Whining At Idle

[roccorich 16]

Probably don't want the answer to this but here goes....

 

When idling the car makes a horrible whining nouse like a bearing that's gone.

 

I changed the alternator as it went away when I took the belt off so thought that was it but its still there.

 

Goes away when revving.

 

Cheers

 

Rich

[RossD 43]

Could possibly be a timing belt tensioner, or the belt is over tensioned.

[iPlod999 143 1 Cars]

Is it like a screeching (?) Noise?

 

It could be the belt slipping on the alternator pulley.

 

Tighten the alternator belt.

[iPlod999 143 1 Cars]

This is the tensioner.

 

[roccorich 16]

No its more like a bearing noise.

[Tom Fenton 1,526]

Timing belt too tight.

[roccorich 16]

Why would it go away when the alter belts off? Thats the bit I can't get my head around.

[Anthony 1,000]

Does the car have PAS (looks like it might do from the position of the alternator in that picture)?

 

Could be the PAS pump if so, as that would explain the whining that only occurs with the belt fitted but that is still present despite the alternator being replaced.

[roccorich 16]

Thats not my picture.

 

No I don't have PAS.

[iPlod999 143 1 Cars]

It's my picture and yes it used to have air con.

 

Don't know why but someone took it out. Although, there are a few bits still there.

[PAGOS 15 4 Cars]

when you say " a few bits " what bits do you actually mean ? If the compressor is still fitted it may be that the noise is coming of it .if so , take the belt off it and fit a new one not driving the compressor . it may be that the electro-magnetic clutch for the A/C is energised and driving the compressor or a bearing in the e/mag clutch assy,which free-wheels off load.ditch the A/C !

[roccorich 16]

The photo is not of my car, he put the photo up to show me where the adjuster is for the alternator belt.

 

My car, which is the one making the whining noise, does not have aircon or PAS. The alternator belt only goes from the alternator to the crank pully.

 

Cheers

 

Rich

[luggy 13]

Why would it go away when the alter belts off? Thats the bit I can't get my head around.

Seems the issue is with the alternator, anything clipping the alternator cooling fins?

Edited February 26, 2014 by luggy

[roccorich 16]

No. all clear around it. And the noise goes when you rev.

 

 

Gonna whip the cambelt covers off tonight and check how tight it is.

[BusEngineer 7]

Check that your crank pulley bolt is tight, mine came lose and the key way was digging its way round the pulley

[Slo 283 1 Cars]

Timing belt rubbing on its cover can whine. As above bottom pulley coming loose can make some really awful noises and will accentuate the belt rubbing noise as it can move out of line and even come completely off if the pulley was to fall off.

 

I had the bottom pulley come off on my way home from work once on my turbo 8v and it sounded like a chicken coup and the steering went solid so i removed the pulley and belt to get it home. Many moons later when i changed the timing belt I discovered how lucky i was that the belt didn't just fall off.

 

The alternator belt puts a lot of side tension on the bottom pulley so I would say this is the area you need to be checking out.

 

Do you have a metal top cover or all plastic?

Edited February 26, 2014 by Slo

[Stephen W 12 1 Cars]

I also had a similar problem and it was the lower timing belt cover touching the crank pulley.

[roccorich 16]

I took the top cover off and the belt doesn't seem to have any marks thst look like its rubbing.

 

The alternator belt however has made marks in the bottom cam belt cover so this could be the source of the noise as its basically sat rubbing against it.

 

Which pulley sre you saying comes loose? The bottom pulley that the alternator belt runs on or the bottom cambelt pulley?

 

Cheers

 

Rich

[Slo 283 1 Cars]

The pulley attached to the crankshaft.

[roccorich 16]

So I need to remove the alternator belt and pulley and then remove the bottom cambelt cover?

[Slo 283 1 Cars]

Yup 'fraid so unless you can pin the cover back somehow permanantly so its not touching anything

[Tom Fenton 1,526]

This is quite common, it is down to the lower cover distorting over the years due to heat.

I've made a stainless steel replacement as you can no longer buy the plastic original.

[roccorich 16]

Im not fussed if the alternator belt rubs on the cambelt cover.

 

What I mean is that I will need to remove the alternator pulley to get the cambelt cover off to then check the bottom cambelt pulley is still tight.

 

Is that right?

[welshpug 1,626]

Timing sprocket will be loose if you take bolt out and sux pulley off.

 

I sure would be fussed if the aux belt was rubbing on the cover, last thing tou want is it getting eaten up by the timing belt.

[Slo 283 1 Cars]

just try to tighten it up with a big screw driver in the flywheel teeth to stop it moving you'll know straight away if its loose and as welshpug says it could wear thru and snag causing it to rip the lot off including the timing belt though this is worst case scenario.