Technical Punto squealing/whining on cold start. Tried everything!

[kal1]

:worship: Hello!

Please help me guys,

I have a mark 2, W reg punto. Im getting squealing/whining noise on cold start at low revs. Its happens for a few minutes then gone?

I have changed the timing belt kit, water pump, and fan belt. This car is costing some serious money.

When the timing belt and water pump was changed the noise was gone. 2 weeks later its back again!!!!!!!!!

The garage says its something to do with the air going into the engine from the oil seal on the crankshaft, which is making the noise. Is this true?

Any suggestions?

 

[Ffoxy]

:worship: Hello!

Please help me guys,

I have a mark 2, W reg punto. Im getting squealing/whining noise on cold start at low revs. Its happens for a few minutes then gone?

I have changed the timing belt kit, water pump, and fan belt. This car is costing some serious money.

When the timing belt and water pump was changed the noise was gone. 2 weeks later its back again!!!!!!!!!

The garage says its something to do with the air going into the engine from the oil seal on the crankshaft, which is making the noise. Is this true?

Any suggestions?

Sounds like a fairy tale to me.... check the alternator bearings.

 

[kal1]

Sounds like a fairy tale to me.... check the alternator bearings.

Thank you.

Could the cam belt tensioner be faulty after the cam belt kit change two weeks ago??? A lot of people in previous posts have said that squealing noise could be fault cam tensioner.

What do you think?

 

[5abr3]

The cam belt tensioner may not have been sufficiently positioned to tighten the belt or has worked its way loose, its worth checking it again, the belt should have a deflection of about 5mm each side without being silly over how much force you use and the tensioner should not move (apart from the rotating surface obviously)

 

[kal1]

The cam belt tensioner may not have been sufficiently positioned to tighten the belt or has worked its way loose, its worth checking it again, the belt should have a deflection of about 5mm each side without being silly over how much force you use and the tensioner should not move (apart from the rotating surface obviously)

Thank you. I am defo going to give the cam belt tensioner another look. Well... get the garage to look at it.

ONE CONCERN: Does looking at the cam belt tensioner properly involve a big garage job???? (having to unscrew things etc)

 

[5abr3]

it took me 20 minutes to change mine, including how to do it and locating the appropriate tool

 

[kal1]

The garage mechanic who looked at the car said that the whining/squealing noise was coming from the air going into the engine. He said that the air was going through the oil seal on the crankshaft and so making that unwanted noise. He said that the engine should create a vacuum... etc

The mechanic said that he come to that conclusion because the sound stopped when he lifted open the 'oil cap' (the cap that you open to pour the oil into the engine).

Could this happen?

Do you guys think that the mechanic is spinning me a white lie? :devil:

ps. The garage put a new cam belt kit in a few weeks ago. This stopped the noise. The squealing/whining noise was gone for a couple of weeks after the new cam belt kit, and now its back again??? :bang:

 

[marty61]

Whatever your mechanics on, i'll have some

The vacuum created is in the inlet manifold.

 

[kal1]

Whatever your mechanics on, i'll have some

The vacuum created is in the inlet manifold.

lol

 

[Roth]

Hi,

i have the exact same problem on a 54 mkII, fount out the other day it is a squeaky radiator cooling fan. just a thought...very annoying

hope this helps

 

[Pud237]

If its anything like my Punto, 1.2 16v, it could be squealing coming from the PAS belt or the alternator drive belt.. It could be squealing due to duff tensioners on either of those belts.

Again, not sure if your car has those belts, this is just a thought.

 

[Cig]

I have the same with my mk1.

 

[Davren]

A drive belt that squeals only for the first few minutes after starting the car, often indicates a faulty battery.

Operating the starter motor on a cold engine and in cold weather can draw over 500 Amps from the battery (diesel engines over 700 Amps). Once the engine has started, the alternator will sense the drop and work overtime trying to recharge the battery. In doing so, the magnetic field in the alternator can increase to such an extent that it acts like a brake on the alternator pulley and the belt will slip. After a few minutes the battery will have recovered enough for the magnetic field to reduce and, therefore, for the squealing to stop.

This doesn't happen so much in warm weather because when the engine is warmer the starter motor needs less current to turn the engine and the battery (being a chemical reaction) is also more efficient when warmer.

I've come across numerous people that have kept on tightening the drive belt trying to stop it squealing without success. Fit a new battery with the correct CCA (Cold Cranking Amps) for the car and the squealing stops.

If the drive belt is set to the correct tension, next thing to do is get your battery tested under load. Don't continue to tighten the belt or eventualy the alternator, water pump, A/C compressor, PAS pump, belt tensioner, idler pulley etc. (if fitted) bearings will be damaged.

Dave.

 

[kal1]

UPDATE:

I took DAVRAN's advice and investigated a possible faulty battery...

Check this one out!!!! :

ATS checked my battery and they said that the reading spiked to 120+ and then come back down to 85.

I dont know what to do now?????

Please help guys
​

 

[T14086]

120+ what

 

[bruce400]

To prove it's not the belt or alternator, disconnect the belt (remove it).

 

[Davren]

​

ATS checked my battery and they said that the reading spiked to 120+ and then come back down to 85.

No idea what those readings could mean.

Dave.

 

[kal1]

JUST HAD A THOUGHT ABOUT THE PUNTO..

LETS THINK ABOUT THIS ALL AGAIN AND SOLVE THIS PROBLEM

IS THIS RELATED..

The car was squealing/whining noise on cold start when low rev, just for a few minutes. Then gone.

I get the fan belt changed and still the same problem.

Then, I get the cam belt kit changed + water pump. The noise stops for 2 weeks.

After 2 weeks: The noise comes back with a very low rattling noise humming in the back ground. The noise is coming from the engine area. Its constantly there.

I take DAVREN's advise and I get the battery tested at ATS they say that im getting unusual 'of the scale' readings and then back to average reading again.

What do you guys think?

 

[marty61]

Alternator bearings :idea:
Noise might have stopped for 2 weeks due to drive belt being slightly over tightened when the cam belt work was done. Without actually seeing/hearing it i'm running out of ideas.

 

[kal1]

Alternator bearings :idea:
Noise might have stopped for 2 weeks due to drive belt being slightly over tightened when the cam belt work was done. Without actually seeing/hearing it i'm running out of ideas.

Marty61 and all of you have been fab with all your help.

Im slowly coming to the conclusion that we have a problem with the alternator bearings.

BUT... what about this very light sounding constant rattling in the background. If the car was standing and i press my gas pedal and release it you can hear it rattle away as the belts are turning in the engine.

Do you guys think that this could also be related a faulty alternator bearings or even a faulty alternator... or has the mechanic just done a **** poor job in fitting my cambelt kit. Maybe, something has come loose when he put the cam belt kit on? :bang: