2001 alero V6 4 door, any help appreciated!

[category_five]

Hi, all

I posted this on a different car forum but I've since found aleromod and really appreciate the expertise here. The LIMG problem and the wheel hub information is especially helpful. I don't know the first thing about cars but hopefully my mechanic understood when I tried to explain those two issues to him. The car is currently at the dealer's shop. On to my problem!

I purchased a used, 48,000 mile, 6 cylinder, 4door, 2001 Alero earlier this year with a Crystler Care 2 year used car warranty. I've put about 5k miles on it since then.


Things done so far: (nothing covered under warranty :cry: )

rotors machined (dealer took somewhere to have it done)
AC unit resistor (dealer)
50k transaxle service (dealer)
fuel filter changed (dealer)
air filter cleaned (jiffy lube)
oil changes (jiffy lube)


Ongoing problems that dealer hasn't been able to fix:

Car occasionally doesn't start I turn the key and does the err err err, engine catches then, i guess, stalls? Dealer mechanic said "didn't see the problem"
If I don't take a 3 second stop before shifting from reverse to drive, the trac off light will come on, along with two other lights. It goes away after turning off car and doesn't come back unless i don't give it what i call, "the reverse to drive switch time."
Slight 2-3 hertz vibration going up hills
Sluggish response from accelerator at moderate speeds ~50 mph (never taken it past 65mph)
Squealing brakes (left front?)
Infrequent shuddering while backing up
Service engine soon light is on when key is in, turns off after starting
Tire pressure light remains on
Red gunky buildup in the cavity exposed when opening the oil cap

new problems in the last week:

Red thick oily liquid spots under car. It appears on the ground somewhere between the front two tires, quantity 3 so far, approx 2"-4" across with darker black spots where it congealed. I wiped it up from the concrete with a white paper towel. I would describe the color of the oil on the towel as berry. The car is currently at the mechanics shop for this.

New engine noise, only happens when i am pressing the gas pedal. does not happen when coasting. very faint, sounds like the AC is going, but the AC is off.

I'll keep posting with the mechanics results and what got fixed / didn't get fixed

Thanks for any help!

[TheEdgeofSanity]

well, sounds like some of your problems are easily fixed. for example, the SES light will be on if the car isn't running because thats just how the car is set up. its no big deal as long as it goes off after you start the car. the shuttering with your reverse sounds like a worn transmission and it could be slipping...just go easy on it or it may get worse. i have the 3400 v6 and its not the most responsive engine but you may be in need of some tune up parts even at only 50k miles. check a spark plug and see if it looks corroded or gunked up---needing a tune up might be why it doesn't start so well too. i'd be worried about the red leak. it either could be coolant or trans fluid. Either way, have it checked out or you could burn out your engine or transmission. for your oil, run your engine and after its warmed up, check your oil dipstick. does the oil look like chocolate milk? if it does, you probabily have an intake manifold seal leak and if not corrected asap, you will have major major problems. for the tire pressure light, read your manual. you have to reset it with a button in your fuse panel on the drivers side. for your brakes, your brake pads might be glazed or needing replacement. my car has 94,000 miles on it and i get alot of noise while driving and it includes sluggish driving and vibrating and i suspect its my transmission. it may be good to get that checked out more.

[rustyballs_69]

I would disconnect the battery for awile. Let the PCM reset.

[TheEdgeofSanity]

also, check all fluid levels. do the drips look like the fluid in the coolant resivor on the left side of the engine compartment? can u see any obvious leaks in hoses?

[category_five]

well, sounds like some of your problems are easily fixed. for example, the SES light will be on if the car isn't running because thats just how the car is set up. its no big deal as long as it goes off after you start the car.
woot!

I would disconnect the battery for awile. Let the PCM reset.
I'll try that (after looking up a how to haha im clueless)

For your oil, run your engine and after its warmed up, check your oil dipstick. does the oil look like chocolate milk?
I check it once a month. Last time I checked a few days ago it was clear on the dipstick, but I'm very careful about 3 month oil changes. I will try it with the car running when it gets back from the dealership. When I unscrew the oil cap and look in the hole, all the parts in there and the underside of the cap look like they are glazed with a red laminate, is that normal?

check a spark plug and see if it looks corroded or gunked up---needing a tune up might be why it doesn't start so well too.
I'll look up some how-to's on how to pull out a sparkplug when it gets back from the mechanic.

i'd be worried about the red leak.
I am, I took it to the mechanic asap when I saw it.

also, check all fluid levels. do the drips look like the fluid in the coolant resivor on the left side of the engine compartment? can u see any obvious leaks in hoses?
I took a careful look at the engine prior to taking it in, hoping to find a leak. I didn't see anything much, just some dried looking stuff around the power steering fill cap. A bit of something on the side of the engine. I read a FAQ about cleaning the engine and I suppose I'll try it when I get it back from the mechanic. As far as the colors of the fluids:

Radiator reserviour was light red liquid
Oil dipstick was clear liquid when cold
break fluid reserviour had a cork thing in it, I didn't get to see the color of the liquid.
Power steering fluid was red liquid if i remember correctly
I didn't see any other stuff to check, I think the trans has no dipstick on my model.

Thanks for the help rustyballs andTheEdgeofSanity, I'll post what the results from the mechanic as soon as I hear back from them. And I hope that this will help other clueless car noobs like myself who might happen to be reading this great forum.

[alerored04]

how thick is the fluid you are leaking? Smell it, if it smells sweet it is coolant, if it smells burnt then it is tranny fluid.

[Gr1m]

1. well your going to need an alignment and tire balancement for your car, that should fix any vibrations
2. if you open up the driver side fuse panel you can reset that low tire pressure light
3. sounds like the "berry" substance tranny fluid

[jayson_waltz]

oil should be slightly tan\brown, not completely clear. But thats jiffy-lube for ya. I'd never take my car there.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LTJjqr0QbIk

[Gr1m]

yes but coolant and tranny fluid can also be the problem that he is having, i have never heard of red engine oil.

[TheEdgeofSanity]

unless he has something like a synthedic.. i mean, royal purple is purple oil so there may be a red oil out there... who knows..

[jayson_waltz]

i'm used to the color of mobil clean 5000, never ran more than 2500 miles.:lol:

[category_five]

if it smells burnt then it is tranny fluid.
It smelled burnt. I hope it's just that they just didn't seal the tranny up correctly at the dealership because then it won't cost so much to fix.

oil should be slightly tan\brown, not completely clear. But thats jiffy-lube for ya. I'd never take my car there.
Wow, I'm not going to go there anymore either. That video is crazy.

unless he has something like a synthedink.. i mean, royal purple is purple oil so there may be a red oil out there... who knows..
I didn't pay extra for synthetic oil so I doubt it is.

1. well your going to need an alignment and tire balancement for your car, that should fix any vibrations
2. if you open up the driver side fuse panel you can reset that low tire pressure light
3. sounds like the "berry" substance tranny fluid
Alignment, fuse box button reset and new transmission :emotlol:

Thanks for all the responses. If I had tried to ask any of the mechanics I've ever been to all these questions they would have been clawing at the door by now to get away. You guys rule.