05nightrider

i am having funny noises that are worrying me... esp since they are getting worse.

1. when i start the car what sounds like a belt dressing problem but not so shrill whines up and goes away after a few seconds. Stays longer when its cold, and now noticing that it whines when driving and can hear in between gears when the engine is slowing down and the clutch is in.
2. at idle, with the car in neutral and the clutch out... i can kneel down next to the car about where the cats are and hear strange puff like sounds... like air is leaking at intermediate spurts.. there is no regular pattern and they arent very loud. i can hear them inside the car and out.
3. with the clutch pedal in, there is a distinct high pitched whirring coming from the car... my guess is something to do with the tranny but not sure
4. the valve tick seems really loud but that may be just bc im looking for noises now.

the car is fine when driving, at elast i cant hear the noises, but no lack in performance.
any help wiht any of these noises would be greatly appreciated... she has 60K miles on her so the dealer warranty is no good and i want to avoid wasting my time there if i can. could it be i need a new clutch? how long do they last?

thanks so much guys!

jt

GrayPony

1. have you checked the serpentine belt?
2. checked for exhaust leaks?
3. Throw out bearing?
4. How often do you change your oil? injectors ticking?

themac5150

1. Buy a new belt if it's slipping. When was the last time it was replaced? Try that first if you haven't replaced it lately, belts wear out. Also, the belt tensioner/idler pulleys will make shrill noises when their bearings wear out. If the belt isn't slipping, this wouldbe my next item to check. If none of these items fixes the noise, it's an accessory bearing that is worn, and usually the whole unit is replaced. (power steering pump, altenator, A/C compressor, water pump, etc.) If you don't know which unit is making thesound, take it to a mechanic. I can't troubleshoot over the net.

2. You list an H pipe in your mods, is the air escaping from the joints at the H? Have you retorqued the bolts from the exhaust manifold to thecats? If it was disconnected at that point when the exhaust system was being installed,things mayhaveloosened/settled over time, re-torque all of the exhaust systembolts. Header bolts too, if you have them.

3. If it only makes the noise when the clutch is depressed (which is the opposite of the noise mine makes) sounds like your throwout bearing is wearing out. This doesn't mean you need a new clutch, but the labor is just as intensive. I would replace theclutch at the same time, this would save you the cost of the same labor charges that will eventually come. At 60K on the clock,you'd be wise to do it.

I'm no expert by far, but I've owned quite a few vehicles, done most of this kind of work myself, and have had the worst case scenario happen too many times. And most of my previous vehicles were pre-owned. That means, I had no idea of the maintenance or drivingpractices of the previous owner. It would truely suck to spend the money to replace just the throw out bearing, and your clutch start to fade 2,000 miles later. As far as the engine noises, the isolation of those can be quite the pain in the butt. Sometimesthe soundseems like its coming from every component, and an engine stethoscope is needed:
http://www.twistingwrenches.com/inde...oducts_id=6948
Hope this at least give you an idea of where to start. I have no way of predicting what your actual problems may be. And the chatter of the valve train is very loud on my 07, even worse with the hood up.

05nightrider

when replacing the serpentine belt, do i need to readjust for the timing? or do the pullies that are involved lock in place when the car is off. if its not the belt, how hard/expensive is it to replace the tensioner bearings? is it just repalcing the whole tensioner? thanks guys