Lily the turbo's strange noise

[dragonflyjewels]

When she starts from cold, there is a high pitched whine (Al says it sounds like something winding up). It stops after about a minute, and never heard again until the next cold start. The garage man had a looksee, thinks it's coming from somewhere near the intake. He's had that apart and cleaned it all up, but made no difference.
Has anyone else had the same thing ?

[WhiteWolf]

The only noise I've had like that was the bearing in the alternator. You would know if it was that though.

[jamescarruthers]

What if the turbo is being starved of oil from a bad feed pipe or something and maybe the bearing is noisey. I do hope not though Sylvia.
Do you have the correct grade oil in the engine?

[dragonflyjewels]

uurgh, the thought of another turbo re-build makes me go weak at the knees. It's worried me ever since we bought the car as she was sorned for 9 years, but the seller had had over £1000 worth of work done cleaning out the engine and all the other fluids. If it was gunge in the turbo wouldn't it make the noise when that kicks in ? She runs really well, so far the turbo has performed as expected, unlike Al's when he first exercised it. Definitely no ticking as the turbo blades touch the case.
I'd be surprised if they put the wrong oil in but the bill just says synthetic oil, doesn't mention the grade. Perhaps we ought to try an oil change.

[Alan 480]

You might be lucky and find it is one of the tensioner on front of engine, either the idler or tensioner, they can squeal then go quiet, took me ages to track it down. even tried removing alternator belt to rule that out

hope not a turbo

[frenchfries]

Would a turbo not smoke blue anyway?

[jifflemon]

quick simple one - Give the drive belts a quick squirt of wd40 before starting up.

(quicker and easier than removing them!)

[dcwalker]

Commonest cause of a squeal/whine type noise on cold start up I am aware of is either the cam-belt tensioner pulley or idler pulley. They ease off as the engine starts to warm up, then stay silent until the next cold start.

That's why to be on the safe side they should always be changed with the belt. What is the history with regard to the cambelt?

Cam-belt cover is held on by a top clip and two bolts - if you remove it then start the car you should be able to easily identify if it's coming from one of the two pulleys there.

Maybe miles off, but that's my instinctive reaction to what you've described.

David

[dragonflyjewels]

Thanks guys. Cambelt was changed last year - the bill just says cambelt kit, would a kit include the pulley?
I'll try the squirts of WD first, then if that doesnt stop it, Al can take the cover off.

[dragonflyjewels]

Thanks guys. Cambelt was changed last year - the bill just says cambelt kit, would a kit include the pulley?
I'll try the squirts of WD first, then if that doesnt stop it, Al can take the cover off.

[jifflemon]

Cambelt Kit should include pulleys, but I suppose it depends on whose's kit...

Fingers crossed it's nothing serious

[dragonflyjewels]

Checked all that, no joy with pulleys or belts.
Al finally found time to stick his head under the bonnet and says it sounds like something vacuuming up, so possibly a pump. On going through the parts book to find out where the fuel pump sits (none the wiser, we couldn't find it) we did spot a pressure regulator in the end of the fuel distributor so maybe it's that, or even the little fuel fan . The noise definitely sounds as though it's coming from somewhere around the inlet.

[jamescarruthers]

Fuel pump is in the tank,. Access from between the rear seats

[dragonflyjewels]

Ah, thanks James, we couldn't find it anywhere along the system. That can be ruled out now.