Diagnose This Squeak Please

mziggy16 · 06-19-2018, 03:24 PM

I'm getting a distinct squeak coming from the front of the car during cold starts. It's usually gone after a few minutes and doesn't happen if the car has been driven within a few hours prior or less.

I'm thinking it may be one of the pulleys.

Video accessible here

Thoughts?

StickMon · 06-19-2018, 07:26 PM

Take the belts off.
Inspect the belts for wear.
Wiggle the idlers. I think you'll find a floppy one.

mziggy16 · 06-19-2018, 08:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by StickMon

Take the belts off.
Inspect the belts for wear.
Wiggle the idlers. I think you'll find a floppy one.

Any urgency to this or can I tack it on to the upcoming Inspection 2 work that I'm doing in a month or so?

Thanks for the help.

StickMon · 06-19-2018, 09:28 PM

I think you can just tack it on.
Seen several posts from peeps with squeaky or rattly idlers, but never one that's seized or flown apart.

I had a wobbly one for who knows how long. Discovered it when replacing the alternator.
Ordered up the parts and replaced it about a month later, and its a DD.

dc_wright · 06-19-2018, 09:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by StickMon

Take the belts off.
Inspect the belts for wear.
Wiggle the idlers. I think you'll find a floppy one.

This. The "bird chirp" is pretty indicative of a bearing going on one of the tensioner pulleys.

B328iC · 08-18-2020, 09:53 AM

Reviving an old one. Would you say the "bird chirp" could also sound like a rattle? I have what sounds like a rattle coming from around the alternator.

mziggy16 · 08-18-2020, 09:59 AM

I didn't have a rattle. It was a distinct, loud squeak and was fixed by replacing the pulleys and belts.

Arsend76 · 08-19-2020, 07:15 AM

Rattle would be a pulley, only bird sound like, suggest a belt..

B328iC · 08-20-2020, 09:14 AM

The rattle seems to come from the alternator. So would it be the alt. or is there a tensioner close that would make is seem to be the alt?

06-19-2018, 03:24 PM	#1
mziggy16 Private First Class 31 Rep 135 Posts Drives: '07 Z4MC, '01 911 C4 Cabriolet Join Date: Nov 2011 Location: St. Louis, MO iTrader: (1)	Diagnose This Squeak Please I'm getting a distinct squeak coming from the front of the car during cold starts. It's usually gone after a few minutes and doesn't happen if the car has been driven within a few hours prior or less. I'm thinking it may be one of the pulleys. Video accessible here Thoughts? __________________ CURRENT: '07 Z4 M Coupe /// ‘01 911 C4 Cab SOLD: '06 330i / '07 335i / '07 X5 4.8 / '13 335i
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06-19-2018, 07:26 PM	#2
StickMon My other car is on Mars 636 Rep 3,124 Posts Drives: 2006 MR Join Date: Feb 2011 Location: Lo-Cal iTrader: (1)	Take the belts off. Inspect the belts for wear. Wiggle the idlers. I think you'll find a floppy one. __________________ Warning: May contain traces of nuts.
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06-19-2018, 09:28 PM	#4
StickMon My other car is on Mars 636 Rep 3,124 Posts Drives: 2006 MR Join Date: Feb 2011 Location: Lo-Cal iTrader: (1)	I think you can just tack it on. Seen several posts from peeps with squeaky or rattly idlers, but never one that's seized or flown apart. I had a wobbly one for who knows how long. Discovered it when replacing the alternator. Ordered up the parts and replaced it about a month later, and its a DD. __________________ Warning: May contain traces of nuts.
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08-18-2020, 09:53 AM	#6
B328iC Private First Class 47 Rep 130 Posts Drives: 97 328iC, 2003 Z4 Join Date: Feb 2019 Location: Miamisburg, Ohio iTrader: (1)	Reviving an old one. Would you say the "bird chirp" could also sound like a rattle? I have what sounds like a rattle coming from around the alternator.
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08-18-2020, 09:59 AM	#7
mziggy16 Private First Class 31 Rep 135 Posts Drives: '07 Z4MC, '01 911 C4 Cabriolet Join Date: Nov 2011 Location: St. Louis, MO iTrader: (1)	I didn't have a rattle. It was a distinct, loud squeak and was fixed by replacing the pulleys and belts. __________________ CURRENT: '07 Z4 M Coupe /// ‘01 911 C4 Cab SOLD: '06 330i / '07 335i / '07 X5 4.8 / '13 335i
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08-19-2020, 07:15 AM	#8
Arsend76 Registered 0 Rep 4 Posts Drives: BMW Z4 E85 Join Date: Jul 2020 Location: New Brunswick iTrader: (0)	Rattle would be a pulley, only bird sound like, suggest a belt..
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08-20-2020, 09:14 AM	#9
B328iC Private First Class 47 Rep 130 Posts Drives: 97 328iC, 2003 Z4 Join Date: Feb 2019 Location: Miamisburg, Ohio iTrader: (1)	The rattle seems to come from the alternator. So would it be the alt. or is there a tensioner close that would make is seem to be the alt?
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