My car sounds like a vacuum cleaner... new problem!!

[whattingh]

The reason why it does this is when you put the ac on the pump draw power from the engine, the the engine needs bit more fuel and air. So my first guess is idle value is dirty or sticky or the ecu does not realize the ac is on and does not compensate.

 

[rick540]

The battery certainly wont do that, so scrap that idea.

Surging like that is from an over rich fuel mixture at idle, so it could probably be the idle control valve or a blocked pipe, or even the ECU not getting the AC on signal.

 

[Coisman]

imp:
I called Bosch in Jhb, they will call me tomorrow with a price on importing a Idle actuator as they call it from Germany.
Concerning the ECU...wouldn't it then display an error somewhere??

 

[Coisman]

imp:
Hi everyone.
So Bosch NEVER called me back so screw them!! anyway...

My car was running quiet up untill 5 days ago, when the dreaded vacuum-cleaner noise returned!! :argh:
I took it to the mechanic tuesday morning, and he tells me the PCV is fine, it sounds lie the powersteering pump, or alternator.
He strips out the radiator fan, and disconnects the belts from the pullies, I start the car and then, no noise!! :dropjaw:
We reconnected everything, and he told me he is pretty sure its the alternator, but not the bearing or shaft of bushes, but something else.

I found these clips on youtube and its EXACTLY how my car sounds...

 

[Nic_s]

imp:
Hi everyone.
So Bosch NEVER called me back so screw them!! anyway...

My car was running quiet up untill 5 days ago, when the dreaded vacuum-cleaner noise returned!! :argh:
I took it to the mechanic tuesday morning, and he tells me the PCV is fine, it sounds lie the powersteering pump, or alternator.
He strips out the radiator fan, and disconnects the belts from the pullies, I start the car and then, no noise!! :dropjaw:
We reconnected everything, and he told me he is pretty sure its the alternator, but not the bearing or shaft of bushes, but something else.

I found these clips on youtube and its EXACTLY how my car sounds...

That's just the turbo :mmm:

Take a screw driver and then while the car is idling press the tip against the alternator housing and hold your ear to the handle. You should clearly hear it.

I did this with my 318 to try and find where the ticking is coming from and I was easily able to tell that it came from the injectors and not the lifters.

 

[rick540]

Yep that is definitly alternator noise.

 

[Coisman]

Yep that is definitly alternator noise.

imp:
The alternator was replaces last year, 20th october still under motorplan, so when I called them they told me that replacement was a re-replacement, and thus they would only cover half of the parts price, and I have to fork out the other half plus labour.

Now I am ONLY allowed to use them, and they ask R8221 for an alternator, and I can get one for R3500, so I guess they can go screw themselves.

I also spoke to Burgy and Gizmo, Burgy is willing to import one, but the costs due to the weight will be too much. Gizmo says I must come to him next week, and he will confirm if its indeed the alternator, cause man, R3500 excuding labour is ALLOT of money.

 

[moranor@axis]

not cool thats expensive...

 

[Philip Foglar]

Cois, that sounds like a bearing noise of some sort, so yes, alternator very possibly! Take a large flat screw driver and carefully hold the tip up against the various belt driven ancillaries and pulleys while pressing your ear to the screw driver's handle. I am sure that whining sound should be able to transmit quite well through the screw driver so that you can isolate where the noise is coming from.

 

[frikkieh]

Geez - Listen to this one. Yours are not nearly as bad:

 

[Ralf*]

many years ago I had a similar noise on my E36 325i, and I found out it was the tensioner for the airconditioning belt.

The method I used to ellimnate the source was to spray a fine jet of lubricant (sillicon spray or similar) onto the individual rotating assemblies ie Alternator bearings, alternator tensioner pulley, aircon pully, aircon tensioner pulley, etc etc....until the noise dissapeared

 

[Philip Foglar]

Wow! That sounds bad! Those pretensioner pulleys tend to pack up after a while, and can make all sorts of strange nasty noises!! :yuck:

 

[tito1]

My 98 328 individual had the same noise, it was alternator. Took it to Auto Elect Services c/o Souter/ Rebecca str, Pta West. They removed, overhauled and fitted for R850 plus vat. 6 months guarantee. noise gone after fix.(ps, I changed powersteering pump, idler bearings and belts before this)

 

[Coisman]

imp:
So this morning I took my car to an auto electrician, it turned out to be a guy I've known for about 30 years, cause me and his kids grew up together, and my father and him were friends. :excited:
So he has been an auto elektrician for many years, and he took one listen with his mechanics stethoscope


It is most definately the alternator, sounds like the main bearing is going, so I dont have the $$$ right now, will have to wait till payday, so in the mean time i am driving Mommy's Honda :facepalm:

 

[Coisman]

imp:
Hi guys, :wave:

So yesterday I took the car to an auto electrician I know, he stays in 26th avenue here in Pretoria, like 4 blocks away from me.
I've known this guy since I was 7, cause my dad did his house plans then, also me and his kids were in school together... anyway...

We take off the alternator, and also the guide/tentioner pully fitted on the front of the alternator, and guess what, the pully is also "Moer-Toe"
I call up Willem at Bavarian Auto Parts, and get a replacement pully for R175.

So the guy takes apart the alternator, and lucky its onlt the bearings, a small one and a bigger one, that are "Moer-Toe". Took all of 2 hours, including going to fetch the replacement parts, and my car was fixed. :joy:

Alternator parts +labour was R650, so in total including the pully, just under R850 for everything.

If ANY of you need an auto electrician in Pretoria area, call me, and I will give you Oom Sarel's number. :thumbsup:

PS: I "Skuured Gat" the entire day yesterday, took my baby for a wash and vac, and drove her to work this morning, for the first time in 2 weeks...
I LOVE my car!!!!! :inlove:

 

[herr bmw]

imp:
Hi guys, :wave:

So yesterday I took the car to an auto electrician I know, he stays in 26th avenue here in Pretoria, like 4 blocks away from me.
I've known this guy since I was 7, cause my dad did his house plans then, also me and his kids were in school together... anyway...

We take off the alternator, and also the guide/tentioner pully fitted on the front of the alternator, and guess what, the pully is also "Moer-Toe"
I call up Willem at Bavarian Auto Parts, and get a replacement pully for R175.

So the guy takes apart the alternator, and lucky its onlt the bearings, a small one and a bigger one, that are "Moer-Toe". Took all of 2 hours, including going to fetch the replacement parts, and my car was fixed. :joy:

Alternator parts +labour was R650, so in total including the pully, just under R850 for everything.

If ANY of you need an auto electrician in Pretoria area, call me, and I will give you Oom Sarel's number. :thumbsup:

PS: I "Skuured Gat" the entire day yesterday, took my baby for a wash and vac, and drove her to work this morning, for the first time in 2 weeks...
I LOVE my car!!!!! :inlove:

great cois,normally only two bearings,use to get mine direct from skf.

glad you are rolling again:thumbs:

 

[Philip Foglar]

Excellent work!! I seem to think that the pre-tensioner pulley on the alternator is, of the three, most common to fail. Well, was the noisiest that I replaced on my Wife's car and on her Dad's 328i it had practically stopped wanting to turn, was stiff and rough - so, very noisy! The other two pre-tensioner pulleys may need to replaced fairly soon I would think, if this one was this noisy.

Glad you got the vacuum cleaner noise fixed though!! :thumbs:

 

[Coisman]

Excellent work!! I seem to think that the pre-tensioner pulley on the alternator is, of the three, most common to fail. Well, was the noisiest that I replaced on my Wife's car and on her Dad's 328i it had practically stopped wanting to turn, was stiff and rough - so, very noisy! The other two pre-tensioner pulleys may need to replaced fairly soon I would think, if this one was this noisy.

Glad you got the vacuum cleaner noise fixed though!! :thumbs:

imp:
Thanks Phillip, now to get the back-seat-driver noise fixed! :mmm:

 

[Philip Foglar]

Excellent work!! I seem to think that the pre-tensioner pulley on the alternator is, of the three, most common to fail. Well, was the noisiest that I replaced on my Wife's car and on her Dad's 328i it had practically stopped wanting to turn, was stiff and rough - so, very noisy! The other two pre-tensioner pulleys may need to replaced fairly soon I would think, if this one was this noisy.

Glad you got the vacuum cleaner noise fixed though!! :thumbs:

imp:
Thanks Phillip, now to get the back-seat-driver noise fixed! :mmm:

LOL, let me know if you find a FIX for that one! :roflol:

 

[Coisman]

:rollsmile: