Weird noise from engine - HELP!

26th January 2011, 19:54

Hi all,
I have been viewing this site for a very long time, i have owned my VTS since 2005 and to this day i still love it, I have had no problems with it really, its always passed MOT's etc but as of last week when i got the cam belt with tensioners fitted (no water pump) told that was ok??? but i drove it away from the garage and a loud noise came from the engine so i pulled over and rang them back up, he said thats your altenator belt so he tightened that up and that noise went, but now there is another noise, its hard to explain what it sounds like, it sounds abit like wind noise with a very faint whistle, it does this if i rev the engine (only do this to hear this noise) it also makes this noise when my revs are high and im changing gears. any ideas what it is?? the guy from the garage says he will replace the altenator belt for me for free this sat as it could be that but he also said the cam belt maybe too tight so he is gonna look at that too, but i took it to a friend who is in the trade and he says it sounds like a bearing on the cam belt side (i know nothing about engines) he said if it is that and it goes then bye bye engine.

Any ideas what this could be?

my VTS is lowered 60mm all round
Custom exhaust system
Green Induction Kit

Also another problem well not really a problem but some days my exhaust is really really loud and it hurts my ears and other days it makes no noise any ideas what that is lol

thanks all in advance.

Mike

26th January 2011, 20:17

I think your friend may mean the cambelt tensioner when your mechanic looks at your car ask him to check & renew it if needed.

Steve.

26th January 2011, 20:34

My car makes the same noise between about 2500 and 3500-4000ish rpm. I got a tensioner from the scrappy the other day sorted it a bit im superskint at the moment, might get a new one when im payed.

26th January 2011, 20:36

If the engine is whining quite a bit, the cam belt is probably too tight.

26th January 2011, 21:03

This is normal, new belts usually make a high pitched sound when fitted in my experience. It goes after a few hundred miles bedding in.

Did you get the garage to fit a timing belt kit (including tensioner) or just the belt?

For the extra £30 it would have cost you should really have changed the water pump and tensioner at the same time - as said its alot more expensive if any of that breaks.

Anything to do with the timing should be replaced with new parts, not second hand as you don't know the condition of the old stuff.

26th January 2011, 21:51

Quote:

Originally Posted by outrage_uk

This is normal, new belts usually make a high pitched sound when fitted in my experience. It goes after a few hundred miles bedding in.

Did you get the garage to fit a timing belt kit (including tensioner) or just the belt?

For the extra £30 it would have cost you should really have changed the water pump and tensioner at the same time - as said its alot more expensive if any of that breaks.

Anything to do with the timing should be replaced with new parts, not second hand as you don't know the condition of the old stuff.

Well thats news to me i`ve never heard a new belt make a high pitched sound not if if their fitted correctly.

Steve.

26th January 2011, 22:22

Every single one that ive done has. And thats with the belt tightened to 45 SEEM units. Maybe its a Gates or Dayco thing, or you have just fitted yours too slack?

27th January 2011, 08:44

Hi thanks for your comments, it had a new cam belt and tensioners fitted, the garage did say it maybe bedding in and it maybe too tight, so its not this bearing then? could it be anything else?

27th January 2011, 11:55

Quote:

Originally Posted by outrage_uk

Every single one that ive done has. And thats with the belt tightened to 45 SEEM units. Maybe its a Gates or Dayco thing, or you have just fitted yours too slack?

Actually, mine has just had a Gates cam belt kit fitted and the engine sounds a bit whiney now, especially at higher revs. Heard plenty of other TU5J4s which make the same whine, so I'm guessing it's totally normal/ a characteristic of the new belt.

Can you get a video of the noise?

27th January 2011, 12:15

Mine does this too with a Gates belt at over 4k RPM. So long as the noise is faint and not constant it shouldnt be much of a problem. Having a fixed tensioner rather than hydraulic or spring loaded its usually better to set the belt on the tight side when its new to compensate for any strech over its life.

If you are concerned get the tension checked by a garage for peace of mind.

28th January 2011, 09:52

Thanks all for your comments, im taking the car back to the garage tomorrow morning so hopefully i will get it sorted, its just annoying to be honest, also about my exhaust???

sometimes its really really loud and other days ya cant hear it at all, could it be the change in the weather? i.e cold days and hot days?? not sure?

thanks mike

28th January 2011, 15:15

Standard exhaust on it Mike? If so, could be coming loose at some point. If it's noisy...does it stay noisy even when engine is up to temperature?

28th January 2011, 19:30

Hi John no its not standard its a full system well without the manifold, the manifold is standard.

28th January 2011, 21:09

Might be because your lowered 60mm? - Not sure what the speed bumps / general roads are like where you live but they're awful here. Hitting a bump might dislodge the gasket / spring clamps between front down pipe and middle section. Replace the gasket + springs then use exhaust paste to put it back together.. may help

29th January 2011, 00:09

funny enough when the exhaust was fitted only a week later i needed a new gasket and also about 2 months ago aswell - so ya think its that then?

29th January 2011, 05:05

Probably - if its not fitting square then it will leave a weaker gap somewhere on the gasket which will eventually start to blow. A knock on the exhaust might close it for a while, but it will reopen again at some point until its joined properly

31st January 2011, 18:19

Got my car looked at yesterday and the guy who fitted the new cam belt said it was fitted too tight so he sorted that and also changed the alternator belt for me but still the noise is still there, he said everything is now new and he has checked it all so still unsure what it could be, any more ideas?????

31st January 2011, 18:29

Still just think it will be the new belt wearing in.. Do you know what brand the belt is? Gates belts tend to do this more than others in my experience. If it drives ok, and you have a sort of warranty in that if anything major breaks you can go back to the garage - I would drive as normal for a few hundred miles and see how it is then.

7th February 2011, 21:43

I've got a VTR, 60mm lowered all round, induction kit full stainless steel, cambelt was done about 2 week ago and the same things happening to mine bud.

I thought it was too tight, checked that all ok, alternator belt has been checked, someone else on here said its the gearbox but this pretty much rules that out I reckon, I'm gonna take it to someone else I know and ask em' If the tensioners been changed, even if the tensioner was changed could one of the bearings have been disturbed hence the whine?

Keep me posted, Im gonna try take mine in this week.

7th February 2011, 22:04

Just give it 500 miles, see if its ok then. My guess is the noise will have gone

12th February 2011, 19:58

still have a problem with the noise in the engine bay, i was told by the garage that nothing is up!! that the noise is the cam belt bedding in but i have now done over 500 miles, surely it should of bedded in by now, not sure of the make of it tho, the altenator belt has been changed too and still the noise is there, there is no noise when i first start driving its when the engine is hot and i have been driving for about 15-20 mins or so. any one got any ideas what this could be as im now thinking its not the belts and they have done something to the car i.e moved or slacked something by mistake but they cant find anything up with it but its really annoying and LOUD!!! there is no sound when i accelerate its when i take my foot of the pedal, if i put the clutch in at any speed it goes but think thats because the revs have gone. HELP PLEASE !! lol

12th February 2011, 20:04

Take a video of the noise and post it up.

12th February 2011, 20:07

will do tomorrow after work. its a whining noise anyway if that helps

12th February 2011, 20:16

A bit like this?

12th February 2011, 20:18

yeah just like that!!!!! do u know what it is?

12th February 2011, 20:22

It's the cam belt mate. Had the original on mine changed to a Gates recently, and it now makes that noise over ~4000 RPM.

I'm guessing the genuine Peugeot/ Citroen belts are made slightly differently to stop them making that noise.

If you've had the tension checked and it's ok, then I wouldn't worry about it.

12th February 2011, 20:28

thanks m8, yeah the tensioners were checked and there fine. thanks again for your prompt replies.

12th February 2011, 20:29

also will that noise always be there or will it go after a while?

12th February 2011, 20:35

Quote:

Originally Posted by mikepb123

also will that noise always be there or will it go after a while?

I would say the noise is always going to be there. I've done around 400 miles since mine was changed and it still sounds the same.

12th February 2011, 20:40

just got the brand of the cam belt its called a Contitec?? You heard of it? any good?

12th February 2011, 20:45

Quote:

Originally Posted by mikepb123

just got the brand of the cam belt its called a Contitec?? You heard of it? any good?

Yip, they're made by Continental. Good parts.

26th March 2011, 07:51

I have this problem on my 16v, it started after replacing the bottom crank pulley, siince that i have replace alt tensioner, alternator, cambelt idle pulley and im now going to change the tensioner and water pump its more of a rattle and sounds rough and getting worse. The belt hasnt been on a year.

10th April 2011, 17:59

Yeah mine makes that noise and was quite worried about it, but i've done around 500 miles since it was fitted about a week ago and it's still there, it's a worrying sound. Leeumh does yours drive ok?