Mystery Squeal

Jimmy · Post by **Jimmy** » Mon Jul 14, 2008 7:46 am

I have taken a stab at the correct topic for this, please feel free to move it (mods) if I got it wrong.

Having had my engine mounts replaced last week I now have a new problem which may or may not be related.

The car in question is my 1995 2.0 Auto ES. When cold, something under the bonnet is squealing between about 1800 and 2500 rpm, in all gears, including neutral. I may be a layman, but I know the sound of a slipping fanbelt and it doesn't sound like this. A colleague suggested it might be something in the autobox? The noise goes away once the car is warmed up. I haven't noticed it before I had the mounts replaced, but I guess it could be pure coincidence.

Any suggestions?

Yossarian · Post by **Yossarian** » Mon Jul 21, 2008 2:03 pm

I had this exact problem. It turned out to be a very stiff component in the cambelt; one of the small cylinders (excuse the basic description, not mechanically minded here) that the belt spins around. It wasn't spinning, and the belt was, so the sound was the friction between the two.

My car was at 66k so it was due a cambelt change.

Jimmy · Post by **Jimmy** » Tue Jul 22, 2008 7:16 am

Thanks for the reply.

Do you know if it requires removing the cambelt (and therefore be expensive) to get at it or not, as my cambelt was done 12k miles ago and I don't really have the funds to replace it again so soon?

Cheers

Yossarian · Post by **Yossarian** » Tue Jul 22, 2008 7:34 am

I believe so. The cambelt is stretched around this component and the squealing you hear is friction, so I'd say that to change the component the belt would have to be taken off, if not completely then just around those two bits.

Mine had been squealing for a long time and it was due a belt change, so the garage told me to have it replaced. If yours has been done 12k ago and it's only been squeaking a short time, then you shouldn't need a new one unless it's worn the belt away a lot.

If you are unable to do the work yourself then you'd have to convince a garage that it was safe; unless it's a good garage they may try and get another cambelt change out of you. My garage (where I know the mechanic) informed me that if the cambelt had been worn away to breaking point, it would have broken and taken most of the engine with it

.

EDIT - I can take a photo of the components if you wish as I just found them downstairs?

Jimmy · Post by **Jimmy** » Tue Jul 22, 2008 8:30 am

Cheers. I have it booked into a very good local garage I know (I bought the car from them too) on Thursday. Photos of the component would be excellent as I can show them it and it may speed up the diagnosis - I will PM you with my email address.

Many thanks

Ben Harris · Post by **Ben Harris** » Tue Jul 22, 2008 10:51 am

I had this on one of my previous 480's too. It was a worn out cambelt tensioner. There are two of them on the 2.0 engine. I bought a replacement from EuroCarParts for about Ã‚Â£20, I think. However, I believe the cam-belt has to come off to fit it (I was having it replaced anyway), so after going through all that hassel, you'd be silly not to replace both tensioners (they're not the same), the cambelt, and probably even the water pump while you're at it.

See what the garage have to say, but the name of the part likely to be making the noise (also described by others) is a cambelt tensioner. The garage will know where/what it is.

Not trying to scare you, but mine was siezed to the point where the garage (an independant Volco specialist) said if I'd left it much longer, the original cambelt would have almost certainly have snapped within a very short period of time.

Ben.

Jimmy · Post by **Jimmy** » Tue Jul 22, 2008 11:22 am

Thanks Ben.

The car is not being used until it goes into the garage on Thursday so it should be ok I hope.

Yossarian · Post by **Yossarian** » Tue Jul 22, 2008 12:23 pm

That's what I meant to say. Must get myself acquainted with a Haynes manual, heh.

One was a bit stiff but alright and the other would only spin when the engine was warm, otherwise it was very stiff.

From the way the mechanic spoke to me it was obvious the belt would have gone pretty soon. Especially as I was at 66k with no indication of a cambelt change in the history. Isn't the interval for a 480 every 80k?