[Johannvb]

Hi Guys,



Last week I had an awesome drive back from Frankfurt (Germany) to my home in Utrecht (Netherlands). As I was getting closer to home I started noticing a Rattling/grinding sound when the car was idling. It was not very loud and I though it might be the thrust bearing. Since the car was going in for a new clutch in a week or so, I was not too bothered.



But last night after washing the car and taking it for a relaxed drive through town, the noise became much louder. I don't think it is the thrust bearing because it doesn't disappear when I am engaging the clutch.



The noise seems to be coming from the passenger side of the engine (Somewhere between the engine and radiator. I had the timing belts done around 2k ago.



I am having the car towed to my mechanic over the weekend because I am too scared that it might be the belt tensioner or rollers and I don’t want it failing on the way there. It could also be the water pump but I did not see any fluid leaking onto the floor.



Can anyone maybe help me diagnose this problem?



Regards,

Johann

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[Mark]

When a similar thing happened to me last year it was one of the bolts that hold the belt cover on and come out and falling down inside the cover. Could be many things and lets hope it is something as simple as that.

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[flash]

yeah - could be as "simple" as a broken bolt or ear on the ac compressor - people either forget those, or tighten them in the wrong sequence all the time

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[Johannvb]

Thanks guys, this is making feel a bit better...I'll keep you posted.

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[Mark]

ear on the ac compressor

A very common problem

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[Johannvb]

today a flatbed came to take my baby away...

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[968Syncro]

Johann,



Sorry about the engine noise, but you seem to have very nice flatbed trucks there. It appears the the bed goes much lower than the flatbeds trucks I have used here, meaning the angle is lower. Seems the flatbeds trucks here have a much steeper bed when it is down which can lead to problems with a low car like the 968. I had my old 944 towed once and the driver used several wood blocks to bridge between the pavement and the bed so that the angle was lesser.



Good luck with the repair, I hope it is nothing too serious.



Roland

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[ExAudiSi]

If it is 2000 miles since the belsts were done, have you had them re-tensioned?



Perhaps the noise is the balance shaft belt flapping?

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[Lonestar968]

Johann, I recently experienced a freaky wierd noise sort of like yours. It became annoying over the course of a few weeks and I had no time to have it properly diagnosed until finally, it happened. And of course, it had to happen on the Autobahn while enroute to PP 2008. My mystery noise, as it turns out, was the a/c compressor slowly (?) eating itself internally until finally …wham! … it seized up. Has anybody ever had THAT happen to them? The OEM part (69,000 miles) had a 6 month old clutch/drive belt and had been working fine all summer, ie blowing cold etc., right up until it croaked.



Resulted in a similar trip on a similar tow truck!



   

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[Cloud9...68]

I had something somewhat similar happpen soon after I bought my 968, except it wasn't the compressor itself seizing up, just the clutch. This caused the belt to snap, but the tow truck I used, while it got the job done, wasn't nearly as nice as the ones you guys had the priviledge to utilize. Could it be I'm suffering from tow truck envy ? <img src="/forum/images/smilies/968/tongue.gif" class="smilie" alt="" />

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[unknown4u]

Yes that kind of tow trucks we do have here in europe.

Unfortanatly I don't have the picture when mine was transported 7 months ago.

Something I will not remember anymore.



It think most of us has to use a tow truck in the past. <img src="/forum/images/smilies/968/ohmy.gif" class="smilie" alt="" />

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[Johannvb]

Ok, so the diagnosis is in...



It turns out the rattle was a busted waterpump. It has also eaten up the cam belt. so the following will be done to the car in the coming week(s)

• New waterpump
  
  
• New Cam Belt + Balance Shaft belt
  
  
• New Oil Seals (While you're there work)
  
  
• New Thermostat (Some more while you're there work)
  
  
• New Clutch
  
  
• Reconditioning of trter motor
  
  
• Oils seals on the gearbox
  
  
• New Cam chains
  
  
• New Cam tensioners (Top and Bottom)
  
  
• Various other small issues...my mechanic is a perfectionist :-).
  
  

So the car should be as new when I get it back....my bank account on the other hand will be worse for wear...

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[Anchorman]

The result will be worth it!



Make sure to enjoy the car when it is returned to you.

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