A Single Bar Of Soap Saved Me Hundreds Of $$$

Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share
1

Forget the jokes about bending down in the shower…this is a true story.

Let’s step back in time a bit…my trusty 1994 Saturn SC2, that I bought new, has been a wonderful little workhorse and still only has about 87,000 miles on it.
About a month ago, it started making a screeching noise - think of 1000 rats all being electrocuted at the same time and you pretty much have the sound. Mind you, I know nothing about cars other than where you put in the gas and how to pour in some oil.

“Damn,” I thought, “new brakes needed.”

Took the car to Midas (big mistake, should have remembered from last time) but they looked it over and said, “Well, you need all new brakes, front and rear, and it is going to cost you about $850.”
Hell, the Kelly Blue book value is about $1500 for the car, if I am lucky, so I told them to put everything back together and I will risk it.

Well, the squeaking was getting worse and decided driving a car with no brakes in Las Vegas is probably a bad thing. So I mentioned to my class if anyone knew of a good mechanic, let me know. A student came to me, said his uncle was a mechanic, and he came over the next day. Long story short - my brakes were perfectly fine! They needed just a slight adjustment, but otherwise - no problem whatsoever. He only charged me $35 and considering he came to my house, drove the car to his shop, and then returned the car - I was really, really thankful. Of course, the squeaking sound didn’t happen while he was driving.

Fast forward a few weeks; squeaking getting worse and then - the battery died. So I get out the jumper cables, go to our local AutoZone (car parts store for those who don’t know the chain store), and they offered to install the new battery free if I could get it there in the next half hour as things were slow. So a nice guy puts in the new battery, I gave him a $5 tip (even though it was free, I figured he would appreciate a thanks.)

So, battery works fine and I say, “Hey, maybe you have a clue, but my car makes these screeching noises…” and I tell him the story.

“I know exactly what your problem is.”

It seems the belts in cars get really, really dry here in Las Vegas, and when they do it causes the belt to start making loud noises until the belt and the pulley are in sync. He pointed to the belt and said, “take a bar of soap, start the car and carefully let the belt slide along the bar of soap to lubricate it. That should do it. You might need to get a new belt someday, or you can buy a can of lubricant spray here, but the soap usually does the trick. That’s all I use on my car.”

Took the car home, got out my Almond scented bar of Dial soap (on sale a few months ago) and, sure enough - the sound is gone!

If he had not told me this, most likely I would have broken down, taken the car to a dealership and had them look it over; and somehow I think they would not have told me the soap trick and it would have cost me hundreds of dollars and several hours to get a new widget installed.

Plus, my car now smells like a freshly showered stud, ready for a hot date.

2

Belt dressing spray sells for a few dollars, though I appreciate the Heloise approach. Any screeching sound problem should start with belts and the lubricating thereof.

3

You do realize that the slipping belts are probably what made your battery die in the firtst place, right? You may not have needed a new battery (although it is never a bad idea, what with winter coming.) Belts wear out everywhere, not just in hot climates.

4

No, didn’t realize that.
Remember - “gas goes in there, oil can be poured in there”; end of my car knowledge.
How exactly does a dry belt cause a battery to die?
(I really need to take a course in basic auto mechanics - this is getting embarrassing.)

Oh, and I think I last changed the battery about 6 years ago, so that didn’t really bother me to get a new one now. Again - the heat here in the summer is not really good for car batteries - at least, so I have heard.

5

Oh, and as long as I am getting all butch and talking cars - one thing odd about my little 1994 Saturn is that when I first got it (new), I went through THREE batteries and an alternator in the first few months I had the car! Granted, they were all under warranty back then - but it was more than annoying.

And as long as car people are commenting - one other problem; “ding ding ding ding” - you know that sound when your car lights are still on and you open the car door? Well, the car has been doing that for about a year now…but no lights are on, no emergency brake on, no nothing - why is the car “ding ding dingiing” whenever I open the car door?

Any suggestions will be helpful - I have more soap.

6

The belt is what turns the alternator, and the alternator makes electricity. If everything is working, the battery gives you power to start the car, and then the alternator provides power to the lights, radio, etc., and recharges the battery. If the belt was slipping, the alternator wasn’t turning like it should; all the electric systems were draining the battery and it never got recharged.

If you’d gotten a jump start (or put the battery on a charger) and fixed the belt, you might have been fine. It’s still a lot cheaper than a brake job that you didn’t need.

7

Thanks!
Will probably go for a new belt, should this situation arise again.
BTW, we didn’t get the new brakes - but I think you knew that.
Again - sorry for my ignorance in all matters related to cars - but could all of this also have something to do with the “ding ding ding” whenever we open the car door, despite the fact that there is no key in the in ignition, no lights on, or any other “normal” reasons why the car would make this particular noise?

8

There IS no winter in Las Vegas. There is a season when you might have to wear a light sweater, but there’s no winter.

My family lived there for nearly a decade. It snowed once, which amazed my daughter. She and her daddy went into the mountains each year to go innertubing (like sledding, only with inner tubes instead), so she was familiar with snow. She just didn’t think we got any where we lived. And mostly, we didn’t.

9

Oh, I know. I was just thinking you might be discouraged to find out you bought a new battery you may not have needed. But considering someone tried to fleece you for $850, I think you’re still way ahead on this deal.

The last car I worked on didn’t even have an FM radio, but I’ll speculate a little.

My first guess is that it’s a sensor problem. There must be something attached to the light switch (or the electrical circuit for the lights) that tells the bell to ring when the lights are on (and the door open, etc.) If that sensor short circuited, I imagine that’s all it would take.

I think a sensor like that wouldn’t be too expensive, but it might be inside the steering column or the dashboard where it would take some time and effort (and money) to replace it. Go to a mechanic or the dealership and ask. The car still runs fine, so you’re not over a barrel if it sounds like it’ll be expensive.

You said the sound only happens if the door is open, is that right? If the sound is bothering you, you might be able to disable the bell by taking out a fuse, or rigging the door sensor so it always thinks the door is closed. An alarm that’s always off is as useful as one that’s always on.

Better still, call Car Talk. I almost wish something this interesting would go wrong with my car so I could get on their show. Tell them you rubbed almond scented soap on the alternator belt and now the bell rings when the door is open; they’ll love that.

10

I’ve got a 94 SW2. I’ll go out and buy some soap today, just in case. :wink:

11

YAY for soap and honest mechanics!
I was reading your OP and mentally figured it was your belts.

Who knew that buying used cars our whole marriage and driving them until the wheels fell off, metaphorically speaking, would turn me so butch. Wanna drive my tractor?

How do you have such low mileage on your car?

We just bought a newer car (2007 Ford Focus Station wagon with 47k on it.) because Mr. Ujest’s 2001 Focus has 192k on it and while the body/interior is looking good, the bottom of it is nearly rusted through, thanks to the salt on the roads in the winter and the chloride on our dirt roads in the summer. It’s only a matter of time before we can Fred Flintsone in it. (It is now my car and my truck is resting in the garage until the floor rusts out on the focus. Mr. Ujest drives 3x as far as I do to work, so I fell on that grenade.)

12

Is the belt problem what makes that horrid squealing noise in most cars? My neighbor’s pickup makes that awful noise after he starts it so I know it can’t be the breaks. It’s very annoying, I’ve been thinking of asking him to please do something about it but maybe all I need to do is hand him a bar of soap.

13

NOT necessarily true.

I attended a conference there a decade ago. It was January, and I’m glad I brought my winter jacket (Had to, of course – January is freezing in Boston, where I’d come from). It was New England-style cold in Vegas, and most people didn’t have the appropriate gear. Only us visitors from the Frozen North were dressed for the freezing weather.

14

Short answer: We don’t drive much.

With the Saturn that we bought new in 1994; we lived in West Hollywood, CA and I worked in Santa Monica - only about seven miles, but due to traffic, would be lucky to get there in 45 minutes - often an hour or longer if it was raining or there was a simple fender bender along the way. My partner worked in Beverly Hills nights, so for him it was only about 2 miles drive. Weekends we stayed in West Hollywood and pretty much walked everywhere - movies, restaurants, bars, shops, etc. The only “long” trips we made was to Las Vegas about 3 or 4 times a year, and to Lake Havasu about twice a year. That’s why current mileage is about 87,000.

Now that we live in Vegas, we have two cars - so my partner only drives the Saturn to work (1.5 miles) and to the local supermarket when I have the other car at work.

I figure at this rate, and with some minor care, upkeep and ample soap, we should be able to drive it until about 2034, at which point we might be able to sell it as an antique and get the full amount of money back that I paid for it - plus some.

15

DMark, you said your car knowledge is sketchy, and you don’t often encounter cold weather. That might make you think you don’t need to worry about your anti-freeze. The anti-freeze/anti-boil part will last for several years, but the water pump lubrication part wears out after a year or two. You can get a little can of water pump lube at an auto parts store for a few bucks. Pour it in the big plastic coolant reservoir; you don’t need to open the radiator to add it.

16

Be sure to check your blinker fluid regularly, and make sure you rotate the air in your tires as well, it can potentially increase your tire lifespan

:wink:

17

Lube.

Is there anything it can’t solve?

:smiley:

18

I would just like to point out for anyone considering the soap trick that the engine is running, and the belt is turning.
Rotating auxiliary belts* have a real bad habit of grabbing things and running them though pulleys. Things like shirt sleeves, ties on me, scarves on women, long hair, and they really like fingers.
I have seen trained technicians lose multiple fingers in a heartbeat from running them though a belt pulley. Picture losing all of your index finger and at least 1/2 of your middle finger. Did I mention that belts really like fingers? They do. They eat them for lunch. And dinner.
BE CAREFUL.
Or better yet, buy the spray. $4 is way cheaper than the ER visit.

*(what used to be called a fan belt, but most engines don’t have a belt driven fan so we got a name change)

19

DMark Your ding, ding ding is probably a bad door switch on the driver’s door. If the switch does not work, the car thinks the door is open all the time and the key chime goes off non-stop.
Should be an easy diagnosis at any competent shop.

20

The car probably thinks that your key is still in the ignition. There’s a sensor there that detects the key’s presence, but it might be a little bit stuck. You might need to rap the keyhole a little bit (preferably with the tip of your key) before it will un-ding.