Jump to content
Do Not Sell My Personal Information


Ford Focus Diesel - Strange Noise After Oil Change


darkkn1ght
 Share

Recommended Posts

Hi I recently took my car (UK FORD FOCUS TD 1.8 2001 MODEL - Diesel 51 Reg) to a local garage for just an oil change. After I got the car back I noticed a strange screeching noise that wasn't there before. The noise only appears when the car has warmed up with the temperature gauge in the middle of hot and cold. It is not there until the car has been driven for about 10 - 15 mins. I took it back to the garage who checked it over and said they could not find any problems apart from a slightly loose air pipe clip which they told me should fix the problem, however once the engine was warm again the noise returned. The noise is more noticeable when the accelerator is pressed and the car revved. The best way to describe the noise is it sounds very like the noise a car makes when reversing, that kind of screeching sound but not as high pitched. It's not constant only when revs go up or accelerator is pressed. It seems to get louder as the car is driven for longer. If i sit in my car after it is warm and then rev my car the screeching noise appears. Does any body have any ideas? It's not a fan belt screeching but a different kind of sound almost like a vacuum cleaner noise...sorry hard to explain! The mechanics listened to it but couldn't pin point where it was coming from.

On another note the same garage has just replaced my water pump, and drive and alternator belts etc due to a chirping, squeaking noise when engine was cold...this was when they told me the screeching noise caused by the earlier oil change may of been fixed by a lose air pipe clip but sadly it hasnt.

Could it be a faulty oil filter? or even wrong oil? Though wrong oil seems unlikely perhaps a faulty oil filter, could this cause a noise when engine is warm? As mentioned there is no noise until car gets warm after 10 - 15 mins. Apart from the noise the car seems to run fine though the noise is very annoying as it is quite loud.

Any advice would be helpful, hope I haven't rambled too much on my first post!

TYI

Darren

Link to comment
Share on other sites


you really need to get someone local to have a look at i dont mean the garage you sent it too, failing that take a video of engine bay when warm and making noise so we can hear it. was the noise there before they done all the belts?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I've the same problem. Picked up a 1.8 tdci. Drove it for a few hundred miles without issue. Changed its oil. Now after five/ten mins it whines as it goes up the rev range. I put the correct oil in. Changed filter. Car drives fine.

Any idea?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

when yolu say its like reverse, do you mean that as you go up the rev range in forward gears, it makes a whining noise as the reverse gear does, but it makes this noise progressively higher pitched as you continue to go up the rev counter?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

For me:

No noise before oil change.

Now a whining noise starts around 1800-2000 revs and carries on unless the revs drop again either by changing up or stopping. It whines on overrun as well. It only does this once warm. The first 5 miles or so are silent. The whine doesn't get more high pitch as you rev more.

turbo? No split hoses. Started only when I changed the oil (ford spec, correct filter, correct volume)

Edited by stef123
Link to comment
Share on other sites


Hi the comment I made about reversing was only the sound was similar...it is probably more like an owl or vacuum, like an air sound. This link below isnt from my car but very similar sound:

http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=sfTAI0w_YmQ&desktop_uri=%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DsfTAI0w_YmQ

I asked an independent mechanic who said it wasn't turbo and could be alternator rod bearing? The noise does seem to come from middle left of engine and to the right of alternator belt, there doesn't seem to be noise from the turbo which is top right of engine, though the noise seems loud when I put ear near turbo inter cooler. Could it be a split pipe maybe? Symptoms appeared after oil change as Olly2097.

I found videos on youtube that sounded very similar but they said it was from blown turbo, though I have no problems accelerating and no loss of. power, and noise doesn't seem to come from turbo. Once I had oil change the mechanic gave me car straight back and didn't run it fr five minutes to let oil circulate, I drove it straight home after paying them. Could that have caused a problem?

In answer to the moderator the noise doesn't get higher pitch and to get it I have to keep the revs around 2000rpm, if I keep them in the exact place with accelerator I can keep the noise going....if I rev hard its not there or only there for brief second as revs pass 2000rpm.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Sounds to me more like a split hose... Check all the rubber hosing and pipes to ensure that no splits are present, and you may need to replace any hoses. The vacuum pressure is likely to be the cause of this. If the car has been fiddled under the bonnet, its likely that a hose may have been moved / pulled and split.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Took my car back, and the mechanics had another good look. They found no split hoses so had a look at cam belt, replaced that and still the same noise. It seem to be coming from back of engine near oil sump, so they took the sump off had a good look couldn't see anything, but felt the noise was vibrating at back of engine. Anyone when I collected it they said they could not find an explanation, however when I drove home the noise now seems to of disappeared! As far as the mechanics were concerned they couldn't find the exact place it was moving from with out stripping the engine. I suspect that by taking the oil sump off has fixed the problem and the noise has now gone. the noise first appeared after an oil change, could 'air' somehow have gotten into the oil when it was changed and created an air bubble which made the strange noise? I can't explain it but it seems taking the sump off and putting it back on has cured the problem albeit by accident rather than design.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

It would be peculiar for an air bubble to cause that sort of racket, and specifically the vibration, but its not an impossibility I guess!

How is it today?

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thanks for the info. Did they replace the filter again? I've read online some oil filters can vibrate and make noise. It is a random problem. I may drain the oil and refill it to see what happens.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

They replaced the filter the first time i went back with an official ford filter it made no difference...only after taking the sump off did the noise disappear....though the garage didn't realize the problem had gone until I drove it home.....the noise hasn't returned thankfully....it was a peculiar noise as you know from the video...my only explanation is air in the oil when the oil change was first done maybe, but could be wrong ....it is very odd

Link to comment
Share on other sites

never the less, its fixed! thats the main thing!

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 months later...

This topic has to be the most interesting ive seen in a while. My car has a quieter lower sound than your 'hoot' lol.but i still cannot get to the bottom of what causes it. Logically it sounds like air,but is it vacuum or tiny hole/gap in IC/air pipe? Im dying to find the cause but cant as it only happens every now& then. I dont think it's filter related personally but vibration/resonance can be audibly unusual eh

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 6 months later...

I have recently had the same problem as above. Its a 2002 Focus 1.8 TDCI. The noise started after a recent oil change. Suspected they put the wrong oil in, had it changed again with new filter aswell, but noise is still there. Gonna try removing the sump cover next as the guy above did, any ideas anyone?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

They replaced the filter the first time i went back with an official ford filter it made no difference...only after taking the sump off did the noise disappear....though the garage didn't realize the problem had gone until I drove it home.....the noise hasn't returned thankfully....it was a peculiar noise as you know from the video...my only explanation is air in the oil when the oil change was first done maybe, but could be wrong ....it is very odd

the problem that I have with the 'air in the oil' theory is that you'll always get some air in the oil, but there are ingredients in oil specifically to ease the process of getting the air out and you would expect after driving the car for ten minutes or less all the trapped air would escape. So, really, my question would be why didn't the air escape as it should have done?

I'd have found it easier to believe that there was a problem with one of the belts. If, for example, they had got oil on the belt that drives the alternator, that would slip and would probably make a squealing noise. But I don't know then what removing the sump would have to do with it. Or, maybe it is possible to get too little tension or get the belt misaligned between the pulleys. But i can only say that's speculation, particularly as it doesn't seem to have much to do with the sump, although they could have repaired it while they were messing around with the sump (...and maybe it was a daft mistake, and they were too embarrassed to tell you what they originally did wrong...).

So, I don't think it is at all clear, but you should be happy that it has now been cured, assuming that the fault has gone for good.

BTW, that video has been taken down and now you can't watch/listen.

Link to comment
Share on other sites


  • 4 weeks later...

Hi all, Sorry to drag up what maybe an old topic but I have exactly the same problem. Following an oil change the engine makes a wirring noise at about 1700 revs but not when cold only when the car is at optimal temperature.

The mechanics have taken the sump off and changed the oil filter but unlike the poster above my problem still remains. The belts have been sprayed to make sure there is no oil on them. Car drives absolutely fine but this wirring noise (a bit like an electric window) carries on.

Would love to hear from anyone who has had this problem and it didn't clear by taking the sump off.

Mark

Link to comment
Share on other sites

very frustrating! It was for me too...took car back loads until they took sump off and garage told me the noise was still there, however when I drove it home it had disappeared! All from an oil change, makes me reluctant to get another oil change in case it comes back again! Hope you get it sorted let me know if you do. I have read other people with same model getting same problem, I guess someone from Ford may know exactly what it is?

cheers

Darren

Link to comment
Share on other sites

perhaps the wrong grade oil was used in your car Mark?

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Well.

It randomly went away. On day it was making its odd noise then it just went. Nothing to note performance wise. oil was ford spec. Who knows?

Car died in many other ways anyway. On the Mondeo train now.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Well I can only hope it mine randomly goes away. My father in law did the oil change (he is a manager in a garage) so knows what he's doing. One of the other managers did the sump today and a new oil filter but it remains there.

As the wife says.. it didn't do it before so there must be something wrong... Olly... How long before the noise went away?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

they probably used something compatible, its just a case of was it the right spec, for example, full or semi synthetic, also the same can be asked for did they use 5w30, or 5w40.

Its only an avenue I am thinking!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hi jeebowhite

I'm informed 5w30 Semi - Gets delivered in a barrel and they just pump it into a pour bucket.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

sounds right, although full synthetic is the preferred, so its less likely to be the issue.

they should be looking into it further to get it fixed, as if it wasnt that way when it went in, it shouldnt be that way when it comes out.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

They did a thorough investigation today and even said the noise was coming from the sump so it wasn't opened up just as a possible cure they believed that's where the noise is originating from. i'll record the sound and post it up to see if it matches what a couple of you guys have had with your cars. (Will be tomorrow now).

Sadly I am no expert so I can only go on what the men in the overalls tell me lol

Thanks for all your help so far its much appreciated.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Mine was 5w30 semi. It had been driven 15k without a change so semi or full; anything was better. I'd say it stayed sounding like like a vacuum/buzzer for a couple of months, 4000 miles. Did no harm. Just annoying. And only when warm.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

 Share





×
×
  • Create New...

Forums


News


Membership