Help! Please! A few seconds after I start my 97 VDP, there is a grinding noise. The best way I can describe it is when someone puts the wrong size tires on a car and they scrape the wheel wells when you turn. That's not the issue here. I thought it might be the alternator because when I turn the key on, the volt/battery/charging gauge (whatever you call it) is low and it stays there. I hit the gas a few times and it makes the grinding/scraping noise and then the gauge goes up to about 14 and stays there. It won't go up until I give it some gas. I made my husband replace my alternator tonight (boy, was he thrilled) and it didn't make the noise on start-up. The gauge still didn't go up until I gave it gas and took the rev counter up to about 1800. It ran in my driveway for about 25 minutes and I took it up to grab some food. After I left, it made the noise once, but not again. At a light, the gauge dropped to below 12, but once I set off again, it went up and stayed up for the rest of the 5 mile journey. After driving for a bit, it stops. It doesn't do it if restart it. It only seems to do it when cold. Any ideas, suggestions, free mechanic work , would be greatly appreciated!

 

By the description, it looks like the alternator belt must be tightened or replaced.

 

My thoughts are the harmonic balancer (the pulley on the front of the engine) is delaminating/ed. They are a 2 piece pulley, and bonded with rubber. This rubber dies over time. Usual sign is a squeal at start up, and then when it fails 100% a serious clatter/rattle, and all sorts of strife.

The next would be the water pump starting to sieze up. This can/will cause the belt to stop driving as designed, and the alternator is driven by the same belt.

 

Simple matter to confirm or reject the harmonic balancer as the source: Get a paint-pen or white-out and mark all the way across the pulleys at the crankshaft, starting at a timing tooth and coming all the way forward to the front of the pulley. If the mark remains aligned all the way across after running the car, your balancer is still good, if the mark separates into segments, time to pull it off and send for rebuild (I doubt you'll find a replacement - except at a breaker.) In general, they make noise for several thousand miles before they begin to cause real problems. I've taken a pic or two of a marked one...will see if I can find a link.

Here you go, Heather: https://www.jaguarforums.com/forum/x...rs-shot-99495/
The timing tooth and the front pulley are rigidly connected. The middle pulley is mounted to the elastomer, so make sure you get an aligning mark on it in relation to the others.

 

The alternator belt is new and tight. Both belts were replaced at the time of the alternator change. I figured as long as he was there, why not? There was a squeal the day after my husband cleaned my engine because of a leaky valve cover gasket. But it only squealed the one time. We're going to do the mark test for the harmonic balancer today and see what happens. It does make sense if they scrape and then get pulled back into line by the belt. The cam oilers on the Mercedes are today's project. I found a place with the harmonic balancer, so if it is the issue, I can order and have it replaced next weekend. My son offered to buy it as a Christmas gift for me!

Is it just like changing a regular pulley or is there more to it than that?

 

Why not look at the AC pulley. A normal favorite that most either ignore or don't suspect. When it goes it can make awful noises and it isn't that expensive to replace either

 

Would it cause drag on the alternator? I think it's a separate belt. I still have the low voltage gauge up until the engine speed picks up and it makes a last scraping noise and then everything is good. I came up with another way to describe the sound. It's like when a car is scraping a guard rail at a high rate of speed.

 

OK, we did this and the marks ended up misaligned. My husband heard the noise at full force for the first time and has ordered my car parked until the new one comes in. I have to steal our son's car for the rest of the week, once they get those cam oilers replaced.....

Is replacing this kind of like any other pulley or is there more to it? And should I make the neighbors keep their small children inside to prevent them from hearing a lot of swearing?

 

Simple replacement.

DO NOT ROTATE THIS ENGINE COUNTER CLOCKWISE.

Remove the fan pack, 10 minutes.
Remove the 2 belts, 10 minutes.
Fit socket to hex end of bolt, LONG breaker bar inserted in socket, with the free end on the concrete on the LH side of the engine, 5 minutes.
"FLICK" the starter, and that bolt is undone. I usually unplug the cam angle sensor (the whizzy thing where a distributor once lived), and then the engine cannot start. 2 minutes.
Get a good hold on that pulley, its heavy, and simply slide it off. some are tightish, mine was not. 1 minute
Check the key, as some are known to be worn.
Refit the new pulley.

If a rattle gun is available, use that to tighten that bolt, if not, you will need to jam the engine to get the oomph on that long breaker bar to get that bolt TIGHT, and I mean TIGHT (forgot the spec), but its TIGHT.
I jam the engine using one of the trans convertor bolts via the hole at the rear of the engine on the LH side with a plastic plug in it, NOT easy to get at, but doable, and its a 15mm socket size.
Then refit all the bits you took off.

Drive away.

 

Err..... Grant's normally sound advice has a flaw in it. Disconnecting the cam sensor makes the ECU guess at TDC and after a bit of cranking with no start, it guesses it is 180 degrees out and switches. Problem if it guesses right the first time!
I suppose disconnecting the crank position sensor would prevent a start, but I didn't think of that when I did mine. I pulled the fuel pump fuse then tried to start the car, before removing any parts or hooking up my (subsequently broken) breaking bar.
However you proceed, assure yourself the car will crank but has no chance to start before doing the breaking bar trick!


Removal:
https://www.jaguarforums.com/forum/x...roject-100618/

Installation:
https://www.jaguarforums.com/forum/x...lancer-101674/

 

You take all the fun out of it.

If it starts, IF, that bolt is out in a heartbeat, so less time required. Get back to drinking sooner.

I know exactly what you mean, and yes, that Nippon Denso system could get it right the first flick, so maybe the fuel pump fuse is easier.

My V12 did start on that flick, and that sucker NEVER started on the flick, ever, it always "wound up", so I paid no attention to the precautions I tell everyone else. Needed a new battery in the ticker timer after that little blunder, but the bolt was out, and the pulley was on the deck, sweet.

 

Got the new part yesterday and installed it today. It took about an hour and a half to do it. To hold the pulley in place my husband wrapped it with about 15 layers of electrical tape and then put a chain strap wrench around it. Worked like a charm. When it started my volt guage immediately moved and there was no noise!!!!!! My son will be so happy to have his car back and I'm happy to have mine back!! Thanks for your help everyone! I'm glad there's somewhere with knowledgeable people ready to help if needed. I can't thank you enough!

 

Congrats!
1.5 hrs, wow!
Don't toss the old part, someone here will probably be happy to buy it for a rebuild when they hear theirs starting to go. You can drive several thousand miles from the first onset of noise, but you're down a solid week if you have to remove and send your only one for refurb.

 

I was "helping"!
I didn't think it was too bad for never having done one before. I bought my rebuilt one on eBay and the seller said if I sent the old one to him he would refund me $50. After the refund I paid $245 for it. Probably more expensive than having it rebuilt, but at least I was only down a week.

 

We did the fuse for the fuel pump and made sure it wouldn't start. I was still nervous as hell when it came to removing the bolt. Had to do it twice and by the end I was shaking a bit! Made it much easier.

 

Very good.

Told ya it was simple.

They really are simple cars, but keep that quietish, or prices will skyrocket, then we could not afford them.

"The shakes", you should drink more before starting the task, ha.