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Omega Help Area => Omega General Help => Topic started by: JasonH on 28 April 2007, 22:31:47

Title: Nasty noise
Post by: JasonH on 28 April 2007, 22:31:47
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!
Title: Re: Nasty noise
Post by: JamesV6CDX on 28 April 2007, 22:35:31
Until you can confirm it's not timing belt related, don't drive it

Check PAS level
Title: Re: Nasty noise
Post by: JasonH on 28 April 2007, 22:45:05
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.
Title: Re: Nasty noise
Post by: TheBoy on 28 April 2007, 22:50:16
Can you rule out aux tensioner?
Title: Re: Nasty noise
Post by: JasonH on 28 April 2007, 22:56:00
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.
Title: Re: Nasty noise
Post by: Markjay on 29 April 2007, 00:26:15
Quote
Can you rule out aux tensioner?


or cambelt tensioner for that matter...?


Title: Re: Nasty noise
Post by: JasonH on 29 April 2007, 01:19:21
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......
Title: Re: Nasty noise
Post by: Markjay on 29 April 2007, 10:29:12
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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...




Title: Re: Nasty noise
Post by: Markie on 29 April 2007, 10:58:49
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....
Title: Re: Nasty noise
Post by: TheBoy on 29 April 2007, 11:02:30
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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...
Title: Re: Nasty noise
Post by: Markie on 29 April 2007, 11:05:30
Quote
Quote
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 )
Title: Re: Nasty noise
Post by: TheBoy on 29 April 2007, 11:12:16
Quote
Quote
Quote
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 ;)
Title: Re: Nasty noise
Post by: Markie on 29 April 2007, 11:18:44
Quote
Quote
Quote
Quote
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... ;D
Title: Re: Nasty noise
Post by: sefton on 29 April 2007, 13:26:24
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.
Title: Re: Nasty noise
Post by: JasonH on 01 May 2007, 04:55:25
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....
Title: Re: Nasty noise
Post by: Matchless on 01 May 2007, 11:00:57
Quote
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....

If it is the a/c compressor pulley bearings then dont run it like that, get an aux belt for a 2.0 with a/c and fit it so it by-passes the a/c pulley.
A/C noise is usually the compressor clutch or pulley bearings, the whole pulley and clutch assy can be pulled off the shaft and the bearings replaced without disturbing the refrigerant circuit but it needs a special puller.
Title: Re: Nasty noise
Post by: ffcgary1 on 01 May 2007, 18:46:45
 ;)Someone on here will have ac compressor lying about in their garage needing a home me thinks. ;)
Title: Re: Nasty noise
Post by: JasonH on 03 May 2007, 15:37:40
Car transported home on the back of a lorry. Thanks to the nice people at the RAC.

Slipped the aux belt off - noise gone.

Span the tensioner and water pump by hand......it's the water pump. Spins  OK but feels rough, spin it fast and you can hear the start of the nasty noise.

Phew, not too bad  :y
Title: Re: Nasty noise
Post by: TheBoy on 03 May 2007, 16:46:41
Quote
Car transported home on the back of a lorry. Thanks to the nice people at the RAC.

Slipped the aux belt off - noise gone.

Span the tensioner and water pump by hand......it's the water pump. Spins  OK but feels rough, spin it fast and you can hear the start of the nasty noise.

Phew, not too bad  :y
Nice easy change as well. Is cambelt nearly due?
Title: Re: Nasty noise
Post by: Markie on 03 May 2007, 18:13:31
Quote
Quote
Car transported home on the back of a lorry. Thanks to the nice people at the RAC.

Slipped the aux belt off - noise gone.

Span the tensioner and water pump by hand......it's the water pump. Spins  OK but feels rough, spin it fast and you can hear the start of the nasty noise.

Phew, not too bad  :y
Nice easy change as well. Is cambelt nearly due?

and cheap too - with change out of £25 on trade  :y
Title: Re: Nasty noise
Post by: JasonH on 03 May 2007, 19:16:26
Got the pump now £21.42 + VAT

Going to just do the pump, cambelt has another 15k in it.... I know I know but I need to fix the car quickly as well.
Title: Re: Nasty noise
Post by: Chopsdad on 03 May 2007, 22:44:27
Not fair. >:(

I was going for the water pump as it sounds same as mine when it went 2m ago, and I too came back behind a tow truck...but by the time I got to the end of the thread you'd fixed it. :-/

Glad it was so simple and cheap to fix though  :) :y
Title: Re: Nasty noise
Post by: The Barge Captain on 04 May 2007, 15:11:09
Glad you got it sorted mate.
Title: Re: Nasty noise
Post by: JasonH on 04 May 2007, 15:16:29
Thanks everyone - let's hope it's dry on Saturday so I can fix it.
Title: Re: Nasty noise
Post by: Markjay on 04 May 2007, 15:35:25
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Thanks everyone - let's hope it's dry on Saturday so I can fix it.


Good luck! let us know how it went...