Print

Please login or register.
1 Hour 1 Day 1 Week 1 Month Forever
Login with username, password and session length

[98CadillacCateraSport]

3.0 V6 started a constant whine when running.  The sound only changes with engine speed (gets louder as engine rev's higher). Turning the wheel or turning on accessories and putting more load on alternator does not change the sound so I think I can rule out alternator and p/s pump.

Sounds like it is coming from the right side of the engine (my passenger side, your driver's side), sounds like the area of the tensioner pulley (replaced 12k miles ago), but I am hoping that it's not coming from behind the timing cover or the waterpump.  Hard to tell. Timing kit and w/p all done at 12k miles ago as well.

I took a quick video of the engine running, and the sound is pretty distinct so I am wondering if anyone has heard a similar noise and might know what the culprit could be? Any suggestions? Thanks

View My Video
or:
http://tinypic.com/r/hwj19t/5

[Andy B]

You've definitely got a whine!!!!!!!!! 
First off, remove the auxiliary/fan belt. If all is quiet, you can then disregard the alternator, water pump, air/con pump & belt tensioner. If it's still as bad, the you need to look at the cam belt tensioner & idler bearings.

NB Don't run your car too long without the aux belt - it drives our water pump. 

[98CadillacCateraSport]

You've definitely got a whine!!!!!!!!! 
First off, remove the auxiliary/fan belt. If all is quiet, you can then disregard the alternator, water pump, air/con pump & belt tensioner. If it's still as bad, the you need to look at the cam belt tensioner & idler bearings.

NB Don't run your car too long without the aux belt - it drives our water pump. 

I figured that I would need to run it with the belt off, thats what I will do next.
Andy I know what you meant to say, but is backwards right? If auxiliary belt is off, and all is quiet, then the whine is from an auxiliary system. 

[hotel21]

You've definitely got a whine!!!!!!!!! 
First off, remove the auxiliary/fan belt. If all is quiet, you can then disregard the alternator, water pump, air/con pump & belt tensioner. If it's still as bad, the you need to look at the cam belt tensioner & idler bearings.

NB Don't run your car too long without the aux belt - it drives our water pump. 

I figured that I would need to run it with the belt off, thats what I will do next.
Andy I know what you meant to say, but is backwards right? If auxiliary belt is off, and all is quiet, then the whine is from an auxiliary system. 

Not sure what you mean by 'backwards'.    As said, aux belt drive the auxiliaries.  if thats not running and whine still present you are looking at timing gear etc.  Remember the water pump needs rurning so dont run for any longer than you need to see if sound is/not present.   

[hotel21]

self edit.

if no whine when aux belt is off then looking at timing setup, not auxiliary.  now see what you mean by 'backwards'.   

[adey2]

use a long extension bar or screwdriver, put it on the bolt of tensioner with engine running and put ear to bar, if it the pully the sound will travel up it, if not all be quiet apart from the normal pully noise

[Andy B]

You've definitely got a whine!!!!!!!!! 
First off, remove the auxiliary/fan belt. If all is quiet, you can then disregard the alternator, water pump, air/con pump & belt tensioner. If it's still as bad, the you need to look at the cam belt tensioner & idler bearings.

NB Don't run your car too long without the aux belt - it drives our water pump. 

I figured that I would need to run it with the belt off, thats what I will do next.
Andy I know what you meant to say, but is backwards right? If auxiliary belt is off, and all is quiet, then the whine is from an auxiliary system. 

Well done! You spotted my deliberate mistake! 

[98CadillacCateraSport]

use a long extension bar or screwdriver, put it on the bolt of tensioner with engine running and put ear to bar, if it the pully the sound will travel up it, if not all be quiet apart from the normal pully noise

^^ I meant to do this earlier, just did not have a long enough bar or driver handy. I have seen that this is a good trick, but can sometimes be deceiving if the noise travels through metal. Good tip nonetheless.

Andy B- just making sure we are all paying attention right?    thanks for the tips!

Hotel- sorry if my post was confusing, I probably could have used better words 

Anyways, it's dark here now and I don't have a garage or anything.  I have work tomorrow but am off Tuesday, so will try to pinpoint the whine then 

Crossing fingers problem is not behind timing cover, I hate doing the same job twice in one year! 

[98CadillacCateraSport]

UPDATE:

I finally had some time to mess with the car in good weather.

With the serpentine belt off, no noise at all when running, so its not from behind the cambelt cover.

All accessory pully's feel tight when I wiggle them, but there is the slightest amount of play in the waterpump pulley when I try to wiggle it.  Not enough that you can actually see, but I can feel a very very slight wobble, not sure if normal or not. Waterpump replaced with aftermarket pump last year.

I listened to the tensioner pulley through a screwdriver and it did sound a bit noisy, so I tried swapping out for a new one but still the same noise.  So it's not the tensioner pulley.

Not sure if related or not, but last week I had a few slow starts, where there is a hesitation for the engine to get cranking powerful enough, but still started right up.  Had the battery and alternator checked with a handheld diagnostic tool, but all is supposedly within spec. Haven't had any issues since..

Now I am trying to determine how to diagnose whether it is the waterpump or the alternator...any suggestions?

thanks 

[Dr_X]

I had an aftermarket water pump put on the wife's 2.6 and it lasted 20k......she came home and told me it was making a noise, when I looked the pulley was wobbling all over the place......when I changed it for a genuine one and pulled it out it had a plastic impeller that had broken up......not good!!!!

[Marks DTM Calib]

The two favourites for making a whine noise are the alternator or the aircon, the tone often changes when the aircon is turned on off.

With the belt off, spin the alternator pully and listen for a rough noise. If it is the alternator, its pretty easy to remove and if your fairly compitent, the bearings can be changed without to much trouble.

[98CadillacCateraSport]

The two favourites for making a whine noise are the alternator or the aircon, the tone often changes when the aircon is turned on off.

With the belt off, spin the alternator pully and listen for a rough noise. If it is the alternator, its pretty easy to remove and if your fairly compitent, the bearings can be changed without to much trouble.

I spun the alternator pully when I had the belt off, but it felt pretty smooth and I couldn't hear any noise.  I couldn't spin it too fast by hand though..

The aircon system does not hold refrigerant for more than a few months, so right now the system is dry, so I cannot switch it on or off. A shop told me it is leaking from the compressor.  Could this be a sign that the compressor is the culprit?  The noise sounds like it is coming from the other side of the engine though..

[dbug]

Clues in your comment "Not sure if related or not, but last week I had a few slow starts, where there is a hesitation for the engine to get cranking powerful enough, but still started right up"

Suspect your a/c compressor bearing is dry and on point of seizing!  If it seizes solid it will stop engine reving if it fires up at all!!  HTH mate

[robson]

Have you tried a little squirt of WD 40 on each item  at a time often finds problem