[PhireSideZA]

Hi all

So since I have had my car it has had an odd sound. I don't think it is anything to worry about but I would like to check with the experts first before I take it in to the mechanics for something that might be a minor issue. My i30 has a certain whirring sound, and it happens whether the car is hot or cold.

I have posted a video below of the issue. When I rev the car a bit and the revs drop down past 1500rpm it hesitates a bit and at this stage the sound is at its clearest. I used an old phone to record the clip so the sound quality isn't the best and Youtube lowered the volume for some reason, but you should be able to hear it. It is a distinct sound but difficult to describe. I thought a video clip would be the best way to get more ears on the subject

All I need to know is if other cars also sound like this or if it is just mine. The car has almost 160K km on the odo and I am uncertain if the scheduled 90K km timing chain replacement was done (I am assuming so as Hyundai SA provides a service plan up until 100K km). The car doesn't exhibit any problems, it is just of audible volume and something I want to check rather than have it break and me having to fork out $$$ (RRR in my case) to get it fixed.

Thanks all!

Hyundai i30 whirring sound - YouTube

[Shambles]

Now this might sound absolutely ludicrous and in half an hour when I reread what I've written, it'll sound even dafter to me.

The very first thing that occurred to me when I heard that sound, was "air filter". It sounds exactly - and I mean exactly - the same as a colleague's Honda Civic at work; his air filter had been fitted complete with the plastic packaging that it came in. No seriously. It was still vacuum-wrapped and choked the air supply to give that sound.

Now I'm not saying you have an air filter that's still in its wrapping but the sound is the same - harmonics being generated within the air filter housing.

Checked yours recently?

Like I said - just a thought.

[asathorny]

Now this might sound absolutely ludicrous and in half an hour when I reread what I've written, it'll sound even dafter to me.

The very first thing that occurred to me when I heard that sound, was "air filter". It sounds exactly - and I mean exactly - the same as a colleague's Honda Civic at work; his air filter had been fitted complete with the plastic packaging that it came in. No seriously. It was still vacuum-wrapped and choked the air supply to give that sound.

Now I'm not saying you have an air filter that's still in its wrapping but the sound is the same - harmonics being generated within the air filter housing.

Checked yours recently?

Like I said - just a thought.

Now that sounds just about crazy enough to be correct 

[PhireSideZA]

I'll consider everything before I dismiss any statements as ludicrous  but I checked the air filter the weekend that I bought the car so I have to rule it out unfortunately.

At the moment I'm thinking cam chain tensioner spring/guide or alternator belt too tight/bearing giving up the ghost, as I had an old Yamaha XT550 that had a failing tensioner that made a similar sound. Not that I can compare the two, though, but I will consider all the options

[Shambles]

We have, apparently, a new member by the name of cruiserfied who - in his role as Hyundai Master Tech - may spot this and offer a solution

[cruiserfied]

Oh yeah put the new guy on the spot eh

I listened to it as loud as my phone would go but was still a bit soft.
Its sounds similar to an over tight belt or pulley bearing noisy.
Can you hear it from engine bay or is there too much other noise?
First suggestion would be remove both drive belts and have a listen.

[Phil №❶]

When I listened it appeared to increase in sound and frequency @ 1500 rpm even though the engine was returning to idle. What speed up in a engine as revs decrease? If it had a clutch cooling fan, I'd be on the money, but not in this case. 

[PhireSideZA]

Oh yeah put the new guy on the spot eh

I listened to it as loud as my phone would go but was still a bit soft.
Its sounds similar to an over tight belt or pulley bearing noisy.
Can you hear it from engine bay or is there too much other noise?
First suggestion would be remove both drive belts and have a listen.

Hmmm, now just to find the suspect pulley bearing if it is the culprit. I have felt the belt the other day and it didn't feel abnormally tight. I did one day hear it chirp after I went through a puddle on my way to work, but the chirp of the belt lasted maybe a fraction of a second.

As far as I know the serpentine belt on the i30 runs from the crankshaft around a tensioner, the alternator and the AC compressor as the i30 has an electric power steering system and the water pump is driven by the timing chain. I have a diagram here that gives me the serp belt route but I am skeptical to take its advice as it lists the water pump as being driven by the serp belt - which is incorrect AFAIK.

I'll poke around a bit this weekend and see what I can find. The thing is I cannot remember how the engine sounded before they sent it to be serviced, so I am unsure if the service station perhaps overtightened the tensioner pulley or damaged some other component or if it was always like this. I cannot hear it too well from the engine bay above all the other sounds, and it is most prominent inside the cabin with the doors and windows shut

But I am glad for the input so far - thanks!!

[cruiserfied]

Sorry my mind went straight to 2.0 not the 1.6.

[PhireSideZA]

When I listened it appeared to increase in sound and frequency @ 1500 rpm even though the engine was returning to idle. What speed up in a engine as revs decrease? If it had a clutch cooling fan, I'd be on the money, but not in this case. 

The noise happens when the revs increase as well, but you hear it better when they decrease. To be totally honest my first thought is the serpentine belt being too tight, as they should not have touched the timing chain tensioner mechanism with the last service. They *might* have fiddled with the serpentine belt but I cannot say for certain as I did not see the invoice due to the dealership paying for the service for me.

I am going home a bit earlier today so I will poke around the engine while I have a bit of light (curse the winter's short days!)

[Phil №❶]

the water pump is driven by the timing chain.

The water pump is driven by the serpentine belt, not the timing chain. It uses the back side of the belt

I'm actually wondering if the tensioner / serpentine belt is actually loose, causing the noise. AFAIK the tensioner is spring loaded.

[PhireSideZA]

the water pump is driven by the timing chain.

The water pump is driven by the serpentine belt, not the timing chain. It uses the back side of the belt

I'm actually wondering if the tensioner / serpentine belt is actually loose, causing the noise. AFAIK the tensioner is spring loaded.

Ah, so my initial diagram was correct. That is a bit odd - thanks! I always thought that it would have been driven by the timing chain as a failed S-belt would mean a dead battery and no AC at worst, not an overheating engine too! This makes me a bit scared to remove the S-belt and see if it is the problem as I don't want no coolant circulating in the engine block

The belt feels taut, more or less how I *think* it should feel compared to my old Honda, Golf and old work vehicle which were more or less the same.

Thank you for all the input so far !

[Phil №❶]

I think some observation in the engine bay may help. Get someone to repeat your video and watch the tensioner pulley. If the belt or tensioner are faulty, you may see some visible evidence to support this conclusion.

[cruiserfied]

Your not going to cause any problems by running the engine with the belt off just to have a listen.

[cruiserfied]

It just so happens that I am currently in the middle of a service on a 1.6 auto. First thing I did was rev it a few times and it has exactly the same noise. Also as soon as I heard it on this vehicle I thought oh yeah that's pretty normal noise.

[Phil №❶]

 

Glad to see you interrupted the service to keep us informed. 

[PhireSideZA]

It just so happens that I am currently in the middle of a service on a 1.6 auto. First thing I did was rev it a few times and it has exactly the same noise. Also as soon as I heard it on this vehicle I thought oh yeah that's pretty normal noise.

What a coincidence Phew. I guess I can relax a little now. On the plus side, I have convinced myself that I should baby the engine until I find out exactly what is wrong, and as a plus my fuel economy over the last tankful dropped slowly from 8lph (mixed 90% city and 10% highway) to 7.5lph - so I am not complaining.

I will still try and remove the serpentine belt this weekend if time allows and see what I can find. I do find it odd though, as my manager has the i20 1.6 with the same Gamma engine in and his does not sound like mine at all(taking into consideration they are different cars with different resonant frequencies and sound insulation, etc.)

[PhireSideZA]

Just a little update:-

I have done about 450km since yesterday morning and the whirring sound has changed a bit in tone since then. It is almost 'lumpy' in sound, almost as if the sound is more prominent when a certain cylinder fires. As far as I could tell, I am starting to suspect my alternator bearings as with the engine running it sounds like that is where the whirring sound is coming from.

This is just a guess but I have had an alternator do similar things on my old Golf. Since I bought the car out of warranty I only have the third party dealership warranty to rely on. The only problem with this is that I do not think they will look at something just because it sounds strange to me - they will probably not find any fault with it unless the alternator is not putting out any current, in which case it would be covered.

I did not get a chance to remove the serp belt to listen to the engine at tickover this weekend but I will try and make a plan sometime in this week

Hyundai i30 engine noise 2 - YouTube

You should be able to hear the 'prrrrrrr' sound as the revs drop

EDIT: added video clip of 'new' sound

[PhireSideZA]

Update:

So today on the way back from some out of town business the sound got a bit worse and of course I started to get very worried as to what could be causing the sound in the first place. When I got home today from work I removed the serpentine belt and started the car with the AC, alternator and water pump disconnected. PROBLEM SOLVED! The engine is smooth and silent as I gather it should have been from the factory.

My suspicion is that when the dealership sent the car in for the service, the mechanic who carried out the work overtightened the belt causing excess stress on the bearings of either the waterpump or the alternator. Me not knowing what the Gamma engine should sound like assumed the noise was normal, and I left it as is.

So in short, I will probably need the alternator and/or the waterpump replaced, but I am not sure if the warranty will cover it as there is no mechanical failure (yet...), only a strange sound. When I put the belt back I slacked the alternator off a bit and I seemed to have hit a sweet spot where it is pretty quiet, but I hear a faint rumble which could be the failing bearing(s) at idle. With the belt off I spun the alternator pulley by hand and pulled it up down left and right, but I could not hear any rumbling or noises. I also tried turning the waterpump pulley but it was pretty tight, and squeaking as I turned it - I am not sure if it should be or if I should be concerned?

Seems this problem is turning into quite the adventure!

[cruiserfied]

Good to see you have had a win. It's pretty hard to spin an alternator up to speed to hear noises because of the weight involved.

As for the water pump, you won't be able to get it to spin as such due to the pump blades in the coolant. It will have some drag on it but should spin free enough. Definitely shouldn't be squeaky though, this may be bad bearing or dry seal.

[eye30]

Re water pump......can you not buy some stuff which is sold which says will stop water pump squeak.

If that works then sorted.  If not then may be the alternator.

Squirt of wd40 into alternator may solve the noise.

Ps i love wd 40.

I use it on everything including chips 

[PhireSideZA]

Good to see you have had a win. It's pretty hard to spin an alternator up to speed to hear noises because of the weight involved.

As for the water pump, you won't be able to get it to spin as such due to the pump blades in the coolant. It will have some drag on it but should spin free enough. Definitely shouldn't be squeaky though, this may be bad bearing or dry seal.

I would expect some resistance when turning the pulley for the coolant pump but not as much as I felt today - it felt as if maybe the seal was grabbing too tightly if it makes sense. I have absolutely no idea what it is supposed to feel like but my gut is telling me the pump might be suspect. I checked my coolant and my oil, no traces of contaminant (oil is still clean and coolant as well).

Re water pump......can you not buy some stuff which is sold which says will stop water pump squeak.

If that works then sorted.  If not then may be the alternator.

Squirt of wd40 into alternator may solve the noise.

Ps i love wd 40.

I use it on everything including chips 

Aha, I have heard of that magic fluid that is supposed to stop squeaks - but alas, I think my problem lies a bit deeper than just a noise. I am just scared of leaving it and having it give up on me one day down the line. unfortunately I bought the i30 mostly for my job which has me doing about 5K km per month, and without a car I will very quickly become a liability to the company

I will try the WD40 in the alternator this weekend or one afternoon when I can get off work early again....but using it on chips? I seem to think normal olive oil might be a healthier option

[Mike SX]

@Wabbit16
WD40 (Water Displacement) not good on electronic circuits - be careful where you spray it 

[cruiserfied]

Only other thing I can think to do is do the old screwdriver stethoscope and have a listen.

[Phil №❶]

Good to see you have had a win. It's pretty hard to spin an alternator up to speed to hear noises because of the weight involved.

As for the water pump, you won't be able to get it to spin as such due to the pump blades in the coolant. It will have some drag on it but should spin free enough. Definitely shouldn't be squeaky though, this may be bad bearing or dry seal.

I would expect some resistance when turning the pulley for the coolant pump but not as much as I felt today - it felt as if maybe the seal was grabbing too tightly if it makes sense. I have absolutely no idea what it is supposed to feel like but my gut is telling me the pump might be suspect. I checked my coolant and my oil, no traces of contaminant (oil is still clean and coolant as well).

Re water pump......can you not buy some stuff which is sold which says will stop water pump squeak.

If that works then sorted.  If not then may be the alternator.

Squirt of wd40 into alternator may solve the noise.

Ps i love wd 40.

I use it on everything including chips 

Aha, I have heard of that magic fluid that is supposed to stop squeaks - but alas, I think my problem lies a bit deeper than just a noise. I am just scared of leaving it and having it give up on me one day down the line. unfortunately I bought the i30 mostly for my job which has me doing about 5K km per month, and without a car I will very quickly become a liability to the company

I will try the WD40 in the alternator this weekend or one afternoon when I can get off work early again....but using it on chips? I seem to think normal olive oil might be a healthier option

DO NOT APPLY THE WD40 TO THE ALTERNATOR.

The bearings in the alternator are pre lubricated with high melting point grease at the time of bearing manufacture. They can not be lubricated. Putting WD40 will be like adding a solvent to the grease which will then proceed to leak from the bearings, and you will be in real trouble, possibly complete failure or even seizing. The only way to know, is listen to it while running. An experienced mechanic will be able to hear, using a stethoscope or long screwdriver on the alternator housing and hear the bearings.

THIS IS A VERY DANGEROUS PROCEDURE, LEAVE IT TO THE PROFESSIONALS

[PhireSideZA]

Update (again):

Started the car this morning and got the most awful sound I could imagine - the definite sound of a failing coolant pump! I popped the bonnet and saw the pulley moving side to side as the car was idling, definitely not good at all!

I have a service booked for Tuesday and they are going to sort out a few odds and ends for me that I have requested on top of the water pump replacement. The part comes to just over R1100-00 alone, without the labour. Labour is R550-00 per hour, so I am looking at about R2200-00 (220$ AUS) in total which the third-party warranty will cover. I am going to try and see if they can fix my right rear window button that will not respond as well as a rattle in my speedo cluster while they are at it.

For now I am going to make a plan as I refuse to drive the car until Tuesday when I am taking it in for the inspection. They are also going to check the alternator as well, as I mentioned I suspect the previous company who serviced it before I took delivery of it tightened the serp belt too much

[Dazzler]

 

[PhireSideZA]

Update:

I took teh car in this morning to be looked at and got a drop-off at my work by the one garage dude. He took me in the new Accent Hatch - nice car, also a 1.6l but it has a 6-spd gearbox, yet I felt it lacks the refinement my 3-years-older i30 has. They do look very similar to the new i30, though.

Oh, I was supposed to give input on my car, right?

I got a call from Hyundai this afternoon, wherein they said that I first need to give written permission for them to take the waterpump out, take pictures of the damage, send it up to Johannesburg so that the warranty blokes can approve it, get the confirmation to continue with the work, order the part, wait three or four days, install the part, send back more pictures to Johannesburg to let the warranty people know that it has been sorted, get the warranty team to authorize payment of the fee due by 'me', pay Hyundai on my behalf and then only can I collect my car.

Estimated waiting time you ask? Three weeks

Bloody aftermarket warranties - oh, and they also won't cover my rear window button that failed a week after I got my car as it is not 'critical to the functionality of the car'. I am allowed to pay for it out of my own pocket at a cost of approximately R3000 (300$AUS) - which I declined as I can do without a button for now until I can scrounge the cash together.

I am hoping the next 71 months of Hyundai ownership go better than this one

[Mike SX]

Bloody aftermarket warranties....

Nope, we will never bother with another "extended" one; too much hassle trying to get things fixed, it just seems to create 5 years of constant arguing and waiting around to get things fixed
Our i20 & i30 warranties expire in September, we will not bother to take another, can't stand trying to recover the investment of paying for one 

[PhireSideZA]

Bloody aftermarket warranties....

Nope, we will never bother with another "extended" one; too much hassle trying to get things fixed, it just seems to create 5 years of constant arguing and waiting around to get things fixed
Our i20 & i30 warranties expire in September, we will not bother to take another, can't stand trying to recover the investment of paying for one 

Amen. I got this one thrown in for free as the original factory warranty had elapsed before I took ownership of it. But honestly I would rather just pay for it myself and save myself the hassle next time...