High pitched whining noise from engine compartment

[Cruzmisl]

The whining noise used to come and go, but is mostly there now everytime I drive the car. It is present at idle after running for a while and is also consistent with how high i'm reving the engine. When I first start the car the whining isn't there, but after running for a bit it will come up.

My belts used to squeek, but I replaced them not too long ago. Same with the alternator. The noise isn't coming from there anyway. It seems to be coming from the top right area of the engine compartment. I took it to a BMW mechanic and he said off the top of his head that it could be the "air intake control," but he'd need to have it for half a day to take a good look at it. I really don't want to pay x-hundred dollars to find out. He said it was nothing that'd leave my car stranded, so I could leave it there if I could handle it. It just makes my car sound so damn cheap.

Any ideas?

[mdistel]

Get a stethoscope and find where the noise is loudest. Some people suggest listening with a hose, whatever works. I have a high pitch whining that I identified as the bearing in the serpentine belt tensioner. I sprayed it with wd40 and it's quiet again. Yours could be a vacuum leak, check for cracks in the hoses.

Mark

[Mr. Maboomba]

I have a whining noise that changes with engine RPM.

Sounds like a supercharger.

[AaronT]

I have a whining noise that changes with engine RPM.

Sounds like a supercharger.

Yeah, same here - or a gear drive, lol. My mechanic was laughing when I said that. Evidently it's a bad bearing in my TRANSMISSION!! (it goes away with my clutch depressed). Of course a total rebuild will cost about $1500, so I think I'll wait until it's really bad, or goes out, then just buy a new/different one. Can't wait.

[Mr. Maboomba]

Mine is related to engine RPM, the clutch doesn't change it at all. Looks like the same sound, different source... hopefully my noise is benign!

[monk]

Get a stethoscope and find where the noise is loudest. Some people suggest listening with a hose, whatever works. I have a high pitch whining that I identified as the bearing in the serpentine belt tensioner. I sprayed it with wd40 and it's quiet again. Yours could be a vacuum leak, check for cracks in the hoses.

Mark

It would be a really good idea to replace the tensioner. My bearing went bad and I WD-40'd it myself which quieted it down... until my wife had my car and the bearing failed, the tensioner fell off, and the belts got wrapped around my fan with a dead battery.

It's a $45-dollar part.

[empower]

Could be alternator? My car whined when my alternator (bearing i think) went. Got it fixed and the whine went away.

[Lawrence1]

are you sure its not the fan?

[mdistel]

Thanks for the tip. I have a spare from an unused AC tensioner. I'll swap it in soon.

Mark

[Hollywood Hamilton]

I have the same thing, I have narrowed it down to the fan.

[markcm]

I have a chripping that will go away by changing engine load or AC fan speed. I think it's coming from the heater fan motor. Does yours change if you change the heater fan speed?

[nmark]

The whining noise used to come and go, but is mostly there now everytime I drive the car. It is present at idle after running for a while and is also consistent with how high i'm reving the engine. When I first start the car the whining isn't there, but after running for a bit it will come up.

Any ideas?

Did you ever find out what was causing the noise?

I get a high-pitched whistling noise (sounds like a tea kettle) in my 2003 325i that comes intermittently. It stops if I depress the brake but as soon as I let off it will start again.

[darthE36]

i have awierd whine coming from same place as OP, and i know i need a new asc boot. Maybe I didnt put my icv in right.

[mrjmcook]

I had the same whine noise. Had my BMW service / dealer look at it. It's the belt tensioner. He has ordered the parts!

[MrSaikou]

I had the same whine noise. Had my BMW service / dealer look at it. It's the belt tensioner. He has ordered the parts!

I dunno if you are the DIY type, but it is a pretty easy and cheap fix.
I would recommended to anybody to take it on.

[CGramme]

As soon as i replaced my alternator I got a whining noise and yeah it sounds like a supercharger. I hope the supercharger sound didn't cost extra... I'm about to go to the junkyad and get a "non" wistling one so I'm not reminded that my car is na everytime i turn it on. blown headgaskets can make whining sounds also...

[One325IS]

mine made a similar noise when i had a chipped fan blade. fan is gone now and now i have a whine whenever the a/c is on and i accelerate. hope a/c clutch is an easy fix.

[gbtg80]

Does anyone have a link to a good DIY to replace the belt tensioner?

[43rdWorld]

It depends on whether you're talking about the a/c belt tensioner or the serpentine belt. With the serpentine belt, the mechanical tensioner is being replaced by a hydraulic one, but I think you can still find the mechanical tensioner around. The process is basically the same but getting the hydraulic one lined up the first time is a bit perplexing.

Here's a couple links:
Pelican: http://www.pelicanparts.com/bmw/tech...eplacement.htm

Doug's Domain (he's converting from mechanical to hydraulic):
parts: http://www.dvatp.com/bmw/maintenance/e36/2011/06/11/
Procedure: http://www.dvatp.com/bmw/maintenance/e36/2011/06/19/

In the parts link, he's getting everything from the dealer but you can get a conversion kit from Pelican for a lot cheaper: http://www.pelicanparts.com/cgi-bin/...9-0434-001-M40

[Level8drummer]

I have a whining noise that changes with engine RPM.

Sounds like a supercharger.

+1 I was thinking the same thing! I was like, "Hey, that lucky A** is complaining, I wish I had a supercharger!"

Level8Drummer

[chiggy]

I have an X5 2003 which has what sounds like a high pitched vibration in the middle of the dashboard. My wife thought it was coming from the sunroof, either way it only happens at speeds over 110kph.
My mechanic did some work on the front suspension and replaced both shocks, steering arms and upper suspension brackets. the brackets were both shot. One was cracked and the other was broken.
Hopefully that will fix the problem. I should know within a week.

[15Michaeljoseph]

I have an X5 2003 which has what sounds like a high pitched vibration in the middle of the dashboard. My wife thought it was coming from the sunroof, either way it only happens at speeds over 110kph.
My mechanic did some work on the front suspension and replaced both shocks, steering arms and upper suspension brackets. the brackets were both shot. One was cracked and the other was broken.
Hopefully that will fix the problem. I should know within a week.

I also hope that fixes your problem. I also have an e53 X5.

Just for future reference, this section of the forum is for the e36 3-series, and you probably won't find many answers here.
Then again, the X5 section on this site is absolutely dead and you will most likely get no replies from anyone over there either (happened to me a couple times, very helpful folk).

Are you a member of Xoutpost?

[Nanniepoo]

I also hope that fixes your problem. I also have an e53 X5.

Just for future reference, this section of the forum is for the e36 3-series, and you probably won't find many answers here.
Then again, the X5 section on this site is absolutely dead and you will most likely get no replies from anyone over there either (happened to me a couple times, very helpful folk).

Are you a member of Xoutpost?

I am. Just picked up an '08 X5 two weeks ago.

[AJ44]

I’m learning how to work on my car, so forgive my ignorance, but how did you lube your bearings? I’m trying to avoid getting WD-40 in the wrong places.

[galuple]

I’m learning how to work on my car, so forgive my ignorance, but how did you lube your bearings? I’m trying to avoid getting WD-40 in the wrong places.

Old thread but, basically you just take the red straw and spray it on to the center of the tensioner. This is only a temporary fix though. But replacement tensioner pulleys are quite cheap, and worth doing anyways.