I have a 2007 Chevrolet Equinox that has 95K miles on it. This summer, every time I would turn the air on and the compressor kicked in, this awful noise would come from underneath the hood. I took it to a mechanic and he said it was the belt tensioner. After three visits, and a relacement of a belt and a whole new tensioner, the problem is still there. Any suggestions?

Also now I have my speedometer going crazy. Dealer is wanting to charge $530 for a new instrument cluster. They are saying they are the only ones that can do it because they have to program it. Anyone know if it is true or are they just trying to get money out of me?

Finally, there is a miss in the engine. The check engine light came on and the code said spark plugs and wires. After replacing those the miss was still there. Today the check engine light came on again and it is saying "Throttle Position Sensor." Could this be why I am having the miss?

My bank account and wallet are really struggling with this car!!!!!!

 

What kind of noise is being made?

Can you post the actual troublecodes you got?

 

The noise sounds like some sort of bearing going out or a grinding noise. The trouble code I got was P0121

 

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I’m sorry you are experiencing these issues with your Equinox vehicle. It is true that the dealer will need to program the instrument cluster.

I recommend consulting with their technicians for the other issues that are occurring as well.

If you PM the last 8-digits of your VIN, I would be happy to research my resources for any known issues related to what you have described.

Louis
GM Customer Service

 

Proper diagnosis is still required, but I have some suggestions.

I think the P0121 code most likely indicates that you will need a new Accelerator Pedal Position sensor (located near gas pedal). Most auto parts stores will have it listed as a throttle position sensor. This could be the source of your misfire, but I wouldn't worry about the misfire unless you are still getting misfire troublecodes (P0300-P0306). I would double check the plug wires and make sure they are correctly connected to the ignition coil if you are still getting any misfire codes.

The grinding could be a bad A/C compressor clutch or a bad idler pulley. Since it only occurs when the A/C is on one may be inclined to immediately think that it is a bad A/C clutch, but the additional load that an engaged A/C compressor creates could definitely cause a worn idler pulley to make a noise due to the additional load. There are THREE idler pulleys used on the 3.4L engine (see picture below) in the Equinox; so there is a very good chance of this being the source of the noise.



Key:

1) alternator
2) idler pulley
3) idler pulley (this is where the [hydraulic] power steering pulley is located when this engine is installed in vehicles with hydraulic power steering)
4) water pump
5) A/C compressor
6) crankshaft pulley
7) idler pulley
8) drive belt tensioner

You can get a used gauge cluster and install it yourself because this is quite easy to do, but you would still need to have the dealer reprogram it.

The mileage is stored in the BCM, so this is not a problem. However, after installation the DIC in the used cluster will display ERROR because the VIN and vehicle content information that was stored in the used cluster from when it was installed in the donor vehicle will not match what is stored in your vehicle's BCM. The FSM says that this information is transferred and stored in a new cluster the first time the key is turned on after installation. I'm not sure if the dealership would be able to reprogram this, but I would be surprised if they can't.

Good Luck

 

Thanks. More problems to add. I was just driving home and all of a sudden the check engine light came on, the car geared down, and started flashing "Service Traction Control, Service Stabilitrak, Engine Power Reduced" ???

 

Before doing anything, have you ever replaced the battery? If not, get your charging system and battery tested at your local auto parts store. Your battery may be on the rocks and this could be the root of some of your issues. Make sure the replacement has 650CCA like the original. Most batteries in this size (Group 47/H5) offer 600CCA or less so you may need to be persistent in your search. A couple batteries I'd recommend are the AC Delco 47-7YR (same as original) or the Everstart Maxx H5. Both produce 650CCA, but the Everstart is much easier to find since most Wal-Marts have them in stock.

FWIW we had to replace the original battery in ours 2 years ago. There were no symptoms leading up to this except for the liftgate switch working intermittently. Then, one night it suddenly wouldn't start - wouldn't even turn over.

 

I am pretty confident it is not the battery. I called the dealership this morning and explained to them what happened last night and before I could even finish explaining the technician said "That's your throttle body"." I said "Ok if you are certian, I can get this part and have it fixed on my own." He said he is about 80% sure.

 

That is possible. Don't buy the new throttle body from the stealership though. You can get them very same OEM throttle body from RockAuto for ~$150 including S&H. The dealership will probably want twice that amount. The GM p/n is 12609500 and the AC Delco p/n is 217-3108.

I have attached documents for replacing the throttle body.

Anytime the throttle body is cleaned or replaced, the ECM must learn the new throttle position. The engine control module (ECM) learns the idle position of the throttle plate to ensure the correct idle. I have attached instructions for this too.

2007-2009 Equinox 3.4L throttle-body-assembly-replacement.pdf
2007-2009 Equinox 3.4L throttle-learn.pdf

 

Got fed up with all these issues and made a complaint to Chevrolet. After a week they determined that no assistance is needed. The INSTRUMENT CLUSTER is going out for crying out loud! Not to mention I have seen several posts on here about the same issue. If anyone has this problem please complain. If we complain enough they may issue a recall.

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As far as the throttle body, cleaned it really good with cleaner and it seems to be doing ok. We will see.