HELP...Harmonic Balancer Bad???
Race Director
Joined: Jun 2005
Posts: 10,909
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From: Phila Suburbs 2023 C8 & 2013 650ix
Excessive wobble will cause the belt to chirp at idle. It's not a steady sound but a chirp, chirp, chirp, etc. Not sure how to describe yours but it doesn't sound like the chirp mine made when the flex coupling in the harmonic balancer failed. In the ideal world that balancer would run completely true and the ribs will look stationary with the engine idling. One of the problems, I learned, is that there is no limit/specification to define an out of tolerance measurement for balancer wobble.
You might want to try and electrically disable the alternator (because it's easy to do) and see if that causes any change to sound you are hearing. It might be an alternator bearing that is the problem.
Just throwing this out there but your noise sounds like an exhaust leak to me.
You might want to try and electrically disable the alternator (because it's easy to do) and see if that causes any change to sound you are hearing. It might be an alternator bearing that is the problem.
Just throwing this out there but your noise sounds like an exhaust leak to me.
Last edited by Walt White Coupe; Dec 28, 2008 at 02:14 PM.
Team Owner
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Le Mans Master
Joined: Feb 2007
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From: Currently somewhere in IL,IN,KY,TN,MO,AR,MS,AL, or FL
I HATE dealers. I DESPISE dealers. I'd rather have a root canal while my toenails were being pulled out with rusty pliers before I'd go to a dealer for ANYTHING. 
Get to a dealership quick. That has to be covered by warranty.
Get to a dealership quick. That has to be covered by warranty.
Racer
Joined: Jul 2007
Posts: 303
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From: Illinois
Sorry. You want helpfull. Take the belt off and start the car to better understand where the sound is coming from. Give the idiler a spin with the belt off. Then take it to the stealer with some knowledge of your own as to what may be wrong.
Team Owner
Joined: May 2005
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Don't start the car with the belt off!!!!
Advanced
Joined: Jul 2007
Posts: 52
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I think the Harmonic Balancer bolt problem goes well past the early 05's. I have a friend with a 07 and its been to the shop 2 times with the bolt backing out. I was with him the second time and it sounded a lot like your car.
