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In the Doghouse
Sep. 15th, 2023 11:52 amNow that we have the Rolling Stone available to go run errands, it was time to tackle getting at the multiple things wrong inside the Astro's engine.
( Up Close and Oily )
We could not find a source of the annoying rattling sound. I started the van and revved it up pretty high, but even then, the sound wouldn't show up. It apparently only wants to make noise at higher speeds and moving down the road. So take it on the road we would do.
This is somewhat hazardous. Besides the risk of moving engine parts, and the annoying loud engine noise, there's the danger of some exhaust gasses getting into the passenger compartment. So we opened the windows (those we could open) to allow for better air circulation, and off we went.
We drove up to I-80 and I sped onto the freeway, getting the van up to 70 mph as soon as I could. We could hear the rattle, but it was still hard to see it. On the other hand, it was so loud that even Lisa, with only one good ear, could get a better idea of from where the noise was originating. We exited at Wadsworth and drove back home over old US-40.
Of course, this wasn't a pleasant drive. While I don't think we had too many noxious fumes, air rushed in through the engine and carried lots of heat into the van. However, it was not a very long drive, and it proved valuable in troubleshooting.
( The Source of the Noise )
Lisa's proposed solution, until such time as we manage to persuade a shop to try and actually fix the air conditioning by replacing the hoses running to the rear A/C, is to buy some muffler tape (suitable for high-temperature environments) and to tape these two pipes so that when they bump into each other, they make less noise. She will also try to slightly bend the disconnected A/C pipe to get it farther away from the oil filler pipe.
Today or tomorrow, Lisa and I will go get the muffler tape and she will work on insulating these two pipes from each other. It would be good if the EGR valve arrives before my planned trip to San Jose next Friday; however, the van is still serviceable without the replacement, although I suspect that it would fail a smog test. But getting rid of the rattle will make it far less nerve-racking to drive.
( Up Close and Oily )
We could not find a source of the annoying rattling sound. I started the van and revved it up pretty high, but even then, the sound wouldn't show up. It apparently only wants to make noise at higher speeds and moving down the road. So take it on the road we would do.
This is somewhat hazardous. Besides the risk of moving engine parts, and the annoying loud engine noise, there's the danger of some exhaust gasses getting into the passenger compartment. So we opened the windows (those we could open) to allow for better air circulation, and off we went.
We drove up to I-80 and I sped onto the freeway, getting the van up to 70 mph as soon as I could. We could hear the rattle, but it was still hard to see it. On the other hand, it was so loud that even Lisa, with only one good ear, could get a better idea of from where the noise was originating. We exited at Wadsworth and drove back home over old US-40.
Of course, this wasn't a pleasant drive. While I don't think we had too many noxious fumes, air rushed in through the engine and carried lots of heat into the van. However, it was not a very long drive, and it proved valuable in troubleshooting.
( The Source of the Noise )
Lisa's proposed solution, until such time as we manage to persuade a shop to try and actually fix the air conditioning by replacing the hoses running to the rear A/C, is to buy some muffler tape (suitable for high-temperature environments) and to tape these two pipes so that when they bump into each other, they make less noise. She will also try to slightly bend the disconnected A/C pipe to get it farther away from the oil filler pipe.
Today or tomorrow, Lisa and I will go get the muffler tape and she will work on insulating these two pipes from each other. It would be good if the EGR valve arrives before my planned trip to San Jose next Friday; however, the van is still serviceable without the replacement, although I suspect that it would fail a smog test. But getting rid of the rattle will make it far less nerve-racking to drive.
