Strange noise after all the heavy rain - help!!
Discussion
I have a Ford Focus 1.6 petrol (2008) that's been running fine since I bought it a few years ago. Got caught in the heavy rain earlier today when returning home but noticed nothing untoward. Then when I left to do the schoolrun two hours later A high pitched whine developed which gets increasingly louder the more I accelerate.
The whine is now present when the car is idling (albeit a lot quieter).
It seems to be coming from the left hand side of the engine where the belts/alternator are located so I'm thinking belts,idler pullies,etc.
Anybody with experience confirm this or suggest something else?
MODS, please leave this here and not move it to the Ford section as tumbleweed has been known to blow through there. Ta!
The whine is now present when the car is idling (albeit a lot quieter).
It seems to be coming from the left hand side of the engine where the belts/alternator are located so I'm thinking belts,idler pullies,etc.
Anybody with experience confirm this or suggest something else?
MODS, please leave this here and not move it to the Ford section as tumbleweed has been known to blow through there. Ta!
A belt slipping is more like a screech than a whine - more or less fixed pitch but varying in volume. It might be a bearing in either the alternator or power steering pump if the whine is directly related to engine revs. Belt slippage usually is worse when first started due to alternator load replenishing the starter current for the first few miles.
Teddye4687 said:
Yep, sounds like a belt slipping (or possibly the alternator)
Same happened with my 106, which was a simple & cheap fix.
Cheers guys. My mind always goes for the worst case scenario and I've been having visions of engine rebuilds and thousands spent!!Same happened with my 106, which was a simple & cheap fix.
Quick followw up question. Would it be Ok to drive (only short distances, no cross-country jaunts)? My normal garage can't fit me in for two weeks.
valiant1 said:
Teddye4687 said:
Yep, sounds like a belt slipping (or possibly the alternator)
Same happened with my 106, which was a simple & cheap fix.
Cheers guys. My mind always goes for the worst case scenario and I've been having visions of engine rebuilds and thousands spent!!Same happened with my 106, which was a simple & cheap fix.
Quick followw up question. Would it be Ok to drive (only short distances, no cross-country jaunts)? My normal garage can't fit me in for two weeks.
If it's a squeal type noise, and lasts for a moderate duration (we're talking a few seconds+), then it's unlikely to be your cambelt, as if it were, you'd probably know about it by now!
Is it intermittent? P.S. if you do drive it and you're happy that it's the alternator, as a pre-cautionary, carry jump leads or park on a hill
P.P.S - Have a look on youtube for 'Ford focus slipping alternator' etc, see if any of the noises seem similar. For example, this mentions a timing belt
Edited by Teddye4687 on Tuesday 3rd January 16:47
Thinking about it I doubt very much that it is the cambelt as I would have lunched the engine by now and using the power of Google it seems to match up with what I'm hearing.
The rain around here was mental so I'm thinking rather too much water got into the engine bay and onto the aux belts. Hopefully they'll dry out a bit and reduce the noise until they can be replaced.
The rain around here was mental so I'm thinking rather too much water got into the engine bay and onto the aux belts. Hopefully they'll dry out a bit and reduce the noise until they can be replaced.
valiant1 said:
Thinking about it I doubt very much that it is the cambelt as I would have lunched the engine by now and using the power of Google it seems to match up with what I'm hearing.
The rain around here was mental so I'm thinking rather too much water got into the engine bay and onto the aux belts. Hopefully they'll dry out a bit and reduce the noise until they can be replaced.
Usually if its water it gets dried out pretty quick and the belts will stop slipping.The rain around here was mental so I'm thinking rather too much water got into the engine bay and onto the aux belts. Hopefully they'll dry out a bit and reduce the noise until they can be replaced.
If they continue to slip it may wear the pulleys which means that the replacement belt will also slip. So get them done soon as.
valiant1 said:
Thinking about it I doubt very much that it is the cambelt as I would have lunched the engine by now and using the power of Google it seems to match up with what I'm hearing.
The rain around here was mental so I'm thinking rather too much water got into the engine bay and onto the aux belts. Hopefully they'll dry out a bit and reduce the noise until they can be replaced.
The Cambelt is toothed and will not be the causeThe rain around here was mental so I'm thinking rather too much water got into the engine bay and onto the aux belts. Hopefully they'll dry out a bit and reduce the noise until they can be replaced.
yours is water on the belt/pulley or a loose/worn power steering/alternator normal service likely to resume once dry
*Al* said:
Without being a doom monger i'd say it is just your auxillary belt, get it changed anyway and go from there.If the noise stops then fine, i had belt noise on my Dodge Ram which almost sounded like a collapsed bearing it was so bad so i changed the belt and all was quiet again.
For the sake of £12 or whatever, I'd go with this and equip yourself with a haynes 
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