First there was no reason for the shop to go over the whole car except to find more potential repairs to run the price up.
Unless the PZEV engine alternator is in a drastically different place than on my engine it isn’t hard to change the belt is the hardest part.
A mechanic’s stethoscope should allow to figure out which one is making the noise.
Good luck.

 

@JerryCLunsford , Thanks for your response. I did look at a couple of videos on replacing the alternator; It doesn't look that bad to get to. I'll just jack the car up, pull the tire, and take my time with it.

I put my stethoscope to the PSP and it sounded like the noise was there. When I get a look at the car next, I'll see if I can get the pickup rod on the stethoscope safely to the alternator to verify or eliminate it as the noise-maker.

And I also saw that there is an oil pan just under where the alternator is. If that's what's leaking, I might as well replace that gasket, or RTV if necessary, while I'm down there. In the video I watched on that oil-pan, the engine side didn't look like an engine. There was no visible crank, etc. And while the oil didn't look like ATF, I could have been looking at a valve body. That said, it would seem like the wrong side of the engine for a transmission/transaxle. It must be "an", but maybe not "the", oil-pan.

The image that I am attaching is of the garage floor under the car. I'm sure that it's oil in upper right. I'm not sure about the rusty looking stains. I know that here antifreeze doesn't look like that, so I'm sticking with the exhaust condensation at this point unless someone has another idea. I'll report back once I get a look under the car. Thanks again. Cheers.

 

Suggest getting a second opinion. Ask around for trusted shops and schedule a visit asking about the noise; do not suggest the PSP or alternator, let the shop identify the source. Ask the shop to inspect the vehicle and make suggestions as to work that may be needed and to rank the repairs from critical to can wait. There may be a diagnostic fee charged, typically 1 hour of labor but is typically credited back if the repair is done.

If it is the PSP, suggest replacing the fluid first. ATF+4 is recommended. I use a turkey baster and empty the reservoir, refill with atf+4, and drive around the block. 3-4 times will replace most of the old fluid. around 2 quarts.

When under the engine, snug up the oil pan bolts. I found the pan bolts on my 2014 could be snugged up a bit.

Check the valve cover for oil leaks. I replaced the gasket after tracking down the oil drops under the engine up past the timing chain cover to the passenger corner of the valve cover. No more drips.

Common point for transmission leaks are the two lines from the trans to/from the cooler, typically leaking where the metal tube meets the rubber hose.

As a note, it is a common practice to 'look' for additional work. Nothing says you need to authorize it and have it done then.

 

Many shops give a gratis free multi-point check-up. Usually they mention this at write-up. There is no obligation to follow through with the work. Take it under consideration.
Second opinions are worth it unless she paid a diagnostic fee, the diagnostic fee is applied to the work if she returns. If she goes somewhere else, then she may have to pay a 2nd diagnosis fee to the new shop.

Choose priorities. Discuss options. Leaks can cause an early death in expensive assemblies. The rusty water bothers me. Make sure that it is A/C or exhaust condensate. You don't want a coolant leak to overheat an engine. Has it had at one flush during its life? 6-speed ATF+4 & filter change? With no dipstick, dropping the pan is a good gauge of transaxle health.
Has she been keeping up on scheduled maintenance? Fresh fluids & filters are important for a 12 year-old vehicle. You can download a service manual at charm.li. to see what's involved with repairs. Work that requires a lift or special tools might be best done by a shop.

First confirm that the work needs doing & they are not trying to pad the bill. Use OEM parts for best results, not necessarily Mopar, but a part that describes itself as 'OEM'.

Everytime I turn around, things are more expensive.

 

Thanks for your input, gents. I did notice a leak with similar coloring that was coming from what looked like a hard trans cooler line/pipe with a square flange. That worried me. The owner has been good about oil changes and basic maintenance, but I don't believe she has stayed up with the deeper, higher mileage, stuff. I believe I recall asking about whether she had had the ATF changed, and she answered in the negative. FWIW, the car's build sheet shows it has a 4 speed auto trans.

I think that the next time she is going to drive the car is to drive it here, where I have proper tools, jacks, etc. I'll report back with any new info.

As far as the multi-point inspection, I don't know if that was mentioned to her. I'll ask. Regardless, when someone comes in expecting to have a PSP replaced, at the worst ($400 maybe.), and you hit them with a $3,500 on car that might be worth $4,000, the shop shouldn't be surprised that a customer walks out. Especially when the car is certainly driveable. Thanks again, folks. Cheers.

 

OK, I would believe a 4-speed (41TE). They were phasing it out & going to the 6-speed (62TE) at this time.
Don't be alarmed by estimates. Take the copy with you to 'think about it'. Most shops are honest, although they are always trying to sell extra work. Some of it may be needed. You can review what is listed on the recommendations to see if it is a real concern or not.

With the p/s pump noise, is it whirring on turns because of low fluid level from a leak? A pump noise may be only a symptom if the steering rack or hoses are leaking.
The water pump may be more accessible through the RF wheel well if that needs attention.
Or is the alternator growling from a bad bearing? Locate the source of the noise.

The 2.4L PZEV is due for spark plugs at 100K miles (160K km).
The OAT? coolant is a 10 year/150K mile (240K km) formula. Whichever comes first. Use distilled (dehumidifier) water?

The cabin air filter (the forgotten filter) is behind the glovebox & if the car is parked around trees, it may be needing attention?

Chrysler still recommends the pan drop/filter change method of transaxle service. The exchange or transfusion machines are convenient, but a baseline should be established on transaxle wear by seeing what's in the bottom of the pan, attached to the chip magnet & on the filter. Use ATF+4 meeting Chrysler MS-9602 only (the p/s uses the same fluid).

The scheduled maintenance intervals are listed in the owners manual. If these are the original fluids, they are the ones that the vehicle was 'broken-in' on & deserve refreshing. Aged, oxidized & dirty fluids will hasten component wear.

 

The idler pulleys have also been known to be noisy as they begin to wear and can be another suspect. Being able to isolate the source of the noise will keep you from replacing good parts.

 

Thanks, @200_S_AWD and @ggoose .
FWIW, The car has had a coolant change about 7 years ago. It was changed with the proper pink HOAT(?) antifreeze. I will ask the owner if she has added tap water to the system in the past. I always use distilled. Cabin filters were changed about 5 years ago by yours truly. The idler pulley(s), tensioner pulley, and serpentine belt were replaced about 5 years ago as well (Dayco/Gates, IIRC.). I am loathe to think about doing the water pump. I hate doing them on transverse engines. That said, I do have one of those engine-bay bridge supports that perhaps can get me more room to work. I'll look at the book.

Oh, and I'm pretty sure that the motor mounts are original, so that's probably another issue that will come up not too far down the road. And if I have to lift the engine a bit to do the water pump, I might as well do the mounts. All aboard the mission-creep express.

Presently I'm in the process of assembling parts to re-do the cooling system in my '99 Bimmer. I guess I'll have to start a queue. Or perhaps more like a triage. Thanks again, gents. Cheers.

 

Greetings, all. I still haven't had a chance to look at my friend's car. Scheduling...

Do the alternator pulleys go bad fairly often in the 140 amp alternators? I didn't know that just the pulley, complete with bearings, was so available to purchase. Since it sounds like a bearing noise, whether it's from the alternator or steering pump, I wonder if the pulley bearing going out is more common than the main alternator bearings. Any input is appreciated. Thanks ahead of time. Cheers.

 

I have replaced noisy belt-driven accessories. Remove the belt & run the engine briefly to verify that the noise is gone. A 'flick' of the pulleys by hand may help in judging if there is a bearing 'roughness'. A stethoscope (hose & nail) can be used to find the culprit.

The alternator uses a 'decoupler' pulley for reducing noise/vibration. When they go bad, they can 'growl', 'chatter' or make a different kind of ruckus.

 

Many thanks, @200_S_AWD. That was a great video, and probably gets to the root of the problem with this 200. I'll send the link to the owner, and she can probably say whether the noise is a duplicate, which I believe it is. Thanks again. Cheers.

 

Note: It doesn't have to be the particular noise that's on that video.

 

Gotcha, thanks, @200_S_AWD . It's a bit different, but I think that it's more than likely the culprit. I put my mechanic's stethoscope on the alternator body and it's almost certainly at the alternator. The question is whether it's the pulley or internal bearings. I'll report back when the job is complete. Thanks again. Cheers.

 

I'm looking at complete alternators, just in case the pulley doesn't fix the noise/problem. According to the build sheet, the car has a 140 amp alternator. I don't understand why it does though. No power or heated seats. Basic stereo. No sunroof. It does have power locks, power windows, security system, and halogen headlights. Does it really require a 140 amp alternator? Many thanks, gents. Cheers.

 

These cars carry a lot of computer modules that are very sensitive to low voltage and one thing most people don’t realize the transmission is computer controlled by electric solenoids. So they use a lot of power even without the heated seats or sunroof.

 

Thanks, @JerryCLunsford . That makes sense. 140 amp it is. Cheers.

 

Is there a label with a part number? It probably won't be the numbers below.
A 120 (sales code #BAN) or 140 amp (sales code #BAE) alternator was available.

A flick of the pulley for a quick spin with the belt off for any 'roughness', should determine how the bearings are.

 

Thanks, gents. If it was my car, I'd roll for the pulley being bad. It sounds like that design can go south in 50K miles. This car has almost 3 times that. I might have to have the owner leave it with me for a couple of days, just in case. I'm moving slowly under and around cars these days. Old tortured back.

Without the alternator being out, I'm only going on what it says on the Chrysler build sheet, which shows a 140 amp. It does not have a letter prefix on that sheet. While she is not the original owner, she bought the 200LX from a rental agency when it was less than 3 years old, so I'm pretty sure it has what it had from the factory. 100%? Never. Cheers.

 

The 'R' prefix is for 'reman'.