Any ideas on this noise?

[lumac999]

Hi

this is what i get when starting up first thing

and then after a run and engine is warm it's gone

Aby ideas?

[rk696]

My old seat toledo used to do that. It was the aux belt and tensioner.

Try putting a bit of water on the belt and see if the noise stops. If it does, or changes pitch, that's your problem.

[lumac999]

My old seat toledo used to do that. It was the aux belt and tensioner.

Try putting a bit of water on the belt and see if the noise stops. If it does, or changes pitch, that's your problem.

Are you talikng about the belt that drives the power steering pump/aircon/alternator ?

I'll try and post a pic tommorow to clarify

Thanks

Nick

Edited 29 October, 2010 by lumac999

[Milkybadger]

My 2.0TD MG ZR did that,, sounded like a belt down towards the alternator area.. but i just thought sod it and sold the car anyway lol

[rk696]

Are you talikng about the belt that drives the power steering pump/aircon/alternator ?

I'll try and post a pic tommorow to clarify

Thanks

Nick

Yeah, that's the one I meant.

[smallbloke1]

It could bearings in the alternator or one of pumps on the way out.

It does however sound very similiar to the noise I had. After a couple of months and 4K miles 'Alternator Workshop' warning was displayed in mileage window on the dashboard.

Once the alternator was changed the noise went.

[Lee28]

This noise has started to happen on mine too, the only difference is that when its cold its quiet and when its warmed up it starts. The alternator has recently been changed an is still under warranty so i kinda rule that out. Could it be a dry bearing? The fact that it happens when the engine is hot ( factoring in expansion and heat ) makes me think bearing as opposed to belt? If this makes sense.

[Tech1e]

Did they change the pulley on the alternator as well? It's a one way clutched pulley and seize up causing the squeaking noise.

[Dave D]

Sometimes a quick spray of wd40 or similar can shut alternator belts up, you don't have to be too accurate as the spray hits the belt from quite a distance and if it stops the noise then you know thats the fault.

The belt gets dry with age and they start cracking, the belt is also probably the cheapest of all to change so is definately the first thing to be looked at.

Hope this helps

Regards Dave

[Lee28]

Did they change the pulley on the alternator as well? It's a one way clutched pulley and seize up causing the squeaking noise.

I got the alternator from a low mileage car courtesy of Sko Spares at Poole and as such was able to check the clutch was free running before fitment. Thanks for the tip though ! Also ive found some advice to drip water on the belt as the engine was at idle and immediately the noise stopped so i guess the belt must be the culprit. Can a quick spray of wd40 revive the belt then? Thanks for all the help and advice everyone !

[Liam-6]

My old seat toledo used to do that. It was the aux belt and tensioner.

Try putting a bit of water on the belt and see if the noise stops. If it does, or changes pitch, that's your problem.

I've allways used talcon powder

[trundlenut]

I too have this noise, I recently changed the tensioner and the noise stopped for a few days but now it's back, but only when the engine first starts. When I did the tensioner I checked the alternator pulley and the one on the aircon compressor (though it makes the noises whether the aircon is on or off) and they seem fine, so I'm wondering if the belt is the cuplrit. The damper on the tensioner had vomited all it's grease all over the place and I wonder if this has affected the belt?

Tomorrow I'm going to service the car anyway so I might as well change the belt at the same time and see if that sorts it.

I have noticed that when the car is making the noise the tensioner seems to be vibrating. I assume the new tensioner is OK though. The old one was definitely bust.

[mbames]

The noise on mine started off quiet for maybe almost a year as a very light squeal when the car first started, but then towards the end it turned into an evil grown and broke. I would put my money on it being the alternator pulley starting to fail.

Surely by adding any liquids to the belt (water, wd40), all you are really doing is enabling the belt to slip but mask the noise (as the friction between the surfaces is reduced).

[IulianE]

I 've sprayed WD40 on the belt( alot ) ,now is so quiet,no extra noise when turning the AC on,I'm very pleased

The belt isn't slipping

[mbames]

I think the use of WD40 is just masking the problem.... better to investigate and fix properly, unless you have decent breakdown cover and be without the car for a few day while it is fixed.

[IulianE]

right...WD40 won't fix any problem,but cleaning the belt,should do the trick.Mine was dirty

[trundlenut]

Right then, I changed the belt and the noise is still there but is now different. I can now hear a bit of a chatter if I hold the revs at around 2.5k and then take my foot off the gas quickly.

When I did the belt I checked the alternator pulley clutch and whilst it did move correctly I think it is not as smooth as it should be, so I think that it's starting to wear out. It doesn't seem to move as freely as when I changed the one on a friends car but it is hard to compare mine in-situ compared to having the alternator on the bench.

I think I'll have a crack at changing the pulley in a couple of weeks. Fortunately I already have the tool to remove the pulley.

[mbames]

Right then, I changed the belt and the noise is still there but is now different. I can now hear a bit of a chatter if I hold the revs at around 2.5k and then take my foot off the gas quickly.

That is pretty much the conditions in which mine broken, foot off the gas and dipped the clutch.

I think I'll have a crack at changing the pulley in a couple of weeks. Fortunately I already have the tool to remove the pulley.

Changing the pulley only takes seconds, getting the alternator off (and then out) can take ages

[trundlenut]

That is pretty much the conditions in which mine broken, foot off the gas and dipped the clutch.

Changing the pulley only takes seconds, getting the alternator off (and then out) can take ages

Obviously when you drop the revs the alternator is supposed to keep running at a constant speed, when the pulley is seized it suddenly slows down down by several thousand revs and there will be a lot of energy to dissipate.

You were lucky if the pulley came off easily. On a Galaxy the alternator removal is the easy part. I left the pulley soaking in penetrating fluid overnight and then had to make use a of a length of scaffolding pole over a spanner with the alternator strapped to the bench to loosen it. Before soaking it would easily take my whole weight bouncing on the scaffolding pole without moving.

Edited 5 June, 2011 by trundlenut

[mbames]

You were lucky if the pulley came off easily. On a Galaxy the alternator removal is the easy part. I left the pulley soaking in penetrating fluid overnight and then had to make use a of a length of scaffolding pole over a spanner with the alternator strapped to the bench to loosen it. Before soaking it would easily take my whole weight bouncing on the scaffolding pole without moving.

I only had half a pulley to remove, the other bit had already broken off However a nice mechanic in a VW specialist place did it for me in matter of seconds.