Clicking noise from engine, near/around timing belt (k20a3)

[BryanK]

edit: meant serpentine belt

Hey ephatch, unfortunately the first thread I'm making has to be a worrisome one.

I bought myself an 02 tw ep3 with 113k on the clock today, and already I'm worried about a sound coming from the engine. When I test drove the car a few days ago, as well as again today before i handed over the $ I failed to notice it, but as soon as I started it on my property it became noticeable/audible. It seems to be a frequent ticking sound coming from the serpentine belt area (or so I believe that's what the component is called, forgive my ignorance as i've never had the need for a car before this one). I've searched the net to see what it could be, but most responses to my already asked question said that they would need to hear the sound in order to help diagnose it, so I went ahead and recorded a short video.

I know the quality is horrible, but its more for the sound than anything else. Also, ignore me showing the climate control settings, the seller said the noise was caused by turning the faulty ac compressor on and I wanted to show that it wasn't (on that is, it could very well be from the compressor..i wouldn't know :mtongue: ).

The video can be found here:
http://gs123.photobucket.com/groups/o283/PW584D8MAH/?action=view&current=1282190087.mp4

Thanks for you time, I cant wait to get this fixed and start finding of these awesome mugen parts i've been seeing around!

[BryanK]

after some more research I came across a forum posting saying that if you spray water on the belt, and it continues to make noise you very likely have a bad pulley bearing. does this sound right?

[Anrasmor]

after some more research I came across a forum posting saying that if you spray water on the belt, and it continues to make noise you very likely have a bad pulley bearing. does this sound right?

Haha. Awesome video. I wish my customers at BMW would have done stuff like that.

It sounds to me like a bad pulley. Which pulley it is I have no idea. I haven't had the pleasure of working on my car yet so I'm not sure who the usual culprit might be. One way that you can narrow it down is to take a long screwdriver and place it on the different components, put your ear to the handle and you'll be able to hear the noise loud and clear if you have it on the bad component. When you put it on say, the water pump, put it on the base of the water pump. Obviously don't put it on the pulley or it'll throw it at your windshield. Compressor body, alternator body, blah blah and so forth. You should hear the noise a lot louder on whatever it is that has the internal bearing failure compared to the other components.

[shanewdude]

Did the seller say it had a faulty air compressor? If so, I'd start there. I'm not sure how the compressor works in our cars, ie whether or not it still turns when turned off. When I turn mine on, I can feel the power drop, and the car lurches a bit!

[BryanK]

new vid, new noises, any clues?

http://s30.photobucket.com/albums/c334/paiintballa182/?action=view&current=1282859939.mp4

thanks a ton guys!

[BryanK]

i should add that i brought it to a mechanic, who "took out the ac compressor relay" so it wouldnt spin or something (sorry i'm really, really new at this), and it fixed the noise for about 10 minutes after i left. now the old noise is back, with a new metalic/jackhammer sounding one :mmad:

[username011]

My car has always had a clicking noise and I thought it was normal.. however your cars engine is making other sounds that dont sound good at all.. Im a bit worried for your ep lol

here is what mine sounds like, not my photobucket but I uploaded this vid on it.


http://s158.photobucket.com/albums/t109/Shannon_324_photos/?action=view&current=VID00000-20100826-2223.mp4

[AUTiger]

pop out your timing chain tensioner and take a look at the teeth

[Psykoasn]

I'm getting the same noise from my engine as your first video, i took it to my mechanic and he said it sounds like it might be the timing change but he won't know for sure until he takes it apart to check, if anyone have any ideas please help

[BeaterEP]

Damn, after seeing the second vid I'd get that to a mechanic now. Whatever it is, sounds like it could be on its way to getting nasty. :nervous:

[AUTiger]

be careful, my TCT and timing chain went this morning. Waiting to hear if there are bent valves

[Anrasmor]

new vid, new noises, any clues?

http://s30.photobucket.com/albums/c334/paiintballa182/?action=view&current=1282859939.mp4

thanks a ton guys!

That sounds like a bad bearing on a pulley to me. My guess would be either the tensioner or an idler pulley.

[Anrasmor]

My car has always had a clicking noise and I thought it was normal.. however your cars engine is making other sounds that dont sound good at all.. Im a bit worried for your ep lol

here is what mine sounds like, not my photobucket but I uploaded this vid on it.


http://s158.photobucket.com/albums/t109/Shannon_324_photos/?action=view&current=VID00000-20100826-2223.mp4

I can't really tell on yours but to me it sounds like valve noise. There is a little bit of a high pitch whine that could be a bearing also but I hear valve noise more than anything.

[Twisted-X]

new vid, new noises, any clues?

http://s30.photobucket.com/albums/c334/paiintballa182/?action=view&current=1282859939.mp4

thanks a ton guys!

I know this may be a PITA, but we didn't really get to see the A/C compessor in this vid. If you look down the belt by the nose of your car, right next to the radiator, thats the A/C compressor and its pulley. See if you can see it noticably wobble. This metal-hammering noise can't be a good thing. You could also try taking the serpentine belt off and spinning all the pulleys by hand to see if any are loose/wobbly.

The bottom/right-most pulley in the diagram:
http://i32.photobucket.com/albums/d10/95d77a22/belt.jpg

[ep3demon]

ITS probably your ac compressor clutch. my car made the same ticking eventually got louder untill it totally broke down and siezed up.

just replaced the ac compressor and it took care of it a day ago. ive seen a few other ppl post with the same problem and it came out to b the same thing.

looks like a new trend here to me.

but check that one out just my 2 cents.

[lazeebeast35]

Hey sorry to thread Jack but inverting the same exact noise. I changed the pulley and the one above it also. Still it makes the noise. So I put a screwdriver to everything and i heard it loudest in the alternator. Is this possible?