Whirring noise from engine...

[alank2]

Hi Everyone,

So I'm still keeping an 86 Nissan Stanza on the road and it has been running pretty good until the last time I drove it. It didn't suffer any loss of power, but was making a lot more noise in the engine compartment. When I start it up, it sounds like a whirring sort of noise and I can't tell if it is coming from the engine or something else. It starts and stops. I shut it down and then started it back up a second time and it didn't start out doing it. It also sounds a little "pingy". It is at about 75K but is 25 years old. My ultimate fear with it is the timing belt going and self destructing the engine. Could this sort of noise be related to that possibility? Any ideas?

Thanks,

Alan

 

[338Shooter]

A/C running?

 

[Shoot Summ]

Power steering pump, or low ps fluid, or alternator.

 

[KOPBET]

If it is a 2.0 liter, then I believe that is an interference engine. Likely bad news if the belt breaks. Don't ignore it.

I would temporarily disconnect any external belts to alternator, P/S pump, etc. if you can and see if the noise goes away.

 

[alank2]

Hi,

Thanks guys -

A/C is off.

I checked power steering fluid, level is good. This used to be a problem with this car when it had a leak and I was very familiar with the sound it makes when the p/s fluid is low. Leak has been fixed for a couple of years now and it no longer eats fluid. I tried turning the steeling wheel left/right when stopped to see if it would have an effect on the noise and I don't believe it did.

Will try taking the external belts off. There are three of them. 1 for a/c, 1 for alternator, and I think 1 for the water pump.

Thanks,

Alan

 

[SMS]

Water pump bearing?

 

[Larry Morgan]

Water pump bearing?

Yeah, that or maybe belt tension-er too.

Regardless of the noise, if you car is due for timing belt service, you should try to do it. Those don't usually give any warning that I'm aware of, they just go.

 

[alank2]

I finally got to pulling the car into the garage today to take a closer look. Noise was quite loud when I first started it up, but by time I pulled it into the garage it had subsided. The car has a slow ATF leak where the two huge metal parts of the transmission mate together, I'm guessing the gasket is just way too old. There is a four inch round spot in the driveway that stays wet. It occurred to me that perhaps it has been too long since I've checked the transmission fluid level so I checked it. The manual says you need to move through all the gears finally leaving it in park with the engine idling and check it then. It didn't even register on the cold range and I couldn't really tell where the line was. The system is a 6 1/2 quart system and I added 1/2 quart and it ended up in the cold range at about 75% full.

I decided to take it for a drive to see if the noise would come back (it didn't) and to warm up the fluid so I could check it on the warm side of the transmission dip stick. It goes just a tad past the full mark for the hot side and there were a few air bubbles in the fluid when I first checked it although the bubbles were disappearing as I checked.

Could the wooshing sound have been because it was low and because my driveway is at an incline making it worse? It was doing it as I was going down the road the other day as well. I haven't heard the noise at all since adding fluid. Seems to drive just fine now. Do you guys think that was the issue? Could running a 1/2 quart low have caused any damage? It seems like it was enough to cause noise...