Technical whistling Sei, possibly the clutch?

[StoneNewt]

My Sei has started to whistle when cold. It's coming from the engine bay but that's about all I can tell for direction. First off it never happens when the car isn't moving, secondly, the two situations you notice it is when accelerating or braking.

What happens, when accelerating, is that you get this high-pitched whistle developing over about 0.5s if you lift off gently it'll lower in pitch until it stops and you find you're hardly gaining any speed, however if you come off the throttle quickly the pitch of this note drops much lower, and the rpm seems a touch low for the road speed then the whistle will stop in a second or so & the engine road speed seems to be more 'right'. The opposite seems to be true if it happens while braking. If you declutch you hear it stop instantly but typically reappears if you just engage the clutch with the rpm high/low, if the rpm is basically spot on no whistle.

Added to this recently I've felt that sometimes is unpredictable at low speeds and changes feel slightly laggy when the engine is cold. My partner has stalled the Sei' twice in the last 3 days manoeuvring at low speed for 'no reason at all', I put it down to the fact you have to be a bit more forgiving with the Sei's clutch when at low speed due to the lack of torque compared to the Volvo but maybe it could be the clutch being unpredictable.

I'm thinking that the Sei's clutch is on the way out, what do you guys think?

 

[SeiJunkie]

just thought id post in conjunction with what you said, when i removed the standard filter in favour of a green filter i started getting high pitched whistles when starting cold, it only happends with me at a certain rev range (say 2000-2500 rpm.) if you go over 2500 it stops, but as you say ever since my clutch has been very unpredictable i have stalled many times. i remember some one saying that its the cambelt on the way out but its been 6 months and still no snap, so perhaps its the clutch as you say. im gonna wait and see what others are going to say.

 

[AppleSei]

There must be something in the water because im getting a whistling too! Again only started in the cold weather. I didnt think much of it till saw this thread. Mine disappears or seems to disappear after a while. Id be interested in some ideas as well as to what it could be.

I must admit mine doesnt seem to be as bad as what stonenewts or seijunkies seems to be in terms of performance or lagging and so far no stalling.

 

[SkinzCinqSporting]

I get it at 2.5K until the engine is 70degrees, then it dies down. If i try and move quick when it's cold I have no chance, it just lacks all power.

 

[SeiJunkie]

ok just had a think about it and took the car out for a spin from cold and the clutch seems very juddery when first used at a junction or so, so could be that, or what i thought of was possibly a seal on the TB to the inlet manifold. The brain says becuase its cold the rubber seal contracts and when the engine warms it expands and seals whatever gap there was when cold? But heart says its the clutch but heres hoping its the former!

 

[pinin__prestatyn]

Ever considered that it's just happy?