Squealing at idle.....

gam1984

Professional lurker.....
Hi, I'm getting a squealing noise on my '94 1.0, but its only noticable when the engine is at idle. Doesn't seem to make any difference how long the car has been running for, it just keeps making the same noise on and off for a few seconds whenever the engine is at idle speed.

From my *very* limited mechanical knowledge, I get the impression that maybe its a worn or loose belt or something, but I'd like to get some info to back that up if possible.

Also, I have noticed that the car seems very easy to stall (needs a lot of throttle to get it to bite) and the clutch seems to be slipping a bit during gear changes. Could this be connected to the noise?

I am also getting very shakey throttle response in 1st and 2nd. Almost as though the power is cutting out at low revs and then suddenly coming back in again in bursts.....Strange.

Something that concerns me a bit is that the car has only done 61k, already gone through one (possibly 2) clutches in its time and the squealing noise/strange throttle response was present before I had it serviced about 4 months ago. It seemed to get better for a month or two after the service and now its back again as bad as before.....

Wish I wasn't quite so ignorant about stuff like this, but hopefully someone can give me a bit of advice about what the heck is going on. Maybe I'll learn something :)

Thanks.
 

NeX

You're after my robot bee
Club Member
sounds like a dodgy belt, worn clutch and a dodgy air mass meter lol :)

take it to a mecanic cos if your not comfortable with messing with engines then you are never gonna be able to sort those problems on your own.

the easiest to fix are the flat spots. give the TB a resolder.
 
Rev-v-v-v-vival time!!


Im getting the same sort of noise at idle, but it can also be heard when driving too although its mostly noticable at idle, or when i just use the clutch to reverse/ pull forward

Would the clutch release bearing make such a noise? or perhaps its the alternator belt slipping when the car is put under more load

Although by that logic is should get worse with the lights put on but it makes it better, idle becomes smoother aswell



Any thoughts Cheers Steve :)
 
I would say it's the alternator belt slipping. Mine does it particularly when starting up on a damp morning. To find out, I dried off the belt the best I could with a very absorbent dry rag before starting. Very nearly cured it completely. Tiniest squeak which disappeared in half a second, probably the bits of belt I couldn't reach. Nobody wants to have to do this EVERY time they start, but it did put my mind at rest, at least it wasn't something much worse!

I have a cunning cure in mind. If it works I'll be back.
 
Spray the belt with WD 40, if the squeal stops - you know what it is. Sometimes that'll stop it altogether, it'll absorb the moisture out of the belt.
 
Mines is slipping, just need new belts as the current ones are stretched at full adjustment but going to deal with it till I drop the 1.3 engine in

Good thing is no timing belt to mess up :p
 
Mine has a brand new belt.
My other K10 also does it - and that has a new belt too, put on when the water pump went.
Seems to me that it may be condensation forming either on the belt or on the pulleys, or both.
 

pollyp

Club Member
once the belts old or contaminated n then glazed, its ruined.
u first resolve why it was ruined and then just replace it with a fresh dry rubbery one.

I once had the squeal, thought it was the pulley bearings, replaced em but no change.
sprayed some wd40 at the rib side of the auxilary belt and it goes quiet.
when I removed the belt it was all gooey n old n glazed. (it was previously contaminated by a major leaking timing cover).
once replaced with a new one it was silent ever since.

ydqp.jpg


http://micra.org.uk/threads/pollymobiles-rebuild.35251/page-91#post-621603
 
I'll give the WD40 a go
Or something is leaking fluid onto the belts?

Could be a minor water leak at the pump I suppose, hardly noticeable at the radiator. I'll put some newspaper under the car overnight after a journey and see if anything drips. When my water pump started going on the other K10 that was how I spotted it. But that has a new pump and a new belt - and still squeals.
Maybe it's the damp weather, I don't remember this being a problem in the hot summer.
 
Well, I did wonder! WD40 didn't sound right somehow.
It might cure the noise, but the belt could still be slipping and just not making any noise. Maybe slipping even worse.
I have another idea, but I am going to try it first before saying anything.
 
Sorry boys, wd 40 is a good cure for a dry belt, and will definitely work. It will evaporate off the belt quite quickly without causing any problems - been doing it all my life without any comebacks :)
As a footnote, apply with the engine running, and don't soak it, spray on until the squeak stops - you'll be fine.
 

Enuo

Glorified Electrician
Sorry boys, wd 40 is a good cure for a dry belt, and will definitely work. It will evaporate off the belt quite quickly without causing any problems - been doing it all my life without any comebacks :)
As a footnote, apply with the engine running, and don't soak it, spray on until the squeak stops - you'll be fine.
Dry belts need replacing. Gotta be a right cheapskate as you can probably get the belt for a fiver... :p
 
Nah @davyboy cant be second to us, we spend it all on beer and buckfast :L

Got new belts ordered in today, gotta fit em now. both are loose and the alternator is fully adjusted and the belt still loose
 
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