Hard start and whine issue
04-27-2012, 03:35 PM
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Car: 1989 Camaro RS
Engine: 2.8L V-6
Transmission: 5-speed manual
Hard start and whine issue
Yesterday, my '89 Camaro 2.8L, 5spd rather abruptly became stubborn to start, acting like a dead battery (which I replaced 6 months ago). Battery and alternator check out ok, but cranking is still very sluggish. Now there is a loud whining noise from the rear of the engine, down below somewhere, on the passenger side, when the engine is running. The whine pitch increases with motor RPM and doesn't change if clutch is engaged. (There is a also a ticking from the same general area which speeds up with RPM, but the ticking has been there for a quite a while, and I’ve been attributing it to a leaking exhaust manifold or perhaps a valve/lifter.) Oil pressure is now consistently on the low side (around 20-30 psi); prior to this event the oil pressure would seemingly randomly fluctuate anywhere from 20-80 on the dash gauge. Oil level is at the full mark. This all has me a little paranoid; could I be looking at something internally in the engine, related to this new whining and previously-existing ticking, that could be causing friction and making the car sluggish to crank? Or another thought…could a stuck and/or misaligned starter whine and cause sluggish cranking (and the ticking just be something unrelated)? I had my mechanic replace it a year ago after the old one fried. The current starter is pretty loud during cranking, (although the old one was as well), and I’ve had a few isolated instances lately where this starter hasn’t engaged properly when I’ve tried to start the engine. And come to think of it, the whine does seem to be coming from the general area of the starter. I’m at work and can’t do much diagnosing until tomorrow, but I’m hoping someone has two cents to throw at the problem in the meantime. Thanks in advance…Don
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