Intermittent low pictched squeal- water pump?
Discussion
Been getting a low pitched intermittent squeal since I got the car and been trying to work out where it is coming from.
Appears only once car warm and only under load and stays on relatively consistently. It tends to drops away once revs low/ very low speeds and eases a bit under hard acceleration 😁and I can't replicate at standstill (even if i stop at side of road when it has been doing it).
Could this be my water pump on way out? I've put a screwdriver against the housing and bearing sounds a bit rougher than the alternator but don't know if normal or not. I'm not losing any fluid.
My heater is ok but doesn't sound a good as others and car seems to take a while to warm up and ran relatively cold (c60 degrees on cold winter days on motorway) so wondering if the thermostat need replaced as well - don't suppose this could make such a noise?
It was suggested could be something like leaf in heater air intake, but I'm not convinced.
Any thoughts appreciated.
Cheers
Andrew
Appears only once car warm and only under load and stays on relatively consistently. It tends to drops away once revs low/ very low speeds and eases a bit under hard acceleration 😁and I can't replicate at standstill (even if i stop at side of road when it has been doing it).
Could this be my water pump on way out? I've put a screwdriver against the housing and bearing sounds a bit rougher than the alternator but don't know if normal or not. I'm not losing any fluid.
My heater is ok but doesn't sound a good as others and car seems to take a while to warm up and ran relatively cold (c60 degrees on cold winter days on motorway) so wondering if the thermostat need replaced as well - don't suppose this could make such a noise?
It was suggested could be something like leaf in heater air intake, but I'm not convinced.
Any thoughts appreciated.
Cheers
Andrew
asd2001 said:
Been getting a low pitched intermittent squeal since I got the car and been trying to work out where it is coming from.
Appears only once car warm and only under load and stays on relatively consistently. It tends to drops away once revs low/ very low speeds and eases a bit under hard acceleration ??and I can't replicate at standstill (even if i stop at side of road when it has been doing it).
Could this be my water pump on way out? I've put a screwdriver against the housing and bearing sounds a bit rougher than the alternator but don't know if normal or not. I'm not losing any fluid.
My heater is ok but doesn't sound a good as others and car seems to take a while to warm up and ran relatively cold (c60 degrees on cold winter days on motorway) so wondering if the thermostat need replaced as well - don't suppose this could make such a noise?
It was suggested could be something like leaf in heater air intake, but I'm not convinced.
Any thoughts appreciated.
Cheers
Andrew
It isn't a surprise that the temperature gauge reads low on the motorway - that is a result of where the sender is located.Appears only once car warm and only under load and stays on relatively consistently. It tends to drops away once revs low/ very low speeds and eases a bit under hard acceleration ??and I can't replicate at standstill (even if i stop at side of road when it has been doing it).
Could this be my water pump on way out? I've put a screwdriver against the housing and bearing sounds a bit rougher than the alternator but don't know if normal or not. I'm not losing any fluid.
My heater is ok but doesn't sound a good as others and car seems to take a while to warm up and ran relatively cold (c60 degrees on cold winter days on motorway) so wondering if the thermostat need replaced as well - don't suppose this could make such a noise?
It was suggested could be something like leaf in heater air intake, but I'm not convinced.
Any thoughts appreciated.
Cheers
Andrew
As for the source of the noise, I'll read the replies to this with interest, because mine does it too!
Yes, it's a T5 gearbox (1997 car) but increasingly thinking it is the water pump as saw a very small drip of coolant coming from the hole underneath and the noise seems to come from the front, although I know that can be deceptive....
Will likely order up a spare pump and swap over at the weekend - sounds like within the my basic spannering skills! Will have a feel when warm with belt off firstv(top tip)
Cheers
Andrew
Will likely order up a spare pump and swap over at the weekend - sounds like within the my basic spannering skills! Will have a feel when warm with belt off firstv(top tip)
Cheers
Andrew
If you have leaking at the weep hole the water is passing the first seal. Defo water pump in that case 👍
My leaking serp pump.
Dunno if these two are related and off the top of my head I can't remember if the water pump was replaced ,,,, then the tensioner or the other way round but one seems to have lead to the other as within a short space of time I had to replace both after they'd worked for 66,000 miles, I've done over 30,000 of those and not ofeten under extreme conditions.
Truth is you get used to the noise, only when I'd replaced these two components did I realise how noisy they both were.
Tensioner wheel. My belt stays more stable with this fitted.
For the cost of it and to try and look after my alternator bearing I'm now glad I've done both.
My leaking serp pump.
Dunno if these two are related and off the top of my head I can't remember if the water pump was replaced ,,,, then the tensioner or the other way round but one seems to have lead to the other as within a short space of time I had to replace both after they'd worked for 66,000 miles, I've done over 30,000 of those and not ofeten under extreme conditions.
Truth is you get used to the noise, only when I'd replaced these two components did I realise how noisy they both were.
Tensioner wheel. My belt stays more stable with this fitted.
For the cost of it and to try and look after my alternator bearing I'm now glad I've done both.
Water pump then tensioner,,,,?
I reckon the tensioner was weak and the wheel was loose and sort of vibrated which loosens the belt momentarily which could then lead to pressure changes on the bearings which slowly leads to wear and failure.
I replaced water pump but Tensioner didn't make noise at that time but was basically knackered,,, probably before the pump!
There's a subtle difference in one that appears ok and a new one and even though it might sound quiet a new one might prove it wasn't.
I think my car make a hiss/ whine for ages before it becomes noticeable enough for me to realise. It's now very very quiet
I reckon the tensioner was weak and the wheel was loose and sort of vibrated which loosens the belt momentarily which could then lead to pressure changes on the bearings which slowly leads to wear and failure.
I replaced water pump but Tensioner didn't make noise at that time but was basically knackered,,, probably before the pump!
There's a subtle difference in one that appears ok and a new one and even though it might sound quiet a new one might prove it wasn't.
I think my car make a hiss/ whine for ages before it becomes noticeable enough for me to realise. It's now very very quiet
So pump change it is. Tensioner was changed a couple of thousand miles ago so hopefully ok. Sounds straightforward with a little instant gasket on the threads of the long bolts.
Will make a change from being under the car - just finished scraping down accessible parts of the chassis and applying por15. Will report back.
Thanks for the advice. !
Will make a change from being under the car - just finished scraping down accessible parts of the chassis and applying por15. Will report back.
Thanks for the advice. !
For the cost of it and to try and look after my alternator bearing I'm now glad I've done both.
[/quote]
I removed the knackered bearing from the plastic pulley, without changing the whole idler unit, the bearing was £5, not had any problems in last 3 years.
Whilst l was in a mood to replace bearing l changed the non tensioned idler bearing on the opposite side, unfortunately that was £25 but with some gentle heat applied to the bearing housing it came out very easily without the need for any pressing forces.
Edited by portzi on Tuesday 21st March 07:13
Edited by portzi on Tuesday 21st March 07:15
Edited by portzi on Tuesday 21st March 07:16
So new water pump (bearing in old one was pretty rough)and tensioner fitted but still have a whining noise. I've paid more attention as to when it appears:
- Only when car is warmed up and driven at a reasonable speeds / open roads
- Goes away a lower speeds, e.g. Town driving
- Most noticeable as when coasting in gear or limited acceleration. Seems less noticeable when accelerating, but could be getting masked by exhaust noise ;-)
- Noise reduces immediately and significantly if I depress the clutch and freewheel
- Takes a few minutes to return if I stop (even for a very short time) and revert immediately to driving style when it was previously making the noise
Any suggestions welcomed.
Thanks in advance
Andrew
- Only when car is warmed up and driven at a reasonable speeds / open roads
- Goes away a lower speeds, e.g. Town driving
- Most noticeable as when coasting in gear or limited acceleration. Seems less noticeable when accelerating, but could be getting masked by exhaust noise ;-)
- Noise reduces immediately and significantly if I depress the clutch and freewheel
- Takes a few minutes to return if I stop (even for a very short time) and revert immediately to driving style when it was previously making the noise
Any suggestions welcomed.
Thanks in advance
Andrew
asd2001 said:
So new water pump (bearing in old one was pretty rough)and tensioner fitted but still have a whining noise. I've paid more attention as to when it appears:
- Only when car is warmed up and driven at a reasonable speeds / open roads
- Goes away a lower speeds, e.g. Town driving
- Most noticeable as when coasting in gear or limited acceleration. Seems less noticeable when accelerating, but could be getting masked by exhaust noise ;-)
- Noise reduces immediately and significantly if I depress the clutch and freewheel
- Takes a few minutes to return if I stop (even for a very short time) and revert immediately to driving style when it was previously making the noise
Any suggestions welcomed.
Thanks in advance
Andrew
Clutch release bearing is a possibility. - Only when car is warmed up and driven at a reasonable speeds / open roads
- Goes away a lower speeds, e.g. Town driving
- Most noticeable as when coasting in gear or limited acceleration. Seems less noticeable when accelerating, but could be getting masked by exhaust noise ;-)
- Noise reduces immediately and significantly if I depress the clutch and freewheel
- Takes a few minutes to return if I stop (even for a very short time) and revert immediately to driving style when it was previously making the noise
Any suggestions welcomed.
Thanks in advance
Andrew
Thanks for the suggestions. I'm north of Edinburgh, so not that handy (thanks for the offer anyhow)! I know another chimaera owner so may well go down the swap route.
I'm not that technical but does pilot bearing or release bearing make sense with the noise only happening at speed and in gear and it dropping away when clutch depressed? It happens across all gears.
The car is in for a service, front wishbones and new shocks this week so hopefully they come up with something simple!!
I'm not that technical but does pilot bearing or release bearing make sense with the noise only happening at speed and in gear and it dropping away when clutch depressed? It happens across all gears.
The car is in for a service, front wishbones and new shocks this week so hopefully they come up with something simple!!
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