Hi, my 2007 focus 1.6 tdci has developed a sort of whining noise about a week ago and yesterday the ignition light came on while driving.

About the noise: not sure if i can say its a whine but it sounds like a sort of electrical motor and its more evident when the engine is cold and i can hear it even if i am stationary. Its proportional to the rpm. For some reason i can hear it better/clearer from inside than from in front of the hood. I did not notice a big sudden drop in mpg, although it might be feeling a bit less powerful. The noise does not change if i turn the steering. Oil level is also fine. I dont think its the turbo although i could hear a suction noise when i lift off after i am accelerating - almost like a dump valve sort of noise - but that i suspect is a separate problem.

Hope someone can help me. Thanks a lot.

Mark

Hi again, this is very similar to what I am hearing:

Could this be the alternator?

Thanks

Mark

I had the same noise on my focus 2.0 tdci until this morning....I say had....the noise has now stopped...as well as the alternator!

Just waiting to pick the car up following repair from Halfords, would you believe the local Ford dealer couldn't even look at it until Friday!

Next job....repairing the sump drain plug as some numpty had installed the wrong sump plug and cross threaded it!

thanks for the reply. yes actually yesterday I took the car to an auto electrician who check with a voltmeter and confirmed that the battery was being charged but the noise was 99% coming from the alternator, especially since the ignition light is on.

By the way I have banned the local ford dealer sometime ago since they are rubbish and their mechanics dont know anything about cars... last time I took it there a mechanic told me my car does not have a dpf since its a petrol... well obviously a TDCI refers to a petrol right? lool!! Now at least he'd be sort of right since I got rid of the DPF :D

Anyway, back to the whining noise, I am hoping that he can repair it since I wont be too impressed with a new alternator bill! :( My car has done 93000miles, would an alternator failing at this sort of milage be considered 'normal'?

thanks

Mark

ok, even though I received almost no reply/feedback, my auto electrician managed to repair my alternator - the regulator and rectifier needed replacement. Total cost including labor was 200eur, which isnt too bad I suppose. Whining noise is now gone! Hope it lasts!