Date: Sat, 12 Jun 2010 20:48:35 -0500
Reply-To: Max Wellhouse <dimwittedmoose@CFU.NET>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Max Wellhouse <dimwittedmoose@CFU.NET>
Subject: Re: strange Clicking Noise from engine compartment (??)
In-Reply-To: <AANLkTimUTNuCwCWNpmSuwUvEIPeRByMe2WLUUbx-qG6Q@mail.gmail.c om>
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I think it's time for someone you trust to drive the van down a
prescribed driving route while you listen facing backwards hanging
over the rear bench seat with the engine cover off. Maybe not on the
freeway, but a semi-secluded stretch of road where no sudden stops or
swerves are likely. Sometimes using a 2-3' long hose can help you
isolate the sound by putting one end up near your ear. Be careful
not to get the hose or any loose clothing near the spinning
parts. If you have the Z bed, I guess things would fold down flat
for you if you choose.
I have no clue what the noise is, but your description was very good
and I understood the exact sound you were describing. The ultimate
irony would be if it was indeed a relay doing it's best fribrilation routine.
DM&FS
At 08:12 PM 6/12/2010, pickle vanagon wrote:
>So....
>for the past couple of days, pickle has been producing a very frustrating
>noise. It's a loud clicking sound, that, as far as we can tell, seems to be
>coming from the engine compartment area.
>
>When you hear it from the front, it sounds like it must be an interior part
>rattling. It doesn't click with any "rate", let alone a rate that
>corresponds at all to engine or wheel speed. This is why I rule out cv
>joints (which are brand new, and have no loose bolts---I just checked) and
>wheel bearings. Sometimes it "rattles" *very* quickly, other times
>intermittently. But again, no direct relation to any mechanical speed in
>the van. There is, however, a correlation between the noise and
>acceleration.
>
>But then when you sit in the back and look for it, it seems like its not
>coming from inside. I've looked all over, removed all sorts of interior
>items (and folded out the bed, etc), and it doesn't fix the noise. And,
>when you take the cushion out of the trunk, it sounds like the noise is
>coming from the engine bay.
>
>I also checked whether it could be exhaust headers hitting the engine
>support bar, and it doesn't look like it.
>
>Any suggestions as to what this could be? It sounds kind of like a large
>relay going on and off intermittently out of control. In any case, other
>than driving us nuts, it doesn't seem to have any impact on performance.
>
>I've spent some time under the van looking over everything for "loose ends",
>but to no avail.
>
>Any help would be greatly appreciated!!!
>
>-Wes
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