.

 

Yeah, me too! Although I was secretly hoping I'd be getting a new car...lol

As it ended up, I talked to him while I was there and my mechanic was saying that my alternator is getting ready to fail pretty soon, which I kind of knew anyway....so I'll be swapping that out pretty soon, but I'll do that myself.

 

ALternators are fairly easy in the 99-04s. The only annoying part is the belt. Best thing I reccomend is change the belt when you change the alternator. All this was on a friends car, not mine yet. He got a new alternator, belt, and pully set, and he needed help changing it.

 

See, that's what I was thinking....I'd replace the belt and while I'm in there, I could replace the pulleys as well....what kind of performace increase could I see with new pulleys?

 

There is a website that says 14 but I think it would be more like 7.

 

Man, when it rains, it pours...

Now I need new brakes...bad. I'm driving into work today and I'm getting this squeeling from the front brakes. My Father-In-Law is going to come over and show me how to change my brake pads, hopefully either tomorrow or Friday.

 

Get it done before it starts cutting into your rotors!