Whine

[Mint]

Hello

My 2008 8v 1.9CDTI has taken to making a whining / whirring noise. It becomes more pronounced when the engine is revved, and is present regardless of whether or not the car is in gear. It's been doing it for a few weeks, but I had hoped the oil change and service done a few days ago would have fixed it, but no.

It sounds exactly like this:

Performance doesn't appear to be affected, and there is no obvious smoke, aside from an occasional puff when starting in really cold weather.

I've had a look round, and possible causes are the DPF (which I thought cleaned itself on motorways etc - I do around 300 miles a week on these), the alternator, various belts. The

Can anyone advise on what it is, and how to fix? I'm thinking that it is probably an idler pulley (after reading this thread) - but my car has a slightly different engine.

What would happen if I don't get it fixed?

Thanks in advance

[AntSSSS]

Hi Mate,

So there are two destinct noised there...

the WOOOO is the turbo so thats 'normal' (especially if the car is old)..

The whine that I hear will be pulley or bearing related - especially as it increased / decreases with engine revs.

So - first question - when was the timing belt KIT and water pump changed? Not uncommon for a failing pump to sound like that.

I would also just release the drive belt and start the car - this will then rule out any pulley on the drive belt path if the noise is still there etc.

HTH

[Mint]

when was the timing belt KIT and water pump changed?

Erm. Pass. Never? It's been serviced as per VX service manual.

release the drive belt

Excuse my ignorance, but do what?

[AntSSSS]

Erm. Pass. Never? It's been serviced as per VX service manual.



Excuse my ignorance, but do what?

What mileage has the car done mate?

What I mean is... remove the aux/drive belt, and then start the car - if the whine is still there you now its timing belt related - if it goes - its aux/drive belt related.

Let us know the mileage - Timing belts should be changed no later than 80K - but I have seen pumps and pulleys fail alot sooner than that!

[jonnyaykroyd]

Does sound like bearings on a pulley. What's the mileage on the vehicle???

Basically you have two belts on your engine.

1/ The timing or cam belt which is a toothed type belt and keeps all the engine in time (pistons and valves that is). There are a number of pulleys on this belt that could be failing and whining. Water pump, tensioner pulley or the guide pulley.

2/ The drive belt which is also known as the accessory belt or aux belt. This belt goes around pulleys on the alternator, AC compressor, an automatic tensioner, a guide pulley and the crank pully.

Mint is suggesting that if you remove the drive belt and start up the engine (ok the AC wont work and the battery wont charge) it will tell you if the problem is on that belt route rather than the timing belt route. If it's the latter you're most likely looking at a timing belt job. If its the former could just be a new tensioner or possibly recon or new alternator.

If its a problem on the timing belt route then its serious as if it the faulty part fails the engine will go out of time and you're look at big repair bill!

[ronnie63]

There has been a few threads with this issue that I have jumped on, mine does this also even after fitting new timing kit and water pump, new Alternator and tensioner, never had a chance to try running with aux belt off plus it's too cold!!! either in my case it's the pulley near the a/c pump if not it must be the a/c pump or the problem lies elsewhere?


Ronnie

[Mint]

What mileage has the car done mate?

What I mean is... remove the aux/drive belt, and then start the car - if the whine is still there you now its timing belt related - if it goes - its aux/drive belt related.

Let us know the mileage - Timing belts should be changed no later than 80K - but I have seen pumps and pulleys fail alot sooner than that!

Ahh. Got you. It's done roughly 55000, 30000 in the last two years - lots of motorways. It isn't losing any fluids. VX reckon the timing belt should be done at 100k / ten years. Is that optimistic? I was thinking you meant take the timing belt off - I'm no mechanic, but I know that would be a good way of borking the engine!

[Mint]

Does sound like bearings on a pulley. What's the mileage on the vehicle???

Basically you have two belts on your engine.

1/ The timing or cam belt which is a toothed type belt and keeps all the engine in time (pistons and valves that is). There are a number of pulleys on this belt that could be failing and whining. Water pump, tensioner pulley or the guide pulley.

2/ The drive belt which is also known as the accessory belt or aux belt. This belt goes around pulleys on the alternator, AC compressor, an automatic tensioner, a guide pulley and the crank pully.

Mint is suggesting that if you remove the drive belt and start up the engine (ok the AC wont work and the battery wont charge) it will tell you if the problem is on that belt route rather than the timing belt route. If it's the latter you're most likely looking at a timing belt job. If its the former could just be a new tensioner or possibly recon or new alternator.

If its a problem on the timing belt route then its serious as if it the faulty part fails the engine will go out of time and you're look at big repair bill!

The car has done 55000 (off the top of my head).

My understanding of timing belts is that it is a works / completely knackered situation. As for the other belt, the alternator works fine, so I don't think it is that. The air-conditioning doesn't work, but I'm not fussed about that; I very rarely use the thing. I'm just glad it isn't the engine being about to die, or the gearbox being fooked.

[Mint]

Given that my air-con doesn't work, could it be that?

[Mint]

I couldn't figure out how to edit my original post so here is an update:

I've just had the engine running, and listened to the noise under the bonnet. The only bit of the auxiliary belt that I could see was going around the pulley on the alternator. The noise is coming from that neck of the woods.