Name that noise

cantdecide

The car is a 2008 Fiat Bravo 1.4 90 bhp.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7BnnVhsbi4k

I have the car since 2015 and as long as I have it, it's been making this noise. The latter part of the video where I rev it up and down is the most apparent and the cab is actually the best place to hear the noise - earphones might help.

It's pretty quiet and only present at idle once hot. It's quiet enough that me and the mechanic that inspected the car missed it. I did notice it the day I picked the car up and it's I assumed it's a bearing noise. I had the timing belt (the whole kit) changed immediately after buying the car but nothing changed. It doesn't change whether the aircon is on or off or if I press the clutch.

I've asked a couple of mechanics about it and never gotten the right answer. One former mechanic I know told me it sounds like an over tightened timing belt but I don't know. I've been waiting for the noise to 'develop' to become a little clearer but at this stage it's just driving me mad and I want it fixed.

Just to be clear, the noise is a soft lug-lug-lug-lug-lug-lug-lug type noise rather than the classic bearing chatter noise but there is a kind of whirring noise present above idle too.

Hal1

Well you could try spray each pulley one at a time with some wd40 to try and isolate the noisy pulley.

whizbang

Defo Water pump

cantdecide

Today I ran it without the alternator belt and there was no change in the noise whatsoever.

whizbang wrote: »

Defo Water pump

Not doubting you at all but you're definitely familiar with this noise?

I remember when I picked the car up after getting the belt done last time is he made a point of showing me the water pump for no particular reason. I thought it was odd tbh. I asked my buddy who works in the parts shop he uses if he buys whole kits or mixes and matches, he told me he would normally get complete kits.

The noise was there before I got the belt done last time and when it didn't disappear after getting the belt done, I brought it back to the guy who promptly plámásed me (I actually forgot to mention the noise to him on the phone and didn't get to speak to him when I dropped it off - honestly, I thought the noise would just disappear as I made it clear I wanted the whole kit changed).

whizbang

Tbh, I don't know these cars at all, Is the alternator belt driving the water pump?
I would think a water pump would be easier to hear while standing over it, so maybe not..
Any change in noise with heater controls changed?

(If) its the water pump, then its not going to fail suddenly, so i wouldn't worry about it leaving you stranded.
most likely it will get more and more noisy, start to wobble, or have detectable play in the pulley shaft. At that point it will start to leak.