oh no... not again...

[Green1]

well... once again I find myself in the middle of a mechanical nightmare... I drove 2 blocks from home today before something went wrong, I pulled over and shut down the engine, the vehicle can sit there for now as it's parked safely...

symptoms:
1) felt/heard a slight clunk
2) sudden loss of all power steering
3) battery charge light, water in fuel light, and A/T temp light on dash are on
4) when I pulled over and applied the brakes the brake warning light came on

initial thoughts:
1) @#^#$@^@^&*#$#%*$@
2) the transmission shouldn't be overheating, I've driven less than 2 blocks, all downhill and all under 40km/h
3) the power steering shouldn't be related in any way to the transmission, or to the electrical system
4) and I don't think I believe that I suddenly have water in my fuel filter either....

things I've checked so far:
1) all belts look to be intact, and tight
2) power steering and brake fluid are both full and look normal
3) no unusual pieces hanging off anywhere
4) no unusual puddles under the vehicle

Ideas??

[jessef]

Dare I say crankshaft pulley.

It's a while back when I posted about mine. Bolt was loose. Almost caused serious damage.

Hopefully yours is not that.

[Green1]

it was a thought... in fact so far it's the only thought...
so if that is the case, what can be done? (and can any of it be done without a tow-truck?)
I have no reason to believe that any permanent damage has been done... yet...

[jessef]

You can only test it by removing the drive belts.

Once you've done that, the crankshaft pulley should not even jiggle a millimeter. If it does, then either the bolt is too loose and/or the key has worn a groove into the pulley itself.

Then crack the bolt loose, take it out and pull the pulley off. Check the key groove in the pulley and the key on the crankshaft with a digi caliper. They should be identical down to the millimeter.

If you do suspect that, do not drive it as it could give out at any unknown point unless it's checked.

I got really lucky.

Hopefully it's something else.

[robinimpey]

You've got to be kidding!!!!

Did the motor itself sound normal before you shut it down? This seems like a lot of seemingly unrelated problems all at the same time. Are you sure your belts are all there?

Power steering is a pretty simple system that should really last the life of a vehicle. Can't imagine what else it could be other than a broken belt.

All the electrical and brake lights again make me think its a belt issue as loosing the belt to the alternator would not only affect electrical, but also vacuum for your brakes.

So I'm back to I think you're missing the belt that drives the alternator and water pump as the belt that drives the power steering pump is driven by the water pump pulley.

There is some reason that everything isn't turning and if its not belts then it is something that makes the belts turn. Ouch look at the crank! I would say start 'er up while you can see what's going on and confirm that everything is rotating.

This is the only thing that I can think of that would connect all these different symptoms. By the way I noted that you said you checked your belts already.

The other possibility is that screwdriver bit you dropped in your engine has been ground into little pieces and those little pieces have been deployed into your entire system with the aim to make you insane and leave you stranded.

I see jfarsang and you have been working on this while I have been typing and getting a glass of water. I would concur with the crank pulley idea.

[loki]

You've got to be kidding!!!!

Did the motor itself sound normal before you shut it down? This seems like a lot of seemingly unrelated problems all at the same time. Are you sure your belts are all there?

Power steering is a pretty simple system that should really last the life of a vehicle. Can't imagine what else it could be other than a broken belt.

All the electrical and brake lights again make me think its a belt issue as loosing the belt to the alternator would not only affect electrical, but also vacuum for your brakes.

So I'm back to I think you're missing the belt that drives the alternator and water pump as the belt that drives the power steering pump is driven by the water pump pulley.

There is some reason that everything isn't turning and if its not belts then it is something that makes the belts turn. Ouch look at the crank! I would say start 'er up while you can see what's going on and confirm that everything is rotating.

This is the only thing that I can think of that would connect all these different symptoms. By the way I noted that you said you checked your belts already.

The other possibility is that screwdriver bit you dropped in your engine has been ground into little pieces and those little pieces have been deployed into your entire system with the aim to make you insane and leave you stranded.

X2

[maxpowers]

yep I had all those lights come on with a short on a wire at the voltage regulator.
no clunk though?
maybe your alternator moved?

[jessef]

Personally I wouldn't crank it over until I'm damn sure that pulley won't free-spool.

[Aztec Nomad]

Hey, possibly an idler pulley snapped on you. It would explain the noise that you heard and also explain that the belt is still there. Power steering, water pump, alt. wouldn't be turning because no belt tension. Just a thought, hopefully it's something that simple.

[mararmeisto]

Would second (or is it third now?) the alternator or alternator idler bolt(s). When my idler bolt came out, there was a calamitous ker-thunk, a bunch of lights came on the dash, loss of power, but I don't remember the steering problem. All of the problems you described can be attributed to the loss of the alternator (or belt) for electrical or mechanical reasons, but they also indicate that the electrical system is only drawing off the battery (such as when first starting), which can be an indication of loss of alternator.

Be careful when snugging up the bolts on the alternator or the idler arm: they both thread into aluminum and if you over-tighten you'll bugger the threads which are part of the block. In short, you'll be buggered. Tight, but not gorilla tight.

[marsgal42]

This sounds like two problems masquerading as one.

Loss of power steering and power brakes is an engine accessory problem.

Having all the warning lights come on (assuming they're not for real, and it sounds like they're not) is an electrical problem.

The alternator is common to the power brakes and the electrical issues. A drive belt issue could indeed explain the lot.

...laura

[Green1]

I did check the belts are all present and accounted for, and none of them have any excess play in them. The only explanation I've heard so far that accounts for all the symptoms is the crank shaft pulley... so I guess my next task is to see if I can get at that to check if it's turning, and go from there...

The vehicle only needs to last another month and a half until my new one gets here, but I'd prefer if it made it that long! (of course what I can do with it after that time is a different matter, I'm not sure anybody is going to want to be buying it!)

[robinimpey]

I'm sure somebody will be interested in buying your Delica..............just nobody from the forum! Let us know what the problem is when you discover it.

[Green1]

"for sale, 1 delica, takes 2-3 minutes of cranking to start, even in warm weather, has had no end of mechanical issues in the past... MINT CONDITION! "

somehow I don't think i'll get away with it...
oh well... now to find time to tinker...

[robinimpey]

[quote="Green1"]"MINT CONDITION! " You're so bad! Very funny, but bad!

Hopefully you don't need your mechanic for this one. He just got out of the hospital.