New Owner

Hey everyone,

I have a bit of an issue with my engine I thought I seek your advice before I tore into it.

When I start up the car, I hear a metalic grinding noise on the left side of the engine, around the timing chain cover/alternator area. It sounds like something the alternator might do when the bushings are gone and starts dying. But I'm not sure. The battery is still being charged, the egine runs funs, and the lights don't dim at all. The grinding noise doesn't seem to be affected when I rev up the engine when standing, but it does get quieter when I'm underway driving.....or it might be that it gets harder to hear.

I'm not sure where to start looking, so I'd appreciate your thoughts on this. The car is a 2000 Civic SE, so just the regular non-Vtec 1.6L. I bought it with 160,000 kms on it, and put another 25,000 on it. I don't know if the timing belt has been changed yet or not, and I haven't checked it yet, thats why I'm a little concerned about the noise.

Thanks in advance

Cheers

DumbasSi

The vtech fluid pump maybe?

New Owner

Its a non V-Tech power house of fire and fury

chris_si98

is it only when you start up? so when it idles it goes away completely????

New Owner

No it doesn't go away at all. And it starts up as soon as I start the car.

bbarbulo

iTrader: (2)

is the noise constant, or does it vary in pitch/noise level as the engine revs?

imported_v-tech hb

try to check all the Pulleys and hear if the noise is from there

may be one of them doesn't rotate or doesn't rotate smoothly

VTEC_Thunder

If your gonna say it, at least spell it right....lol.

I HATE it when ppl spell it "v-tech" or "vtech" or other versions....


It's "VTEC"....V-T-E-C!!!! For the last time!!!!!


It's even in the TCC forum rules!!!!!! LOL.

rant off.



....but I know ppl will go on miss-spelling again and again....so I should just suck it up and learn to live with it I guess...






Back to the topic; My guess is the timing belt has seen better days, I'd have a mechanic check it out.

Could it also be the powersteering pump? I know they can make a heck of noise sometimes when the fluid level is low or the bearings are shot in the pump......just a thought.

New Owner

No worries "VTEC" thunder, I've emailed hooked on phonics for my cheque back


As per your guess, ur absolutely correct. I did the old screw driver hearing test today and why do you know? Its my power steering pump. Fluid level is fine, the bearing has passed onto a better place. Any idea how much one of those little suckers are?

Cheers

imported_kickz

ima going to say AC idler pully

chris_si98

"The grinding noise doesn't seem to be affected when I rev up the engine when standing, "


it's not the timing belt nor an idler pulley. Atleast to me it doesn't sound like it. Once, when I was test fitting my downpipe that weiRtech made for me.. i had to take off my header, when I installed it, i forgot to fully tighten one of the exhaust spring nuts. A few days later when I would rev the motor up (to like 1500rpm) it sounded like something in my head was screeching very loud. After listening to it for about 5 minutes i realized it sounded like metal scratching, looked under the car, saw my exhaust spring rattling away. I'm not saying thats your problem, i'm just saying, that noise travels around in the engine bay and sometimes it's something stupid.

It's good to have a friend there with you and a stethescope(sp?)

VTEC_Thunder

Not sure how much a powersteering pump would be....I'm still pretty green in the honda parts price guessing game...

Anybody else know?


Also, make sure you know 110% that that is the problem before you go tearing into her guts....lol.

chris_si98

Pick up a used one.

I got one lying around. Make an offer

New Owner

A long enough screw driver will do the trick too

This morning I put a bit of the P.S. additive Lukas makes, and it actually went quieter....that was surprising. So hopefully tomorrow I'll have some time to drain some fluid out and put in more additive.

New Owner

Where abouts do you live? What kinda shape is it in?

Thanks

chris_si98

yeah..

I know. I actually meant to use a screwdriver as a steth. i was just too lazy to type it.

imported_slowandfurious

might be the timing belt tensioner. After about 160,000km it starts to make a noise like a squile or grinding. Check to see if the belts are original or look into getting them changed. Should get all belts, water pump, tensioner changed at the same time. Alot of people forget to change the tensioner and they do make noise after some time.