6 captured repliesDiscussion pagination complete · Source accounts, not a confirmed diagnosis
THIS DISCUSSION / SOURCE-DERIVED OVERVIEW
Discussion summary
YOUR RESEARCHChirping, alternator?
Reported or suspected cause
idler pulley, i bought one, tried it
Reported cause
No successful repair reported for this finding.
1
Identified cause
0
Suspected cause
0
Reported fixes
Read evidence and context
Explicit resolution reports before identified causes, performed actions and suggestions. Within each level, matching component labels precede direct query mentions and inherited thread context; successful versus unsuccessful discussion counts, owner confirmations and independent discussion support determine order. This is not a probability of success.
Discussions that report identifying a cause
1
0 original-poster resolution reports. Counts can overlap; they are not unique people or a success rate.
0 discussions have direct query context; 0 report a fix in that context. Other evidence may inherit the discussion’s subject.
Reported cause · Original poster
Crummy thing is, thinking that it was the idler pulley, I bought one, tried it on the car, realized it wasn't the issue but since it went on the car the dealership won't accept a return.
Leading evidence: 'idler pulley, i bought one, tried it' (1 discussions report identifying this cause; no attributable repair resolution). Across 1 matching discussions, the most frequently mentioned possible cause is 'idler pulley, i bought one, tried it' (1 discussions; 1 report identifying it and 0 suggest it). The most frequently discussed action is 'Replace considering what i had seen about it' (1 discussions). For that action, 0 discussions report a resolution and 0 report an unsuccessful attempt. No action has an explicit, attributable resolution report under the current rules. These are forum reports and suggestions, not a confirmed diagnosis.
Source reports, not a diagnosis or a success probability. Counts refer to discussions and can overlap.
Explicit resolution reports before identified causes, performed actions and suggestions. Within each level, matching component labels precede direct query mentions and inherited thread context; successful versus unsuccessful discussion counts, owner confirmations and independent discussion support determine order. This is not a probability of success.
Discussions that report identifying a cause
1
0 original-poster resolution reports. Counts can overlap; they are not unique people or a success rate.
0 discussions have direct query context; 0 report a fix in that context. Other evidence may inherit the discussion’s subject.
Reported cause · Original poster
Closure: So it turns out that it was the tensioner pulley, which was surprisingly easy to replace considering what I had seen about it.
Explicit resolution reports before identified causes, performed actions and suggestions. Within each level, matching component labels precede direct query mentions and inherited thread context; successful versus unsuccessful discussion counts, owner confirmations and independent discussion support determine order. This is not a probability of success.
Discussions that contain suggestions
1
0 original-poster resolution reports. Counts can overlap; they are not unique people or a success rate.
0 discussions have direct query context; 0 report a fix in that context. Other evidence may inherit the discussion’s subject.
Suggestion · Original poster
Closure: So it turns out that it was the tensioner pulley, which was surprisingly easy to replace considering what I had seen about it.
These are separate views of the same evidence. Frequency alone does not establish a fix, and these counts must not be added together.
idler pulley, i bought one, tried it
No successful repair reported for this finding.
1
Identified cause
0
Suspected cause
0
Reported fixes
Read evidence and context
Discussions that report identifying a cause
1
0 original-poster resolution reports. Counts can overlap; they are not unique people or a success rate.
0 discussions have direct query context; 0 report a fix in that context. Other evidence may inherit the discussion’s subject.
Reported cause · Original poster
Crummy thing is, thinking that it was the idler pulley, I bought one, tried it on the car, realized it wasn't the issue but since it went on the car the dealership won't accept a return.
Counts describe captured discussions, not unique people or a diagnosis. Author identities are not reliably stored. Exact duplicate evidence is counted once across matching discussions; one discussion counts at most once per action/state. Multiple repairs reported together remain a combination. Suggestions and failed attempts do not establish a fix. Matches cover whole discussions and can include related faults, model variants and incomplete threads.
6 eligible posts · 0 unverified posts · 1 discussions match the subject in their title or opening post.
Rennlist: 1 discussions
0 evidence records excluded for query context · 0 excluded by outcome qualification · 0 adjusted by outcome qualification.
1 acknowledgements have no verified action link; they do not establish a repair result.
So I noticed that my car was making a chirping noise, very much like lower-pitched crickets. I pulled the belt and ran it and yeah, it's something off the belt. None of the pulleys are loose, but turning the alternator I can hear a somewhat rapid (but faint) "tic tic tic tic". Is this standard for the alternator or is it shot?
Edit: Tried to get a video but the chirping doesn't come out in it.
Double Edit: I have a solid pulley (apparently I'm supposed to have a clutched pulley with a manual), or did they put the clutched pulley in after 2000?
Do you have a 6sp or Tip?
6sp cars have a free-wheeling pulley that will allow the alternator to turn faster than the engine (like a free-wheeling rear hub on a bike). That is, if you spin up the motor to 7k, and the alternator is going like heck, and then the motor spins down to a much lower RPM, the slowing belt wont bring the alternator RPM down with it, the alternator will be left to freewheel until it's pulley speed matches the belt again. Tips have a standard fixed pulley.
Could be in that alt pulley, in the alternator input bearing, an idler pulley, or even the water pump. Hmm, I guess I didn't help much.
I've got the 6spd, but I've got a solid pulley for whatever reason.
I've hit everything with a stethoscope and it sounds like the chirping--and a faint "whirling" noise, too--is coming from the alternator and not any of the pulleys. It's just odd to me that there's no slop in any of the pulleys.
Thanks for the explanation on the alt. pulleys, knew there was a difference but not really what it was.
I put a new belt in a few months ago. Actually I remember a slightly "off" sound right after I installed it that I just identified as an idler--I figured it was just the new belt breaking in back then.
So that faint "whirling" noise was the idler next to the alternator, though I can't say what the chirping is, so I'm just going to switch out the idlers and see what it sounds like from there. Maybe the chirping is just part of the idler noise but it does seem like it's coming from the alternator. Guess I'll find out.
Quick note: Are the idlers different between the 6pd and the tip?
Closure: So it turns out that it was the tensioner pulley, which was surprisingly easy to replace considering what I had seen about it. Crummy thing is, thinking that it was the idler pulley, I bought one, tried it on the car, realized it wasn't the issue but since it went on the car the dealership won't accept a return.
So anyone who's interested in a brand new upper idler pulley with 2 minutes of car time, shoot me a PM.
This is a source reference. Confirm exact model applicability in the original material.
