Bad noise at start
OK, good feedback, maybe wait until the weather cools off some more in Spain & on a colder morning First start, when the noise would likely be happening longer than a few seconds, make another video with sound recording of the area where the noise is coming from, so the forum can hear & see where the sound is originating & maybe we can make a better suggestion as to what is causing it.
I've listened to both videos and only heard valve clatter and the hum of the accessories and their drive belts. What you may be hearing is the accessory serpentine drive belt idler pulley making a short screech at start-up. The ones in my '88 Chevy G30 van and a '95 Ford Taurus I once owned started doing that around 180,000 to 200,000 miles of use. I couldn't tell where that noise was coming from so waited until the noise became constant, which happened all of a sudden while driving when the plastic pulley came loose from the overheated dry bearing.
I sold the Taurus shortly after replacing the idler pulley. Still drive the Chevy van and only get around 45,000 miles out of the replacement idler pulleys. I have the TB belt kit and new motor/trans mounts to install in my '05 so was considering to replace the still quiet DB idler pulley while it's out.to keep as a spare. Was curious to now how long do the factory DB idler pulleys tend to last, which aftermarket brand tends to hold up the longest and if that can be replaced later without removing the front engine cover/mounting plate?
I sold the Taurus shortly after replacing the idler pulley. Still drive the Chevy van and only get around 45,000 miles out of the replacement idler pulleys. I have the TB belt kit and new motor/trans mounts to install in my '05 so was considering to replace the still quiet DB idler pulley while it's out.to keep as a spare. Was curious to now how long do the factory DB idler pulleys tend to last, which aftermarket brand tends to hold up the longest and if that can be replaced later without removing the front engine cover/mounting plate?
WOW, that is Noisy, might be helpful if you'd have the engine hood up / open, as you do the walk around video & audio recording, so we can see the engine & belt driven accessories moving & hear the noise loudness at the same time.
To my old ears the noise seems to be loudest on the passenger side front of the vehicle. You could use a mechanics stethoscope probe on the noise suspects to try & further narrow down the suspect list. If you don't have, or can't borrow a stethoscope, you could fashion one from a wooden rod, broom handle, length of rubber or plastic tubing, or small plastic or metal pipe, long screwdriver, one end to your ear, the other end on the noise suspect & listen for the loudest sound thats in time with the noise.
I think I hear a random loud clicking sound that may be a faulty bearing acting out but lots of other ominous noise too, so maybe the forums members collective cold country ears can tell us what sounds seem most unnatural or ominous to them.
To my old ears the noise seems to be loudest on the passenger side front of the vehicle. You could use a mechanics stethoscope probe on the noise suspects to try & further narrow down the suspect list. If you don't have, or can't borrow a stethoscope, you could fashion one from a wooden rod, broom handle, length of rubber or plastic tubing, or small plastic or metal pipe, long screwdriver, one end to your ear, the other end on the noise suspect & listen for the loudest sound thats in time with the noise.
I think I hear a random loud clicking sound that may be a faulty bearing acting out but lots of other ominous noise too, so maybe the forums members collective cold country ears can tell us what sounds seem most unnatural or ominous to them.
To my old ears the random loud Clack / Click sounds loudest at the passenger side front & it seems to decrease how frequently it does this as the engine runs, as you've previously reported.
Have you tried using the suggested stethoscope probes to determine if it's from a belt driven item, or from the engine top end???
EDIT: Ok lets hear from some more forum ears as to what it sounds like to your ears???
Have you tried using the suggested stethoscope probes to determine if it's from a belt driven item, or from the engine top end???
EDIT: Ok lets hear from some more forum ears as to what it sounds like to your ears???
Last edited by paw paw; Dec 26, 2022 at 10:50 AM.
If you suspect piston slap, try listening to various parts of the engine block below where the head is attached, with a mechanics stethoscope, or one of the suggested homemade stethoscope improvisions, to determine if the noise is loudest low down on the engine block, or higher up, like under the cam cover.
Or if it's around one of the belt driven accessories, like a pully bearing, or the Power Steering Pump, or AC clutch pully bearing, or maybe the serpentine belt idler or tensioner pully bearing, all of which are on the passenger side front, where to my old ears the noise sounds loudest.
Or if it's around one of the belt driven accessories, like a pully bearing, or the Power Steering Pump, or AC clutch pully bearing, or maybe the serpentine belt idler or tensioner pully bearing, all of which are on the passenger side front, where to my old ears the noise sounds loudest.
Last edited by paw paw; Dec 26, 2022 at 11:43 AM.
May want to remove the serpentine drive belt to see if the noise is absent when you restart the engine. That will indicate that the tensioner pulley, an accessory or belt in creating the racket. Will be able to grab the pulleys to see if any have movement when twisted right to left. Pull out the belt and look it over.


