i just bought a 99 wagon with 95k on her. love the car so far. problem is i have a whirring noise coming from the front of the engine. i have a mechanics stethoscope and i think i have it nailed down to the a/c compressor. no change in the noise when the a/c is on or off. the a/c works perfectly too! ran all of the a/c code and everything checks out. i replaced the tensioner because it had some play in it and i thought that was what was making the noise. any ideas here? how much is a new compressor and dryer installed? could i be doing any damage driving it?
That the noise doesn't change depending on whether the compressor is running would seem to eliminate internal damage as the problem.
I don't know if there is a bearing on the front of that thing which runs whether or not the compressor is active. There could be. Or, noise could be being transferred through the compressor.
it only on start up?
and then quiets down?
have you chcked that the secondary air pump is not running continually?it make a whiiring noise during cold start until the cats come to temp.
ohlord
Fairly common problem in the line is a stuck cooling fan.
B
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it is constant! it is a whining sound like a power steering pump with low fluid. the noise is consistent with the rpms. the faster the engine speed the faster the whining sound. no codes by the way (star or obdII). the reason it really annoys me is that i can here it in the cabin. i thought of a better description of the noise.
it sounds like the noise is present continuously while the engine is running, and varies with engine speed, right...?
The idler pulley and alternator bearings come to mind, if the above is the case. If you, carefully, listen for the noise at the front of the engine, can you isolate the location?
A mechanic's stethoscope would be handy here, but you have to be very careful is using one of those, with all of the rotating parts present...
A mechanic's stethoscope would be handy here, but you have to be very careful is using one of those, with all of the rotating parts present...JR
Hey, JR, he said he used one...
Quote:
Originally Posted by meooem1
i just bought a 99 wagon with 95k on her. love the car so far. problem is i have a whirring noise coming from the front of the engine. i have a mechanics stethoscope and i think i have it nailed down to the a/c compressor. no change in the noise when the a/c is on or off. the a/c works perfectly too! ran all of the a/c code and everything checks out. i replaced the tensioner because it had some play in it and i thought that was what was making the noise. any ideas here? how much is a new compressor and dryer installed? could i be doing any damage driving it?
Hey, meo. What kind of steth do you have? Is it the hollow or solid kind? The solid ones work best when you are able to place them on a hard surface (obviously one that doesn't move) and that's when you'll best hear the noise. The hollow ones are better for finding vacuum leaks, exhaust leaks, etc. but can be nearly useless for trying to find a rotational noise. The reason I'm backing up to focus on this is your "I THINK" comment: before you start pricing and replacing parts you want to be able to definitely say "I KNOW".
You've got a 99, that may be a mechanical fan with a clutch if memory serves, and when the clutch fails you often get a fairly loud whirring sound that changes with engine speed.
At any rate it is critical to be able to confirm the source of the noise. If you can't figure it out yourself, then take it in and have it diagnosed by someone with the tools, talent and experience to be correct. It is far better to pay $100 and find out what it is then spend lots of money to change something -- and still have the noise.
Just my humble opinion.
Take care and enjoy the ride,
Greg
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Cooling Fan Stuck On? 
Linear Mode
