My car keeps whining at me, and I dont know why...

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Soldato
Joined
18 Oct 2004
Posts
10,905
Location
Kent
How do all. Im posting here because I need some help trying to identify a problem. Now Ive already posted about this on a couple of Ford forums, but I know there's lots of technically minded people on OcUK so Im hoping someone else might be able to shed some light on it.

Basically I have lately noticed that the car is making a kind of whining noise, but only at a very specific RPM...the noise only appears while the engine is at between 2000 and 2250RPM. The noise is kind of hard to describe - the best way I can describe it is the sort of resonating noise you get when you run a wet finger aorund the edge of a wine glass, but its steady. It also sounds quite intrusive, and its hard to place where exactly its coming from.

The odd thing is, this noise has happened in different gears and only ever at this very particular rev range - drop either below 2K or go above 2250RPM and the noise dissapears very suddenly. Dip the clutch in to let the engine revs drop while still moving and the noise goes away too, which rules out a wheel bearing; besides, its not that sort of grinding rumbling noise.

The problem, as Ive said, is that the noise is pretty unpredictable; I first heard it a couple of weeks ago. Then I didn't hear it again for a week. Now, some days I drive the car and cant hear it, other days I do. Today for instance, I went out to the car for the first time and drove it the 2 miles or so into town without hearing it. I was out of the car in the bank for about 15 minutes, came back, got in, and the moment I pulled away, the sound appeared. I really cant predict when it will happen at all.

Does anyone have any idea what this could be? The car is a 1999 1.6 MK1 Focus and apart from this there are no problems; I have no loss of power, nothing leaking, no other issues whatsoever. It was last serviced by me back in November, and at about the same time I dropped it into a local garage where they changed the gearbox oil; I had experienced the same problem months and months ago but much quieter and it dissapeared suddenly and has only just started happening again, this time much louder.

Anyone have any idea what it could be? The car driveability isn't affected at all but its quite a high pitched noise and can be quite intrusive and bloody irritating. It's also one of those noises which is bound to dissapear the moment I take it to a garage and make me look like a prat... :mad:
 
Peter Diffey said:
Exhaust? Aux belt?
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Exhaust I've thought about but it seems a bit odd for it to happen at such a specific RPM. Also, it only happens in gear; revving the car to 2000RPM in neutral doesn't cause the noise. For the same reason, Ive ruled out the aux belt (which does make a scratcy noise when starting from cold each morning) and tensioners.
 
It sounds like it could be the waterpump but I'm not really too sure :( It would sound like; squeek... squeek.... :o Sorry I can't be of any more help, but someone might build upon what the exact symptoms would be... Good luck :)
 
My car gives out a high pitched squeek at a certain rev range given a certain amount of throttle which I believe to be the panel filter installed.

Does it do it on full throttle at those given revs?
 
Dogbreath said:
Is it completely dependant on RPM? Does changing the engine load (i.e. throttle position) make any difference?
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It seems to be. Ive heard it in 2nd, 3rd 4th and 5th gears, always at 2000RPM or just over. Changing the throttle position only changes the noise in that if I back off the throttle, the engine revs drop slightly and the nosie dissapears once its out of the range where the sound appears. If I accelerate up to about 2500RPM then come off the throttle, the noise appears as the revs drop too, so it's happening on overrun too.

It's not really a squeaking noise....like I said, its kind of like a resonating whine. About the best suggestion Ive heard so far has been the clutch release bearing. It just seems odd that it would appear only at this specific RPM, and only intermittently.
 
Enfield said:
My car gives out a high pitched squeek at a certain rev range given a certain amount of throttle which I believe to be the panel filter installed.

Does it do it on full throttle at those given revs?
Click to expand...

I have heard it while accelerating as well...but because it happens only between about 2000 and 2250RPM, I sometimes dont hear it because it comes and goes so quickly between those two points. If for instance, I drop below 2000RPM the sound just dies....it barely even fades out, it just cuts out quite suddenly, then reappears if you increase revs again.
 
Ill have a poke around the airbox tomorrow, thanks. I really hope it's something that simple. If the guy who suggested that it was the clutch release bearing was right, then I'll have to put up with it until the clutch gives up, and at the moment it still operates fine.
 
Conscript said:
Ill have a poke around the airbox tomorrow, thanks. I really hope it's something that simple. If the guy who suggested that it was the clutch release bearing was right, then I'll have to put up with it until the clutch gives up, and at the moment it still operates fine.
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If it mainly happens under acceleration then i'm fairly positive it's the air intake :)
 
Check the exhaust heatshield also. Mine makes a funny noise if it's a little loose. Hopefully it's something simple to fix and nothing expensive. Fingers crossed.
 
peterattheboro said:
If it mainly happens under acceleration then i'm fairly positive it's the air intake :)
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..ahh, but it doesn't happen just revving the car in neutral. Surely that would cause the same amount of air to be drawn in?

Also, like I said, sometimes it doesnt happen at all. And I if i stay at 2K RPM the sound stays for as long as Im there. It's another avenue to investigate though, so I'll give it a shot.
 
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Conscript said:
..ahh, but it doesn't happen just revving the car in neutral. Surely that would cause the same amount of air to be drawn in?

Also, like I said, sometimes it doesnt happen at all. And I if i stay at 2K RPM the sound stays for as long as Im there. It's another avenue to investigate though, so I'll give it a shot.
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Not enough air is being sucked in when you're at a stand still, only when you're driving along will you notice it :)
 
I had these symptoms on my motor, turns out someone had replaced the cambelt at 100k but left a shot to hell tensioner on there. The noise would come in at 2500 RPM and die at 3k , sometimes it would just dissapear. Only seemed to happen in gear under load ?! (makes no sense to me,well little anyway)
 
Hello all, I jsut wanted to give a quick update. I was going to post this two weeks ago, but Ive been locked out of the forums until today for some reason :/

Anyway, I changed the air filter two weeks back hoping to fix the problem. In the evening I had to drive the car to work (Only a short trip) and the sound didn't come back. After work, I went for a quick spin up and down the motorway before heading home and I didn't hear it either. I smiled smugly to myself and went home.

But, as ever, I spoke too soon. The next day, on the way to the gym, after about 10 minutes, the dreaded whining noise returned. Needless to say, I was not happy and the air was blue for a few moments :/ However, when I got to the gym and parked up, I found out something; the sound did actually appear in neutral while revving the engine, and I managed to get a quick video of it on my mobile (Click here...sound first occurs about 30 or 40 seconds in). Good news I guess, as it means it's not gearbox related.

Anyway, the latest is that last Wednesday I changed the auxillary drive belt, as it was sounding a bit scratchy on start up. While the belt was off I checked all the pulleys. They all felt solid and secure and span nicely. The tensioner pulley span OK, but there was some definate sideways play in it; not a lot, just a slight wobble. I have put a new belt on, and (touch wood) the sound hasnt returned in the last week.

I dont want to say Ive fixed it because I knwo the moment I do it will return; but I thought I'd post up the video anyway just in case anyone has a better idea as to what i might be. Fingers crossed though it was the tensioner and changing the belt has alleviated it.
 
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