Theres a bird in my engine
Discussion
Don't ask me. After driving for, say, an hour or so I get this noise from the engine bay that gets louder with revs (to a point then the exhaust deafens it out)and to all intents and purposes it sounds like a chirping bird, or several. I checked under the bonnet and t'was bereft of birds, there also wasn't anything untoward spotted. Its difficult to pin point where its coming from but it sounds like the front of the engine. This noise has been getting progressively louder over the last 2 months. I don't know, chirping birds was not part of the V8 sound track I'd banked on. So...crystal balls out - why the birds ?
Check the alternator drive belt is not slipping (or looking worn) as that can sound like a chirping bird. If it is the water pump will not be driven correctly and you can overheat the cylinder heads! I have seen other links suggesting problems such as worn alternator bearings - best to search around for other such links.
zumbruk said: Water pump. My V8 Disco's been doing it for months. There's nothing wrong with the pump, it just chirrups all the time and does and *excellent* chicken impression when you turn the engine off.
BEWARE!!! My Range Rover did this for months as well and then dumped all of its water in the middle of a busy junction! It might be worth getting it checked out to be on the safe side. 
Rotaree said:
zumbruk said: Water pump. My V8 Disco's been doing it for months. There's nothing wrong with the pump, it just chirrups all the time and does and *excellent* chicken impression when you turn the engine off.
I got it looked at service before last. They said there was nothing wrong with it, just the noise, and in days gone by they'd have put brake fluid in the water to shut it up!
hexhamhc said: Change the 'serpentine' drive belt. It is the polyvee belt at the front of the engine and the noise will go. To test this run the car for a short while with the belt off to see if the noise is absent.
In order to eliminate the belt you need to run all of the ancillaries to make sure its not a bearing etc, so apply chalk ( a tiny amount) to running face of belt, this will silence it temporarily.
hexhamhc said: Change the 'serpentine' drive belt. It is the polyvee belt at the front of the engine and the noise will go. To test this run the car for a short while with the belt off to see if the noise is absent.
I'm sitting at my desk at the moment and don't have access to the car or the bible so forgive me slightly. Doesn't the engine require this belt to be present or is it just driving the water pump and alternator only. Also I'm trying to imagine this but can't. How can a drive belt do an excellent inpression of a heard of birds. Or is that a flock....
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