This may be too generic to diagnose online, but I have noticed a noise from my front end which my local mechanic "can't hear" but is pretty obvious to me. It is most noticeable rolling to stop and is high pitched, but pitch drops with speed. At higher speeds I think the engine and wind noise down it out. I haven't owned the car long, can't tell if there is more vibration through the steering wheel than normal. Just had the front tie rods replaced due to a clunk from the front right over bumps which the mechanic said was due to a torn boot, and indeed this has disappeared. My inclination is to have the wheels balanced and see what happens, but perhaps this is something which will be familiar to others. Thanks in advance.

 

DR,

It's hard to tell where to begin from the facts in your post. Were it mine I would post add'l info. Questions I ask myself:

1.is the problem every present when the car is NOT rolling?

2. what is condition of drive belt?

3.noise present with or without cooling fans running?

As a wild eyed guess I would check out the idler pulley.

The above should get the ball rolling and get others to tune in.

 

Check to see if it is coming from the tacometer needle gear as it drops back to idle.

 

I have noticed that the AC compressor cases a loud whirring when it is running, mostly on acceleration though. You might try shutting off the AC and see if the noise is still there.

 

I am so glad to see this. I have the same sound, just as you describe. I noticed it once the weather got hot. Only seem to happen on acceleration, and if I shut off the A/C the noise isn't there.

Is there any reason to be concerned by this? If so, what is the solution?

Thanks to oldnots and the OP for this thread...

Dave

 

Thanks for the follow up questions.

Re Tarhealcracker:
1. not present when the car is stationary
2. I don't know and am a complete mechanical novice, but will look into how to assess this
3. Present with or without fans running

I'll note that it varies with the speed of the car, so the frequency of the whirring drops as it rolls to a halt. To me it sounds like I get one "whir" with every revolution of the wheels.

Re oldmots: ac doesn't seem to affect it
Re DB6: doesn't seem to be emanating from the tach

 

This is starting to sound like a "puzzler" for Click & Clack.

Try jacking up the right front and spinning the wheel. See if that causes the noise or noticeable drag. Repeat with left front if required.

One last idea and then we've drilled down to my level of ignorance. With the engine running, car in park - put a little left or right pressure on the steering wheel and see if this causes the noise. I'm thinking perhaps power steering.

Second to last idea. With the engine running. car in park,--put light pressure on the brake and listen. I'm thinking leaking power brake vacuum booster.

By the way. You have this noise with the radio off. Right?

P.S. If we don't close in on this problem soon the only reasonable solution is to turn up the radio. It'll save you some money too.

 

Thanks I'll go through these when I get home next weekend, it will be an education for me even to jack the car up and peek underneath.

 

ok so i noticed the whir when the car isnt warmed up.. If I let the car sit over night and then dont warm it up long and drive off I hear and feel a whirring noise as I drive for a few blocks till i guess it gets warmed up... Could this be early signs of transmission or Torque converter failure? I hope not... Now Im nervous again...

 

Jsedita,

You need to guard against hypochondria as it applies to your car. In other words, don't take council from your worst fears. Most noises that your car makes are nothing to be overly concerned about.

Take it from one who worried himself into some big bills and lost a lot of sleep over small stuff. Just wait, watch and think. Don't worry, be happpy.

 

The sound is normal, just the AC compressor running. I have a couple cars that do this. I don't know why some cars are quiet and others have this racket though.

 

Well, I cleaned the car for the first time since I got it March and, in the process of scrubbing the wheels, noticed that a balancing weight was missing from one (could see where it had been attached). Not certain this is the problem but I will likely have the wheels balanced anyway since I don't know when it was last done.

BTW, how do you spin the wheels by hand? Car has to be in neutral, right? If so, is it safe to try to jack the car up while it is in neutral?

 

Also could be tires starting off with flat spots from sitting overnight, right?

 

Just another thought, these cars had a recall on the belt idler pulley, which caused a whiring sound, usually when cold but it got worse as time went on. The original idler was shouderless and let the belt track back and forth across it, making a racket that varied with engine speed. I had the problem and installing the new idler with the shoulder on it stopped the noise.

 

I should also mention that when i hear the whirring sound I can also feel what seems like a sort of vibration that seems like its coming from the driveshaft? its driving me nuts as it doesnt always do it.... I feel like it does it after I drive her for a while and then park for 2 hrs and then drive again . Thats when ill feel it and even then its for a couple of blocks.... I refuse to go to the ******* as i am not under warranty.....

 

Sounds like you may have a wheel bearing going out on you, if you can feel it in the stering wheel. Jack up each front tire and check for play.

 

At least according to the guy at what seemed to me a rather impressive independent shop (Metric Motors in Rehoboth, MA). His assessment was "it happens" and, since there was otherwise plenty of tread on the unidirectional yokohama s.drive tires, just to turn up the radio a little (also my father in law's recommendation). I just had the tie rods replaced and suspension aligned at another shop about 6 weeks ago. I gave this mechanic lots of openings but he wasn't trying to sell me on any extra work, charged me nothing for the time to look the thing over for this an some other little issues. I'm bringing the car back in a week or so to replace a hood switch which seems to be prompting random car alarms/bonnet open alerts and to have him adjust the moonroof, which he found was generating wind noise when closed that he could correct by pushing up on the rear of the window (I reproduced the effect later on my own).

My plan is to live with it this summer since it doesn't seem to be a safety issue, order a dedicated set of winter wheels and tires this fall, then probably replace the "scalloped" summers with new rubber in the spring. Would anybody recommend a different approach?

 

My '04 VDP was making the heavy whir with slight "playing card in bicycle spoke noise", turned out to be a wheel bearing; now, the worn-out Nitto tyres are producing horrid rolling whir noise. >> Also, I had the false "hood open" display and related locking beep: removed the switch, shot it with electrical contact cleaner, re-installed, and now no problem. silver '04 XJ8 VDP, 87k, K&N

 

I am new to the Forum, and awful at posting. My whirring noise was a.) failing wheel bearing (fixed) and b.) crummy (noisy) Nitto tyres.

After suffering with the "hood open" message for long enough, I pulled out the offending switch, shot it with contact cleaner, re-installed, and may have solved the problem...no more "hood open".

Now tackling the saggy headliner on moon roof slide. Any tips about that?

2004 Silver VDP (no picnic tables) 87k, K&N air filter

(what is a trackback?)

 

Hey guys:

The noise is a serpentine belt. I had the same exact problem.

If you experience a "whooping noise" on a sudden accelerated take-off, it is contaminated transmission fluid, which needs to be replaced. Jaguar used to pay for this, but does not anymore.