I've contracted an annoying whining noise this morning. I can hear it in the cabin, and it increases as revs increase (obviously up to the point where I cannot hear it over the exhaust !). It is central to the dash, or slightly off to the passenger side.

I popped the bonnet and it seems to be originating from around the alternator and the thing to it's right (as you're looking down on the engine). I presume that's a water or power steering pump ?

I'm going to investigate further, but wondered if anyone had any immediate ideas ? It sounds like the noise your washing machine makes when it's just turning over the drum slowly - like an electrical motor whine.

 

mine did the same mine was the air con pulley, so just took it off and threw it in bin never use aircon anyway.....lol

 

interesting. is it run by a separate belt ?

 

Yep. You have 2 auxillary belts. One which is for alternator/power steering and the other for the aircon.
You can narrow down the fault by removing the belts one by one (obviously with the engine not running lol). When the noise disappears....theres your problem.
My moneys on the aircon pulley.....does the noise alter at all when the aircon is turned on/off?

 

I've not checked to see if the noise changes with aircon on, I'll check it out at lunchtime. Rocking the steering wheel side to side increases the engine revs, therefore increasing the pitch of the whine. Dunno if that helps ? :P

 

Could also be power steering pump/pulley (had one fail on both my bugeyes). Removing the belts is the best way to be sure though. Take power steering belt off....run engine if noise stays then youve ruled out alternator/power steering.
Now take aircon belt off and leave steering belt off....run engine, if noise goes then its aircon related.
If noise persists with both belts off then its probably timing belt/pulley/idler related?

PS The power steering pump is to the left of the alternator.....the aircon to the right as you look at the engine bay.
Not 100% but im pretty sure youve gotta remove the power steering belt before you can get at the aircon belt.

 

when i checked this morning after pulling up at work it definitely sounds like the sound is coming from the aircon pump side (ie to the right of the alternator).
hopefully it is the aircon pump, then i can ignore it

Thanks Chris, appreciated.

 

just cut the belt make it easy for your self, and unplug it or leave plugged and don't use

 

Or fit a louder exhaust :-D
If you can't hear it....it ain't a problem lol

 

already got a jap cannon - it's only annoying when i'm sat in traffic or at lights. once i get above about 2k rpm it's no longer an issue

 

put some power steering fluid into the pump res to low !!!

 

Had this issue. Thought it was the alternator. Put a new in - no change. Turned out to be the idler pulley on the aircon belt.

 

I'm liking this, it's getting increasingly obvious this is a problem I can remediate by turning the stereo up :P

 

cambelt snubber guides rubbing on the cambelt can also make a whinning noise.

 

yup, it's the aircon pump. it doesn't get any louder when the aircon is on.

i'll ignore it then :P

 

Just take belt off in the interim if it gets annoying.
2nd hand pumps are readily available, usually pretty cheap too owing to the number of people who remove it from their cars.