Hi All,

The wifes 52 reg 1.4TDCI (87,000 miles) i making a strange noise.

It is coming from the aux belt area, am i right in saying this runs the power steeering, fuel and water pump and the alternator?

It started last night(a small whoosh, whoosh noise)turned off the engine started again and it was gone and started again on the way to work - when i got to work i actually dropped the car off at the local garage, they left it running for an hour and checked it now and again, all they could find was a loose bolt for the airbox!!?? and said they cant see/hear anything dodgy. (have used them for all previous work on the car and they have been great)

so sod's law drove her home and it started again, it is intermittent, it is more of low rattle/clicking noise.

To help...

1 - There are no warning lights coming on the dash

2 - It is not overheating, temp is on normal

3 - changes gears fine

4 - steering is fine

5 - starts fine

6 - all electrics work.

7 - it had all injectors replaced about 2 years ago

8 - The timing belt and steering rack have been changed in the last 12 months.

any ideas? a bloke in work thinks its the water pump bearings on the way out?

could the aux belt itself be slipping?? but it seems more a fault wih a pump/alternator?

im just scared that if the wife carries on driving it something will eventually give up and seize, not fun when she has the baby in the car.

cheers for any pointers help... :)

seeing as you've done the cam belt etc its likely to be the aux belt. you can take off the belt quite easily and spin the components you mention, water pump, alternator, power steering pump, but in particular pay attention to the aux belt tensioner, and the idler pulley. my focus did the same, like a snicking noise on start but after a bit went away. i found the bearings on the tensioner, and the idler pulley noisy when spun, obviously under belt tension the noise would be amplified. its a quick check, if youve got a haynes then its all there!

cheers for that, will give it a go tomorrow.... ive got to learn!

thanks again

cheers for that, will give it a go tomorrow.... ive got to learn!

thanks again

good luck, tensioner spring quite strong so be carefull when unloading the belt! :)