I was given a 2001 Pontiac Grand Prix 3.8L NA V6. It has about 135k miles and has been sitting since last August. I put a new battery in it to get it running. When ever I rev it up in park, the lights dim for a split second, and there seems to be hesitation. Could this be the alternator? Also, whenever I steer, it is easy at first, but then it gets hard. I thought it was the power steering pump going bad, but my step dad told me it could just be low on fluid. Or the current fluid is dirty. Thoughts on that?
Also, since the car sat for so long, it has developed a mold smell, even in the a/c ducts. What is the best way to get rid of it?
Check your alternator output at idle and revved up. Should be around 12v plus at idle and around 14v revved up. Get a turkey baster and remove as much of the old power steering fluid as possible, Refill. Get the front wheels off the ground and with the engine running, turn the wheels full left and full right several times to get the air out of the system. For the smell, get a can of Ozium at the auto parts store, start the car, turn on the vent and spray it into the intake vents below the windshield. Go inside and move the selector from fresh to recirculate and let it run for a while with the fan on low. Check your cabin filter(s) and replace if old.
As far for the lighting, it could be an electrical issue. For the powering steering pump, just hope that you are low on fluid. You could replace it but the price of that can be pricy. For getting rid of the smell, you could boil vinegar-it's weird but it may help.
