the not so super, charger.

Today, while i was at work, a young lady's car would not start, and asked me for a jump. ( not that kind.)

I pull around to the front and see the stationary Poncho Bonneville SSEi in question. I see the girl trying to open the hood, so i join in. Couple minutes later it still isnt open, so i ask if she pulled the hood release. She asked me what that was...1st clue...

So, now the hood is open. I go to jump it, and ask where her cables are. Again, she is dumbfounded. "dont you just plug the batteries together or something?"...2nd clue

As she is starting the car off of my cables, i notice that the pulley of her supercharger was completely bare. I inquire of the belts whereabouts. She says she just bought it, and doesnt know what a supercharger is. I told her that the belt would make her car run better, and it would probably be a bit quicker. She informs me that the car runs fine, and she doesnt need it any faster, thank you very much!

What, exactly, are the consequences of running beltless?

(painstakingly and fat fingeredly posted from my Itouch)

Death. Seriously, not a good idea on the 3800.

In reply to maroon92:

ummm, high restrictions, assuming the MAF/MAP sensor still works and can make the car run. Lady is still clueless though, sigh

P71 wrote: Death. Seriously, not a good idea on the 3800.

explain?

I believe they have an internal bypass valve, I would bet the supercharger needs a rebuild and the PO didn't want to bother.

Engine/ECU runs in bypass/vacuum mode all the time (and pig rich) waiting for the S/C to kick in. Fuel washes passes rings, mixes with oil, seizes motor. Also unburnt fuel hits the cats and kills them.

The superchargers in these things hardly ever go out. The bearings will die if you don't fill and change the S/C oil regularly, that's about it. It's probably fine and just needs a belt.

Oh, and how can people purchase a car without having it inspected or looked at.

That would be like buying a house without seeing if the doors will stay on.

P71 wrote: Engine/ECU runs in bypass/vacuum mode all the time (and pig rich) waiting for the S/C to kick in. Fuel washes passes rings, mixes with oil, seizes motor. Also unburnt fuel hits the cats and kills them. The superchargers in these things hardly ever go out. The bearings will die if you don't fill and change the S/C oil regularly, that's about it. It's probably fine and just needs a belt.

oh, i see now.

how much fuel in the oil would it take to kill it?

GregTivo wrote:

P71 wrote: Engine/ECU runs in bypass/vacuum mode all the time (and pig rich) waiting for the S/C to kick in. Fuel washes passes rings, mixes with oil, seizes motor. Also unburnt fuel hits the cats and kills them. The superchargers in these things hardly ever go out. The bearings will die if you don't fill and change the S/C oil regularly, that's about it. It's probably fine and just needs a belt.

oh, i see now. how much fuel in the oil would it take to kill it?

cylinder washdown means accelerated ring wear pretty quickly, then you get smoke, then the cats go, then its in the J/Y waiting for someone to grab the s/c for their challenge project.

Strizzo wrote:

GregTivo wrote:

P71 wrote: Engine/ECU runs in bypass/vacuum mode all the time (and pig rich) waiting for the S/C to kick in. Fuel washes passes rings, mixes with oil, seizes motor. Also unburnt fuel hits the cats and kills them. The superchargers in these things hardly ever go out. The bearings will die if you don't fill and change the S/C oil regularly, that's about it. It's probably fine and just needs a belt.

oh, i see now. how much fuel in the oil would it take to kill it?

cylinder washdown means accelerated ring wear pretty quickly, then you get smoke, then the cats go, then its in the J/Y waiting for someone to grab the s/c for their challenge project.

gotcha

maroon92 wrote: Oh, and how can people purchase a car without having it inspected or looked at. That would be like buying a house without seeing if the doors will stay on.

I bought my Ti without even seeing the car in the flesh.. and the saab I just took for a ride..

OK I will ask. Was she hot?

Okay... I amend my statement to add the phrase "how can a person who knows nothing about cars purchase..."

Fixed.

She was....not hot enough to make up for her ignorance of what a supercharger is.

My loving girlfriend of 6 years autocrosses her Saturn SL2, and watches F1 with me... I pick that one!

Actually those Eatons do need periodic rebuilds. I've got one in pieces in the garage that I never have gotten around to rebuilding, but the process - and failures - are both well documented on the Pontiac forums.

She must be related to the woman that used to work with a little while back. I saw her peering into the engine of her explorer, sit in the drivers seat, then get again and look at the engine again. after seeing her do this a few times, i went over and asked if she needed any help.

her response?

" it says check engine on the dash, so i did, but the light wont go off even though ive checked it a few times, i dont know what to do now?? "

I tried really, really hard not to laugh, but I lost it, and it took a few minutes to re gain my composure and try to explain to her that the car doesnt know if your looking at it... eventually I had to settle with, "It only recognizes." mechanics.

the next day she came in with a new car, shed traded in the explorer, she said she didnt want a car that didnt know her..... on the upside, at least she figured out how to get the hood open... nice girl and a hard worker, just not all that swift....

Oh my aching head. She prolly votes, too...

Had the belt been rerouted so it bypassed the supercharger, or was the belt completely gone? The supercharger belt on these cars usually drives the water pump too.

P71 wrote: The superchargers in these things hardly ever go out. The bearings will die if you don't fill and change the S/C oil regularly, that's about it. It's probably fine and just needs a belt.

petegossett said: Actually those Eatons do need periodic rebuilds. I've got one in pieces in the garage that I never have gotten around to rebuilding, but the process - and failures - are both well documented on the Pontiac forums.

Yep, that's my experience too. We sell way to many of them for them to hardly ever go out. It's usually to used car dealers too, so it's not like we're selling them for some random SC projects.

maroon92 wrote: Oh, and how can people purchase a car without having it inspected or looked at. That would be like buying a house without seeing if the doors will stay on.

the kid that bought my 240sx never opened the hood or the trunk, and never went into 4/5/reverse

When I sold my 142 I got a call about a month and a half later from the guy that bought it."How do you open the hood on this thing?"The car leaked about a 1/2 quart a week so I'm sure the motor was toast.

That car is as good as dead.

I would have patted it on the bumper and muttered "You poor bastard."

P71 wrote: The superchargers in these things hardly ever go out. The bearings will die if you don't fill and change the S/C oil regularly, that's about it. It's probably fine and just needs a belt.

Given the story of the owner, it would not surprise me in the least if the SC was toast. She doesn't sound the type to do regular maintenance.

That's the thing. You hang out on 3800 boards where guys do change S/C oil and belts and they last forever but average Joe P. Carowner goes to jiff-my-lube for maintenance and nothing's ever done. S/C runs out of oil and seizes and it's the car's fault.

Same story on rotary engines, etc, etc...

I always think its funny when people (usually females) have a reaction like that when you mention that their car needs something repaierd or whatever that really does need to be done and will end up saving them money/making the car last longer.