Unique Sound in VR Engine bay!!!

[druid]

Hi all,
I've done some searches and forum surfing and can't really find anything "exactly" the same so hopefully this will make sense to someone.

1993 VR Commdoore, about 250,000 kms

Developed a timing chain sound - fair enough, no need to jump up and down and replace that just yet - only minor and a different sound.

Another noise - thats the problem. Sounds external to the engine, up near the waterpump \ idler pulley etc. It sounds like a "clacking or clicking" type of sound. Its random, comes and goes - does not occur in a pattern or specific series of long \ short bursts.

IT DOES occur more often and remains occuring whilst the engine is at running temp - Cold - doesnt happen. Sound occurs with or without A\C running, with or without the electric engine fan running.

Does not sound like a grinding type of bearing noise, more like clicking .. or clacking sound, almost as if the plastic blades of apedestal fan around your house, clacking on like a piece of cardboard or wateva touching the fan blades. Probabily not a very good description of the sound - but extremely hard to locate - and doing the old screwdriver to the ear trick doesnt locate a specific fault with any of the external engine accessories.

Various other parts have since been replaced due to wear and tear - and\or in an attempt to correct this sound.

Parts Replaced recently..
Engine mounts, Water pump, inlet mainfold gasket, thermostat gasket, ideler pully, Engine drive belt (serpantine belt). Outlet pipes, several heater pipes and a heater tap. Power stearing Rack, power steering pump, feed hoses and and reservior tank.

Parts swapped in to test for fault recently (but swapped back to old part due to noise continuing).
Alternator - no effect, noise still occurred.
Shorter engine fan belt used to test for problems with A\C compressor - no effect, noise still occured.

Other Parts replaced approx 12 months ago or more - Harmonic Balancer.


Is there any other moving parts in that general area that could cause this sound - or anything close to it. Also, could the harmonic balancer be faulty again ? What sort of sounds does it make when it fails - I was told more of a bearing sound ? Could it be an internal (valves, etc) engine sound ?

It really sounds like its coming from the front, like the waterpump or harmonic balancer - yet sometimes, from the top of the engine, "just" behind the idler pulley block. EXTREMELY HARD to narrow down.

I'm despearate..Please post any suggestions?

[flash]

hey yeah i got the same kinda noise coming from around the same place. i got a vs 1995 done 180000 km. i would also like to know what this means and how to stop it

[markovr]

my car has same noise and i think it is backlash on the drive gear in the balance shaft that is driven off the cam gear
Most v6 commodores of this vintage and engine type have this noise...I have heard it on cars with 60k on the clock.My other car which is a v6 VP has this noise too and I changed the timing chain thinking that was the noise but it persists.It doesn't affect the running of the car just makes a noise...I just live with it

[druid]

So - Flash and MarkOver,
Can you confirm that this doesnt occur from cold, takes approx 10-15 mins driving to start - and generally gets its worst after about 30 mins and is loudest etc.

For example, I hear the clicking about 5 meters away over the engine idling with the bonnet closed etc.

[markovr]

Yes it seems to get worse when the engine is warm and from outside you can hear it ...sounds like rattly tappets if you are from the old school but behind the wheel you can't hear it...ecotecs dont seem to have this noise...they must have changed something .

[boojak87]

Does the noise increase when you accelerate up hills especially??? If so, sounds very similar to what happened to my 96' VS. Started off with timing belt, and eventually the noise just got worse and worse. QUICK AND SIMPLE solution. Switch to Premium Unleaded fuel! If it's the problem i'm thinking of, the noise will completely disappear and you'll actually have better performance . Reply back and let us know how things have gone!

Boojakz

[Sully72]

It could be your drive belt tensioner or one of the other bearings on your fanbelt assembly.

[Mk III the HSV]

I think I’ve got the same sound coming from my engine, but mine is a continuous clicking noise. Becomes louder when at operating temperature. It had been suggested that it was the injectors making the noise.

[hako]

Whilst the engine is running and making this noise, spray a liberal amount of WD40 or similar on the serpentine belt tensioner assembly so that it penetrates fully and lubricates the tensioner spring and bearing and see if this removes or alters the noise. This can be a very annoying and common fault on Commodores. Alternatively, remove the serpentine belt (only for 10 or 20 seconds as the water pump will not be pumping) and see if the noise is still there. The tensioner is continually moving in and out and can creak/groan/click quite loudly.

[Cdsonic]

My vr has just developed this same noise at idle. The noise is very loud. Can hear in car when the car is running. It seems to go away when rev's are built up. Nosie there when car is warm or cold. Has any one worked this one out yet??

[JD]

could be coming from injectors maybe?
sounds like the sound they make when they starting to get gunked up on the inside.
try injector cleaner see how u go.

[FXST01]

Check your harmonic balancer is still in one piece

[Cdsonic]

This noise is like some rattling 50 cents aruond in a tin can. Not a tap like injectors get up. Thanks any way.

[Joey_21]

yeh i gotta vr calais 250000k's has the ticking sound every now and then speeds up wen i accelerate so it my be my belt i don no im gunna try injector cleaner and il try the wbd20 stuff aswel

[danny1987]

i got the same thing except at idle its quite and when in any gear its louder but goes when driveing

[vracclaim2]

HAHAHA the dreaded BALANCE SHAFT!! MUHAHA (evil laugh)

Got my money on Balance shaft. Do a search for balance shaft and have a look through my posts. Mine had the rattle after warm up sounded like a 50c piece in a tin and drove me nuts.

[jNINE]

Anyone figured out what the noise was yet.. I've posted this in another thread but I've got a noise like this. It's not the harmonic balancer and does not make the noise without the serpentine belt and seems to come from low down in the engine

[Slow VR]

REPLACE THE ENTIRE BELT TENSIONER ASSY You will need to remove the alternator and undo the bolts for the power steering pump. The pump dosnt need to come off.

The noise is an intermittent Clack Clack Clack. Yep, been there done that. Replace the belt tensioner assy. You will get a new belt tensioner pulley as well, its a plasitic item.

Fairly quick and easy job. Repco stock the parts.

PROBLEM SOLVED

[jNINE]

Got a whole brand new tensioner assembly.. it was a bit noisy so replaced it as a matter of course - but not the cause of this noise. (not cheap ether I might add - $200, which is why I put off doing it for a year).

The noise isn't easy to track with a listening device either..

[Slow VR]

It sounds like a "clacking or clicking" type of sound. Its random, comes and goes


Parts Replaced recently..
Engine mounts, Water pump, inlet mainfold gasket, thermostat gasket, ideler pully, Engine drive belt (serpantine belt). Outlet pipes, several heater pipes and a heater tap. Power stearing Rack, power steering pump, feed hoses and and reservior tank.

This is the question im responding to....

I listened to ur noise, and it will b ur water pump at fault. I had the same noise last week. New water pump=no noise.

[CHANDLC]

had a simular noise and it was the harmonic ballancer weight hitting the plastic behind the ballancer (can't think of the name of it) just take your belt off and if it still makes that noise thats what it could be.

[Burt_vn]

Dont ever say your noise must mean such and such, my car did it last week. Most naive comment in the world. I always hear people saying yeah man my mate had that and he replaced this and it fixed it. Doing that is what ends up making you do what the thread poster did, replace all these random parts rack up a lot of money, and fix nothing. I have the noise. I've done some thinking, some researching, ive run a lot of inexpensive tests. And i beleive it to be something nobody else has yet mentioned. My noise is non existant after an oil change, when it has maximum oil pressure, its non existant when its cold and the oil is thicker. After driving for about 15-20 minutes it becomes quite loud, a ticking noise like the injectors. Can't put down to where the noise is coming from. But my bet is one of the lifters has become blocked up, ive tried lifter cleaner and injector cleaner and the likes. To no avail. Ive just bought a new set of lifters and will be changing them over the weekend. I'll let you all know how it pans out.

[Slow VR]

Another noise - thats the problem. Sounds external to the engine, up near the waterpump \ idler pulley etc. It sounds like a "clacking or clicking" type of sound. Its random, comes and goes - does not occur in a pattern or specific series of long \ short bursts.

This aint a noisy lifter noise! Ill r*pe my own a*s if this noise is not due to the belt tensioner pulley assy.

If they really wanted to prove it, run the thing with no belt on, keep an eye on the temp gauge (water pump wont work). I bet for the time that its running the clack noise will not occour.

[jNINE]

Mine was making that noise for about a year, but you could see it moving (jumping) so it was obvious that it was the tensioner assembly.

[ENV5]

it is common for the exhaust manifold to crack aswell