ALH Engine Whining? Timing Belt Replacement?

I have a really bad feeling. ; (


When I start the engine, I initially hear a kind of squeaking or chirping sound (not a whistling sound). It sounds like something is rubbing somewhere (while the engine is idling).

It's coming directly from the timing belt area.

The timing belt looks good from the outside, and its width is still above the wear limit.


Was there something loose or unstable about any of the parts?

After a few minutes, the squeaking stops again.

Hello,
I'm not entirely sure how the ALH engine is structured, but usually, when you remove the upper timing belt cover, you can see the camshaft sprocket, the diesel injection pump sprocket (probably not a PD pump?), and the tensioner pulley.

Below that is only the crankshaft, and it shouldn't really make any noise.

Have you ever run the motor for a short time without the other belts attached?
This is how you could narrow down the source of the error.

Unfortunately, I'm nearing the timing belt replacement interval, meaning I'll soon have driven 150,000 km / the belt was last replaced at 61,000 km.
Now I have the 90,000-mile belt installed.

I had hoped to be able to delay the replacement a bit, because most of the use involved long-distance driving, the width of the belt was still okay, and it looked quite good on the outside.



Unfortunately, I haven't been able to run the motor yet without the other belts. Sadly, if I could, I would probably have a clearer answer soon.


Now, I suppose I have no other choice but to replace the belt as soon as possible, even though a friend had the belt changed 14,000 km later, as required.


So, it's definitely a replacement at 90,000 km, not 95,000 km, right?

Hello,

You don't need to remove the belts first.
Just spray a little bit of rust remover or something similar onto the ribbed belt if it's squeaking. If the noise is coming from there, it should disappear immediately.
If not, you should do the same thing with the timing belt.
If neither belt works, then the bearings might be the problem. I'm thinking of the water pump and the tensioner pulley. The best way to locate a faulty bearing is with a long screwdriver; hold the tip against the bearing and put your ear to the handle. A bad bearing makes a very unpleasant noise, like a bag of nuts rattling. A visual inspection of the bearings can also be helpful.

Greetings.

Ich würde es unterlassen auf den Zahnriemen irgendwelche Rostlöser oder Schmiermittel zu sprühen. NuSure, here's the translation:

"Just a tip."

Sometimes, after starting the car, my serpentine belt squeaks, especially in wet weather. But I don't really care.

Best regards, Rainer.

Hello Rainer,

Think about it: if the squealing sound was coming from the timing belt, it would probably need to be replaced anyway.
During one trip, I also experienced some strange noises, which came from a fixed tensioner. Some "lubrication" actually saved me from engine failure .

Hello,

Oils and antifreeze have no place on the timing belt. Damage is almost guaranteed to occur later.
Because if it's not the timing belt or one of the pulleys that is the problem, you've created a real ticking time bomb.
It makes more sense to unclip the timing belt cover and check the rollers manually.

Since the timing belt needs to be replaced soon anyway (probably sooner than the time bomb might detonate), I wouldn't play games for a few kilometers and would simply replace the belt and pulleys.

Of course, it's a disgusting job, and I'd rather go on a mountain tour with my girlfriend, which would then have to be shorter.

Best regards, Rainer.

I've been experiencing a similar noise for about 12,000 kilometers.
After starting the engine, there is a slight grinding, chirping, and whistling noise, which varies depending on the engine speed and seems to be coming from the area of the timing belt. It is very pronounced during cold starts in winter, but only noticeable with the hood open when the engine is warm.
I checked the timing belt, and it looked good; it still has about 40,000 km (25,000 miles) left before it needs to be replaced. Then, I removed the serpentine belt and started the engine, and the noise remained. My initial diagnosis was the timing belt, pulleys, or water pump (although the timing belt only has 50,000 km on it). I then took it to two mechanics, and both examined the timing belt and said it looked great. They then used a spray designed to quiet serpentine belts, and the noise disappeared. They said it was definitely coming from the serpentine belt tensioner (which looks like a gas cartridge) because it was a bit stiff and the vibrations from the belt were causing the noise. However, it's strange because I had already removed the serpentine belt, and the noise was still there?
Well, in the summer, it's almost imperceptible, and I keep an eye on my timing belt...

Best regards,

Hi,

I know that from my 1Z as well.
A squeaking noise after a cold start, at idle speed, that stops after one or two minutes.
I think it's a redirecting or tensioning pulley.

At 90,000 kilometers, the timing belt, camshaft belt, and serpentine belt (all of them) were replaced. Around 120,000 kilometers, the squealing started. Since not all of the pulleys were replaced, it's likely due to one of them.

Generally speaking, the 1Z tension rollers don't seem to be very robust.
I needed to replace 3 parts in total after 150,000 km, although only one of them was replaced during the timing belt change.

I also recognize that chirping sound from my 1st car. It definitely came from the tensioner pulley of the serpentine belt. I used 3 of those things in 155,000 km!

Rainer K. wrote:

I would refrain from spraying any rust removers or lubricants on the timing belt.

exactly Never cut corners on the timing belt.

Yes, it's exactly as Markus describes it.

A squealing noise after a cold start, at idle speed, that stops after one to two minutes.


And it doesn't happen after every startup.

I think I'm going to go back to the dealer to get confirmation. I want to make sure I don't replace the belt any sooner than necessary, especially not until it has reached 90,000 km. I still have to pay for new brakes, tires, the TÜV inspection, and the AU emissions test – that's enough for the next 2 months. }


Thank you to everyone for the help }.

joergs wrote:

I also recognize that chirping sound from my 1z. It definitely came from the tensioner pulley of the serpentine belt. :oops:The consumption of these things was 3 pieces over 155,000 km!

My 1Z had the same consumption of belt tensioners .

haehnlein wrote:

Rainer K. wrote: I would refrain from spraying any rust removers or lubricants onto the timing belt. exactly Never cut corners on the timing belt

.

People, it was a ribbed belt, not a timing belt.

Amen.

Bertil wrote:

joergs wrote: I also recognize that chirping sound from my 1st car. It definitely came from the tensioner pulley of the serpentine belt. The consumption of these things was 3 pieces over 155,000 km! My 1Z had the same consumption of belt tensioners

.

Mine is also squeaking quite a bit. It now has 142,000 km on it. In my Mercedes 200D (formerly a taxi), it lasted at least 280,000 km ).

Does anyone know if it's possible to simply squeeze out the old bearing and replace it with a new one?

I have no idea. I haven't looked into it closely yet, because I still had a warranty on the bearings and I used it! So, I only paid once, and that was it! But if I remember correctly, it's difficult to replace the bearings. At ATU, that defective part probably cost around 50 DM! It's outrageous for a worn-out bearing with just a little bit of plastic around it! }