Spinning noise
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Tuned
Joined: Dec 2018
Posts: 330
Likes: 26
Spinning noise
Last winter...this was an issue. But no matter how many times I took it to the shop, it would never show up for them.
Last summer it happened again while we were on vacation, so I took it to a highly-reviewed local shop and after an hour or so, they determined that the noise was coming from either the tensioner or the idlers or both.
Since we were leaving the next day, they couldn't get a full set of idlers, so they only replaced the one they considered to be the most suspect...as well as the tensioner.
In the past few days, when the temperature has dropped to around freezing (or below) it's shown up again which tells me it's either the one idler they never replaced...or it never was the idlers.
Here is the noise:
The A/C compressor is not activated, so I don't think it's the culprit...either the alternator or the idler(s).
Last summer it happened again while we were on vacation, so I took it to a highly-reviewed local shop and after an hour or so, they determined that the noise was coming from either the tensioner or the idlers or both.
Since we were leaving the next day, they couldn't get a full set of idlers, so they only replaced the one they considered to be the most suspect...as well as the tensioner.
In the past few days, when the temperature has dropped to around freezing (or below) it's shown up again which tells me it's either the one idler they never replaced...or it never was the idlers.
Here is the noise:
The A/C compressor is not activated, so I don't think it's the culprit...either the alternator or the idler(s).
FTE Leadership Emeritus
Joined: Sep 2000
Posts: 23,174
Likes: 1,678
From: Stephensville WI
Pull off the serpentine belt and move every pulley by hand. The offender should feel rough or coarse as you turn it.
Don't overlook the alternator, power steering pump or AC compressor. They go bad also, just like idler and tensioner pulleys.
Don't overlook the alternator, power steering pump or AC compressor. They go bad also, just like idler and tensioner pulleys.
Thread Starter
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Tuned
Joined: Dec 2018
Posts: 330
Likes: 26
Yeah...it's still on-going.
Kinda weird that it only seems to show up during COLD temps. Speaking of which, we're going through a terrible "Arctic Outflow" so any troubleshooting will have to wait a few days.
Kinda weird that it only seems to show up during COLD temps. Speaking of which, we're going through a terrible "Arctic Outflow" so any troubleshooting will have to wait a few days.
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Tuned
Joined: Dec 2018
Posts: 330
Likes: 26
Follow up:
Got two brand new idler pulleys and replaced them. The Shop had replaced ONE of them, so by replacing BOTH I have a new baseline to work from.
The "spinning noise" that I mentioned in the OP was only present in cold weather so I took the old ones and put them into the deep freeze overnight. Next morning I gave each of them a "spin". The newest was nice and smooth, but the older one had a bit of roughness to it and made a bit of noise...so hopefully, the "spinning noise" was caused by the remaining idler...we'll see if the weather ever gets cold again.
FWIW, it was an easy job...the hardest part was getting the tensioner loosened, then I just slipped the belt off the alternator pulley and went about my business. I also had to remove the air-cleaner hose thing...two clamps. Easy-peasy lemon-squeezy.
Got two brand new idler pulleys and replaced them. The Shop had replaced ONE of them, so by replacing BOTH I have a new baseline to work from.
The "spinning noise" that I mentioned in the OP was only present in cold weather so I took the old ones and put them into the deep freeze overnight. Next morning I gave each of them a "spin". The newest was nice and smooth, but the older one had a bit of roughness to it and made a bit of noise...so hopefully, the "spinning noise" was caused by the remaining idler...we'll see if the weather ever gets cold again.
FWIW, it was an easy job...the hardest part was getting the tensioner loosened, then I just slipped the belt off the alternator pulley and went about my business. I also had to remove the air-cleaner hose thing...two clamps. Easy-peasy lemon-squeezy.
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