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[JasonH]

Pulled up at Heathrow Airport car park today (after 100 mile motorway run) and heard a nasty noise coming from my car….

The best description of the sound would be if you got two brake discs and tried to turn them round against each other like a flour mill. A sort of metallically grinding sound. Stone in brake calliper type sound.

Seems to be coming from the middle of the engine. Engine related, not speed: coasting the car no noise. Stationary and reving the engine the noise is present.

I suspect the waterpump but cannot localise the noise to the pump. The Aux belt seems to be turning smoothly. The cambelt is turning smoothly with constant tension (there’s a hole in the cambelt cover that’s been there for years that allows me to see the tensioner). Car is running fine. Temp gauge fine.

At idle only a slight noise, at 1-2k revs the wheels start grinding.

No tools, had to catch the flight.

When I come back I need to get home… Suggestions welcome…..

Risk it and drive home watching the temp gauge like a hawk?

Order a cambelt and waterpump now?

Help!

[JamesV6CDX]

Until you can confirm it's not timing belt related, don't drive it

Check PAS level

[JasonH]

Will check the PAS.

Can't really check the timing belt in "Parking Express" but I could see the tensioner with the engine running and the belt was running smoothly with the tensioner marks in the right place.

[TheBoy]

Can you rule out aux tensioner?

[JasonH]

Good point, I think I'll try mr RAC and borrow a 15mm spanner, slip the aux belt off and see if it goes quiet. I can check the aux belt tensioner and water pump for roughness.

The tensioner is about 30k miles old.

[Markjay]

Can you rule out aux tensioner?

or cambelt tensioner for that matter...?

[JasonH]

The cambelt kit is about 25k miles old.

I tell you what though, it's a jolly good old noise. As I pulled up at a roundabout I thought, bloody hell someone's car sounds rough. As we all pulled away I thought now which car is it, as the other cars peeled away I though b*gger......

[Markjay]

The cambelt kit is about 25k miles old.......

They can go at any age...

Incidentally, when Vx fitted my current cambelt kit, they phoned me up to say that they will need to keep the car for another day because when they started the engine after fitting the kit they found out that the tensioner was noisy, so they were going to re-do the job. Now I know that there the mere fact that the dealer said so down not imply this is actually true, but it is not impossible...

But generally speaking anything that rotates can cause a grinding noise, aux belt / cam belt tensioner or runners, water pump, alternator, PAS, AC (if engaged)... don't take a chance and if you can't identify the source then I suggest you don't drive the car...

[Markie]

slight hijack and similar issue - can car be run even at idle for a few seconds with aux belt off.....i have similar issue and aux pulley was a swine to get back on..would rather eliminate aux before i start getting timing cover back off....

[TheBoy]

slight hijack and similar issue - can car be run even at idle for a few seconds with aux belt off.....i have similar issue and aux pulley was a swine to get back on..would rather eliminate aux before i start getting timing cover back off....

Yes, should be alright for a few secs, though let it cool down before testing again...

[Markie]

slight hijack and similar issue - can car be run even at idle for a few seconds with aux belt off.....i have similar issue and aux pulley was a swine to get back on..would rather eliminate aux before i start getting timing cover back off....

Yes, should be alright for a few secs, though let it cool down before testing again...

cool - if only the auxbelt and timing belts were not so close i would actually be able to differentiate.....i suspect ive bodged the aux belt etc when going back on ( aux pulley and those huge bolts are attached to the rear of the block on veccy) so its a similar line up in the dark job to dispack on the omega )

[TheBoy]

slight hijack and similar issue - can car be run even at idle for a few seconds with aux belt off.....i have similar issue and aux pulley was a swine to get back on..would rather eliminate aux before i start getting timing cover back off....

Yes, should be alright for a few secs, though let it cool down before testing again...

cool - if only the auxbelt and timing belts were not so close i would actually be able to differentiate.....i suspect ive bodged the aux belt etc when going back on ( aux pulley and those huge bolts are attached to the rear of the block on veccy) so its a similar line up in the dark job to dispack on the omega )

Ah, but DIS pack mega easy on a v6 Veccy

[Markie]

slight hijack and similar issue - can car be run even at idle for a few seconds with aux belt off.....i have similar issue and aux pulley was a swine to get back on..would rather eliminate aux before i start getting timing cover back off....

Yes, should be alright for a few secs, though let it cool down before testing again...

cool - if only the auxbelt and timing belts were not so close i would actually be able to differentiate.....i suspect ive bodged the aux belt etc when going back on ( aux pulley and those huge bolts are attached to the rear of the block on veccy) so its a similar line up in the dark job to dispack on the omega )

Ah, but DIS pack mega easy on a v6 Veccy

tell me about it - only thing that is and the only thing ( just about) i havent needed to touch...

[sefton]

Could it possibly be the aircon compressor. Mine went and it made a hell of a noise, metallic grinding sound. on closer inspection I could see metal filings underneath the pump. I think the compressor clutch was sh@gged.

[JasonH]

Thanks for that another area to check.

If it is the air con compressor it's good and bad, safe to drive, well safeish, but bad 'cause I suspect it will be expensive to replace....