I have this high pitched noise coming from the area where the timing belt is located on my 96 Sunfire 2.2 litre. I checked the belt for cracks or any wear but found none (the belt has 85000 Km on it and it is a little bit shiny but on the outside).
The noise comes and goes, but when I turn on the a/c, the noise completely disappears.
I figure when the a/c is on, what ever is having the problem (I figure a bearing) is not in use, does anyone have any ideas?
Thank you.
It's not a timming belt, it's a serpentine. Completely different. You can change it, it's cheap then you'll see if the noise is still there.
Gilles
2.3 Ho
what kind of high pitch noise. Can you relate it to something else(and I don't mean something stupid like "A pig being castrated"). I don't think it's the serpentine belt. If a belt was bad and you turned on the a/c, your applying more load thus the belt would slip(if faulty) to cause a noise. But your in the opposite, I think its more of an a/c compressor fault(like you said bearing, in the clucth maybe or something). Try this, if you can get the noise to happen; spray loose nut(WD-40) on the pulley you think the noise is permitting from. If the noise stops, go for a belt otherwise proceed to diagnose the accessory that the pulley makeing the noise is attached to. power steering pump, alt, a/c compressor...etc.
Just don't soak the belt in loose nut, if you do then it'll tranfer onto the other pulley causing you to misdiagnose. try and spray the loose nut on the pulley itself, again not too much
Hey everyone...thanks for your suggestions so far....
The high pitched noise kind of sounds like metal parts without any grease/oil....I hope that helps and I do have some belt spray (Stop Squeak) that I was thinking of spraying..do you think this will cause the belt to slip and cause any engine damage?
The car is an automatic.
I hear this sound on alot of Sunfire/Cavaliers when they are driving by/or stopped and thought this was a common problem.
I hope the more defined sound I gave (metal parts) helps.
No spraying the lube shouldn't cause the belt to slip, providing you don't soak it in spray.
But the noise, you said sounds like most cavy/sunfires..and probably only the ones with 2.2 ohv right??. When you turn the a/c on noise stops. The common noise ppl usually hear on 2.2 ohv are like noisy lifters. I've never really checked one out to say its the lifters and not slack in the timing chain. And usualy when you turn the a/c on, sometimes it stops because the rpms rise. Well it doesn't stop just you can't hear the noise over the motor at higher rpm's. Just the noise I'm talking about is more of a *Clack-Clack-Clack* kinda thing.
I've never really done anything major on a 2.2ohv, so i'm kinda lost on this one if i can't hear the noise and pin point it out to an area..it's one of those need to see/hear problems..not read and guess, i don't think it's common with the noise your describing. Best bet would be to get it checked out by someone you trust in mechanics, then change the part yourself(depending on what it is and if you think your capable)
When I do turn the a/c on, the noise always stops, and I do step out of the car and look at the engine, so I would hear the noise over the a/c.
It could be noisy lifters, but today when I was stopped at a light, the car was not making the sound ( and yes it could be a high pitched noise or a clack-clack-clack noise, hard to describe), so I turned the a/c on then off and the noise started, so I am thinking that maybe it has something to do with the a/c (compressor?).
I will have someone check it out and will keep you posted.
Thanks for all your help!
