Hello,

I have a 97 civic dx coupe. I've begun to hear kind of a put-put sound when I accelerate and assume I have a hole somewhere in my exhaust. How do I find out where the hole is? What am I looking for (besides "a hole, duh!").

I'm also hearing a constant fast spinning and squeaking sound coming from the driver's side that sounds like the belt. Will simply replacing the belt make the sound disappear?

Obviously I'm no vehicle expert, but I'm an electrician who is competent with tools and mechanical concepts. I'd like to learn more about my vehicle and don't like relying on shops for things that can be simply fixed. Thanks for the replies.

 

if you can get a helper and a jack with a set of jackstands.

raise the front of the car and make sure its properly supported. Have your helper slightly rev the engine up and down while you look/listen for leaks.

As far as the spinning/squeaking sound - does it change with RPMs? or with vehicle speed?

 

For exhaust leaks, run the engine at idle and have your assistant hold a rag over the end of the tailpipe to build up some pressure. You will then hear a hissing from the leak location. Check the exhaust manifold for cracks, very common on your model.

Does the squeaking occur only when the car is actually moving, or is it all the time the engine is running? In the latter case, remove the belts (power steering, air conditioner, and alternator) and spin the pulleys by hand to see if they are noisy. You can also start the engine with the belts off and see if the noise is still there.

 

The belt squeaking occurs 100% of the time the car is running, but the sound is diminished when it's raining/wet out. It doesn't change with RPM, it is completely constant.

Does it make sense to just replace the exhaust manifold? Or should I replace the whole exhaust?

 

I had the manifold/cat replaced which is where the crack was.

I had a co-worker ex mechanic look at my belts and he said they look fine and they are plenty tight, but it still squeaks. Is that belt spray worth the time? What else could be making my belts squeak?

 

Take the belts off, start engine and see if it still squeaks. If it does still squeak, it could be the water pump or timing belt tensioner. If not, try to isolate the problem to one of the accessory units by spinning the pulleys by hand. If all the bearings seem OK, try using new belts.

 

Is there a tutorial for this? Can I find it in the service manual? What page? Thanks for the help.