Hi guys.. I have an annoying tin can rattling type of noise coming from the alternator areaa... what could it be? bearings from the alternator? I thought it was the values so I adjusted them but the noise is still there. ANy clues guys? I hear that it could also be the water pump but I just had a major service where the waterpump, tensioner, timing belt were replaced etc. The engine performance seems good too. ANy ideas will be appreciated... this has been an ongoing issue but it started to become louder as of late... On idle it makes the ratting noise... but there are days where I dont get the rattling noise when its a warm day and when the car was driving for a while.


Modified by kublai at 3:56 AM 9/2/2006

 

does it happen when the a/c is on/off?

 

I heard a "rattling" noise on one of my old cars coming from what I thought was the same area but it turned out to be a problem internally in the distributor.

 

make sure the bolts are tight. i had the same thing happen and the lower pivot bolt was loose.

 

I had a similar tinny sort of noise coming from my alternator and for the life of me couldnt figure it out. Finally one day I removed the alternator itself and spun the pulley a few times. I could hear the noise intermittently, depending on how I was holding the alternator. Then one time when I spun it I happened to be looking behind the pulley, and there is some sort of metal plug that came loose on the alternator body that was rubbing on the inside of the pulley. It was a round piece of metal, about the size of a pea, and it was loose and would rub the pulley when it was turning, creating that metal/tinny noise. I gobbed some hondabond on it and hasnt been a problem since.

 

thanks for the input guys... I'll conduct some more investigation.

the noise is more noticable when the a/c is turned on... which initially gave me the impression that it was the a/c compressor... but after listening around the noise is more towards the back of the engine rather than the front where the ac compressor is.

 

After you check the bolts, while the car is running, unplug the plug on the alt. and see if it makes a difference.

 

I've checked the bolts but they're all stable. And I also unplugged the Green plug while it is running and its still rattling... or do you mean unplugging the two plugs?

 

Hi.. sorry to bring this up from the dead.. but doesnt anyone else have any ideas?

 

a lot of auto parts stores will sell a mechanic's stethescope. Its like a Dr's version but has a long thing probe on it. Poke around with one of those...

 

Use a long screwdriver and try to figure out exactly what is rattling.

 

thanks for the suggestions guys... I bought the mechanics stethescope and found out that its the alternator that was rattling... together with the small l shaped heat shield between the exhaust and the plastic cam gear covers.. (beneath the grounding wire area on the valve cover)... Bu the main noise was the alternator... now I gotta see if I should try to repair it or buy a new one