V6 2005 3.0 CDTi Rattle/Vibration Engine Sound

[Mick B]

Just want to pick your brains on a strange sound thats gradually getting worse. It appears to be coming from the drivers side lower part of the auxiliary belt area of the engine and is always there on tick over but goes with any minor blip on the throttle and acceloration . The only way I can describe the noise is that its like a vibration not a squeak and more like a loose exhaust heat shield vibrating sound. Is there anything down the bottom that can come loose and cause this sound ? I have heard of the tensioner causing squeels and squeaks but this is not like that.

Any help as ever greatly apreciatted

[m8internet]

Is it like this...
When starting the engine there is a metallic noise, which varies as the revs increase and back to idle
Once the engine is warm the noise disappears

If so, then it is the auxiliary belt tensioner and needs to be replaced
Mine was replaced at last service, along with the belt
The tensioner and belt is £140 and one hours labour

[Celes]

I have this same noise...The belt tensioner was replaced and it's still making a racket when the engine is cold, although a lot less and for only a minute when the engine is cold.

[jaqubek]

When starting the engine there is a metallic noise, which varies as the revs increase and back to idle
Once the engine is warm the noise disappears

Thats what I have noticed in my veccy. What kind of damage will it cause if not fix soon??(sorry,maybe stupid question but I`m not very good with engines)
Is is the same price for Y30DT and Z30DT??

[Mick B]

Mine makes the sound all the time now but only on tick over. As soon as the throttle is touched it's gone till the revs drop back again. Nothing during driving until the engine is at idle. So I should go for the tensioner first then lads ? Is that consistent with the loose heat shield type vibration.

[m8internet]

Thats what I have noticed in my veccy. What kind of damage will it cause if not fix soon??
Is is the same price for Y30DT and Z30DT??

It won't cause any damage, eventually the bearing fails and the noise is horrendous when idling on cold and increasing the revs
The issue will be the lack of efficient operation of the airconditioning pump (you may notice poor operation) and the alternator (you may notice the headlamps dim and brighten in dark conditions)
The belt should be replaced at the same time
The price was for the Y30DT, mine was replaced last week and the noise has disappeared

[jaqubek]

thx m8internet for reply. Its not bad at the moment but will have to sort it out soon

[m8internet]

Mine started making the noise early in 2012 and wasn't an issue until earlier this year when the noise was dreadful and present all the time
I was waiting for the next service
I argued with the dealership that it should have been replaced along with the cambelt change (same interval)
VX have agreed to cover some of the cost (belt and labour)

[myveccy]

I had the same issue with mine and when observing the tensioner pulley when running I could see it vibrating when ever there was the noise. I replaced this part and it did improve it slightly. On close inspection I discovered one of the other idler pulleys was also on the way out. Once replaced all was ok.

I can't quite remember where it was on the belt, but I think it was the small plastic one, above the alternator, rather than either of a) the larger plastic one or b) the two small steel ones.

[m8internet]

The replacement comes as a kit now, seems to be a well known problem now, contains the three parts, two bolts, and the auxiliary belt
Therefore when the cambelt and auxiliary belt is due at 100K miles / 10 years, it makes sense to replace the auxiliary tensioner at the same time