Q: I’m having problems with my daughter’s ’91 Plymouth Acclaim (4-cyl.). Her car’s power steering lines are rusted, and she doesn’t want to put much money into it. Is it possible for me to just disconnect the belt and drive the car without the power steering? -- John, Oak Lawn

A: John, I would never recommend driving a vehicle with the steering system compromised. Could it be driven with the belt disconnected? Sure it could. Yes, the steering wheel will be more difficult to turn without the hydraulic assist from the belt-driven pump. But the reality is that the steering gear assembly will eventually loose its fluid for lubrication purposes and the assembly will eventually fail. When that happens, all steering control could be lost. That’s not a situation I’d want your daughter, or anyone else in her car, or anyone else sharing the road with her in.

Q: I have a ’97 Lincoln Continental with 127,000 miles. The problem that I’m having is a chattering noise that occurs upon staring the engine. The noise seems to be coming from the serpentine drive belt. I have replaced the alternator. I also took my car to a Lincoln dealer and they replaced the serpentine belt, the tensioner and idler pulley. The noise is still there. Do you have any ideas as to what’s causing it? -- W.O., Skokie

A: W.O., to confirm if the noise is coming from the drive belt, a technician should remove the belt and see if the noise is still heard when starting the engine. If there’s still noise, then the belt or one of the accessories driven by the belt can be eliminated as the source. If the noise is no longer there with the belt removed, then you have confirmed that the problem is with the belt or one of the accessories driven by the belt. Each accessory drive pulley should be checked for possible bearing damage and excessive end-play. Also, the accessory pulleys need to be in alignment with each other. The alignment can be checked with a straightedge tool or a laser device.

Q: I have a ’92 Oldsmobile Ciera with 106,000 miles. Many times it starts fine. But sometimes it’s sluggish in starting or does not start at all. When it does start it runs fine. Last night, it did not start. This morning, with a low battery, it started fine. Any help? -- J.S., Brideview

A: J.S., when your Ciera’s engine doesn’t start, try a shot of starting fluid in the intake hose that’s attached between the air filter and the throttle assembly. If it starts or seems like it will start, it would confirm that the problem is with the delivery of fuel into the combustion chambers. If it still doesn’t want to start with the starting fluid, then it’s likely the problem is with the ignition system. Regarding the fuel system, it could be anything from worn or faulty fuel injectors to a faulty fuel pump. Regarding the ignition system, it could be a faulty ignition module or crankshaft position sensor. If you plan on taking your Ciera in for service, you’ll be better off leaving it with a technician so they can duplicate the sluggish starting.

AutoAdviser: Ira Siegel is an Automotive Instructor and ASE Certified Master Auto Technician. If you have auto-related questions for Ira Siegel you can call and leave your questions at the Auto Adviser Hotline at 708-633-6839 or e-mail a question to Autoadvisr@aol.com.