Ooooh, that smell. Smell that smell.
 

Wife, our daily driver, has been telling me the last couple of days, about a 'burning rubber' smell in the SVX on some, but not all days. So this a., on the way to church, "By golly, smells like burnin' rubber. Hmmmm".

Okay, I'll look into it as soon as I get a chance.

Took the X to a funeral later this afternoon. No smell. After the funeral,
No BATTERY! Dead. That's it. Kaput.

It's a seven-year DieHard that's only three-anahalf years old. It's real dead. (Sears is way out of *this* town - and probably closed.) AutoZone time. New 900 amp. battery. (Cheaper than the DieHard)

So now I've got this core in my trunk that I'm hoping to get big bucks for. Will I? I'll find out tomorrow.

What bothers me is: why? No warning lights. Alternator belt is plenty tight. Started fine four times just today, and then - Ooops, no fire. Puzzling, what?

And that smell.

Steve

Usually when I get a customer complaining of a 'rubber burning' smell it turns out to be an oil leak dripping on hot exhaust. Sometimes a belt slipping over a frozen pulley (but that doesn't last very long ;) ) or electrical insulation melting.

You'll be lucky if you don't have to pay someone to take your core - best bet is to take it to AutoZone with your receipt (to show that you bought its replacement there.)

Sudden battery failure is normally due to a broken cell connector or an internal short. If I remember correctly some Die Hards are calcium-whatever batteries and they hold a great amount of energy but when they completely discharge they can take three to four days of slow charging to completely restore. Just to be on the safe side I'd let someone check the alternator output.

Beav

Oh yeah. That's what I wanted. The really good news.
:rolleyes:
Thanks for the post anyway. I'll let you know what happened.

Steve

pully
 

Check the crankshaft pully. Mine and several other peoples have failed. I don't remember a smell, but it's the rubber that fails and I suppose it could generate a smell. It fails because the pully comes loose from the rubber damper and then it slips. Which then causes the alternator belt to not turn at near the pace it is supposed to.

Everything's tight.
 

I'm taking it in to have everything scoped out in the a. (Fuel sys, elec., plugs, bearings, CV's, etc.)

We're going to be doing a 4K trip next month on a tight schedule, and can't afford to have anything go wrong.

By the by. I got $45.23 from Sears this a. :D

Steve

There was a class action suit against Sears recently regarding faulty batteries knowingly being sent to stores.

I heard on BBC radio news that Sears has decided to settle out of court to avoid a long and costly court battle, even though they are confidant they would win.

Hang on to that old battery! It may get you some cash.

Doug

$45.23 is probably better than I could recoup on any class action suit (unless I was a lawyer). They've already got the battery. I'm gonna take the money and run! :D

Steve

DIehard
 

I noticed not long ago my car always started a bit differenty but sometimes was a tad weak sounding. I charged the battery a couple of times soon after. There was enough juice to start the car, not according to the battery meter on the charger?, battery was nearly drained. took a lot longer to charge

Well another month later. the battery is DEAD. I went to pick up my car yesturday from the meachanic. he said all it need NOW was a battery. Geeze..

I have heard evetone talk about the Diehards and to use that as a suitable replacement. The meachanic checked everything out for a electrical drain and found nothing.
other then someone left the door light on. Not me!.

any ideas on what type of Battery is needed.? I feel the SVX must drain some batteries.

SVX1999

<<any ideas on what type of Battery is needed.? I feel the SVX must drain some batteries>>

I've been a loyal fan of the optima since its inception in the late 80's. I'm actually only on my 2nd purchased one. the first one died in its fifth year and was replaced for free (the original optimas had a 5 yr free replacement and 5th through 7th year proration.

I never told them that the battery actually sat for three years outside while I was away at college and wouldn't take a charge when I came back (go figure).

I just replaced it (the warranty replacement) with a new Optima a month or two ago.

I wouldn't buy any other battery. Its fun to go out to the car on a frigid day and walk past the people with their hoods up and get in may car and listen to the fast cranking.

Doug

battery " diehard"
 

Thanks for the reply Morphds.
I need a battery and don't think I will buy a Die hard.
It did not last very long or as long as most of the battery warrantes. I will have to look into things further. The was a garaged kept. Die hards, Die sooner. thanks though.

I have a replacemnt now that I used to get the car home.

There is a noticeable difference in how the car starts bwtween the 2. the old, was slower and weak.

SVX1999

Update . . .
 

I picked up a 900 amp/8 year (three year free replacement) at AutoZone for $69.95. The 800 amp./7yr. (two year free replacement) DieHard was $76.xx just over three years ago. I'm thinking I got a better deal than at Sears (where you wait, and wait, and wait to get waited on - sheesh! :rolleyes: ).

And now! That smell! I had a seized AC idler pulley. It only smelled icky when the defroster was on - we just didn't put that one together. 60 bucks plus belt plus installation. It'll be in tomorrow. While I was there - the elec./fuel system checked out savvy. Put on front pads. The plugs and wheel bearings (which have never been changed - pushing 120K miles) were okay. They didn't feel like I should mess with them. :cool: They didn't mention the CV joints and boots - which I suppose is a good thing.

Tires (at 42K) look to have about half their life left - love those Bridgestones - although the tread looks a little deeper on the front, and I'm gonna leave them that way.

I didn't get out of there before becoming $379.xx lighter, but that ain't so tough when you're not making monthly payments. :)

Another satisfied customer. Ready for our trip to Colorado (and beyond) next month!

Steve

Advance Auto is selling an Optima under their house brand; probably a bit cheaper. I don't know if it has the same warranty or not. When it's battery time here, that's what I think I'll go with.

Yep, this was going to be my next battery, but, as fate would have it, I thought the optima clone was at Autozone. When the body shop called (they were willing to drive me to get it and then, put it in) they said they'd never heard of it. I wound up buying a run of the mill 3 year Interstate from the shop (I still think they're the ones that damaged it -- the negative post was broken. I think they did it prying while putting the shim in the fender I was having them fix after they'd repaired it from my fender bender). I walk into Advance a couple of weeks later and almost tripped over their display of Optima clones. Could've had one for just a few more bucks than I paid for the "regular" battery (Around 60 bucks). To add insult to injury, I found out that their Optima clone is made by none other than Interstate.

<<To add insult to injury, I found out that their Optima clone is made by none other than Interstate.>>

Have you ever considered writing a book "My bad luck with cars" by RWJ?

Doug

'someone' in the store told me that all the batteries are actually from 'three main manufactures.' just that what you see in the market are with different stickers only..... :rolleyes: