UrS4

My car developed this high pitched squealing sound about 10K miles ago. It started first during the winter months and now has progressed to everyday. The noise is so loud I can't localize it to a certain part of the car (engine vs clutch). The noise slowly goes away as the car warms up so it last for about 5 min. The noise is not affected by pressing on the clutch.

I had been told a while back when I called the dealer that is was probably the throw out bearing in the clutch. However, at another dealer they disagreed and thought it could be a belt tensioner. They reasoned that if the throw out bearing was bad it wouldn't quiet down when the car warmed up. They though it was the belt slipping when cold and expanding when warm.

Money is a little tight and the car is already going in to possibly have the shocks replaced so if it is a belt issue that should be cheap, the throw out bearing sounds expensive.

Thanks everyone.

UrS4

incorrigible

A bad thowout bearing should not make any noise with the clutch released (unless it needs adjustment and the clutch fork is making constant contact).

Most probable candidate is a belt. The easiest way to rule this out is to get some belt dressing at the local auto parts store and squirt some on the drive belts when it's making the noise. If it's a belt, the noise will stop immediately once the dressing hits it. If that's the case, buy and install a replacement for the offending belt.

StickShifty

i am going to go with a belt tensioner. my 2004 gt started squealing like a stuck pig in cold weather. it was getting worse and worse over time, and mainly would do it in very cold weather. i took the two belt tensioners off, popped off the plastic seal, repacked them with grease. they were fine after that.

the one tensioner on my 2008 started doing it a few thousand miles ago.

sailing220

I would say belt tensioner as well.

liberty911

If you turn on the AC does that effect the squeal? Is the squeal RPM sensitive or constant?

I had/have the same issue. A high pitched squeel upon cold start up that would last anywhere between 30 sec. to 5 minutes then go away. There is a TBS on the squeal: tsb# 08-4-2 Cold Start FEAD Hoot-whistle noise/Built before 1-28-08. Mine started after install of a Whipple.

I had changed out to Kooks LT and the squeal went away for a couple days, now its back. I have changed out all pulleys, the belt tensioner and the belt. I can't figure it out either.

HypromanGT

Did you have the TSB performed? I had this cold start whistle noise and the new idler pulley seems to have fixed it. The dealership spent a week trying to tell me it couldn't be the pulley, but in the end decided to begrudgingly replace it; been fine ever since.

To the OP, can you describe this noise? Does it resemble a train whistle? Does it make the noise constantly until it goes away, or does it come on and off a few times before going away? Does it sound like metal-on-metal? Is the sound cyclical or is it a constant pitch/volume until it goes away?

liberty911

I have changed over to an 8 rib setup so all pulleys were replaced, in addition to adding a Thump RRR tensioner and Thump RRR smooth idler pulleys.

UrS4

Sound is like a metallic tea kettle whistle. It is not constant and comes and goes before it stops all together.

Took the car to the stealership and I feel like I am being taken for an expensive ride. They say it is the slave bearing in the clutch. Problem is my car is from the midwest and has had 3 winters and apparently the mechanics in CA are deathly afraid of touching a tough rusty bolt. In the past two days they have removed 3 of the 8 bolts on the bell housing saying they are afraid they will snap the bolts and will charge me an hours labor per busted bolt to drill out. So they want to spray the bolts again with liquid wrench and let it sit overnight again before trying to remove the remaining bolts without breaking them. Meanwhile I still have to pay for the rental car. They wouldn't even look at my suspension noise because I have aftermarket stuff which is "most likely the cause".

Bastards!

HypromanGT

This quote says it all IMO: it's the FEAD idler pulley TSB. What you have described sounds EXACTLY like what was going on with my car.

If you are under the 3 year/36k, I would highly suggest that the dealership do the TSB before they end up costing you a ton of money. Hopefully they will listen.

HypromanGT

Ah ha. That would do the trick, too!