Insight on chirp but only when warm
Thread Starter
Cruising
Joined: Jun 2018
Posts: 12
Likes: 1
Insight on chirp but only when warm
Hi all.
Sorry to start another engine chirping thread, but I've searched here and google several times and most refer to cold start problems. I've got a 2011 Grand Sport with less than 30k miles on it that only chirps when the engine is warm. Chirping starts after the car comes up to temp and starts intermittently, then progresses to a full flock of birds. Noise increases with throttle and is rhythmic. I thought it was belt related, and did all the right diagnosing, but I did it all with the engine cold, when the car doesn't chirp anyway. I haven't pulled the belt with the car hot, but I'll give that a shot. Wanted to ask here for more input before I dig too deep though.
Because I diagnosed with the engine cold, I did a bit of replacing and can rule out idler, tensioner, A/C idler and both belts. I'm thinking the water pump may be suspect, the sound definitely seems like its coming from the driver's side and outside the engine.
Sorry to start another engine chirping thread, but I've searched here and google several times and most refer to cold start problems. I've got a 2011 Grand Sport with less than 30k miles on it that only chirps when the engine is warm. Chirping starts after the car comes up to temp and starts intermittently, then progresses to a full flock of birds. Noise increases with throttle and is rhythmic. I thought it was belt related, and did all the right diagnosing, but I did it all with the engine cold, when the car doesn't chirp anyway. I haven't pulled the belt with the car hot, but I'll give that a shot. Wanted to ask here for more input before I dig too deep though.
Because I diagnosed with the engine cold, I did a bit of replacing and can rule out idler, tensioner, A/C idler and both belts. I'm thinking the water pump may be suspect, the sound definitely seems like its coming from the driver's side and outside the engine.
Racer
Joined: Feb 2018
Posts: 311
Likes: 270
From: San Diego CA
2021 C6 of the Year Finalist - Unmodified
My 2011 GS started chirping last werk. 25000 miles. Checked the run out on the HB and it was .055". Need to figure out what after market HB to buy. Standard or 25% under drive. The car is not tracked, street driven only. Any recommendations?
Safety Car
Joined: May 2011
Posts: 3,807
Likes: 508
From: Oshawa, Ontario
stick with standard size hb.these cars already have enough issues with charging system.you cant go wrong with an ATI hb.
Former Vendor
Joined: Feb 2012
Posts: 26,512
Likes: 351
From: ST. CHARLES IL
It could also be something as simply as a idler pulley. Doesn't hurt to hit them with some WD40 every now and again while you check out the balancer. Sometimes you get lucky and find a cheap fix.
If anyone needs a balancer we carry ATI and IW balancers in standard and under drive sizes.
If anyone needs a balancer we carry ATI and IW balancers in standard and under drive sizes.
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Thread Starter
Cruising
Joined: Jun 2018
Posts: 12
Likes: 1
Found it
Hey all, just an update. I had given up and took the car to a dealership where they replaced the ac tensioner and apparently never test drove it, took me all of 3 miles to make it chirp again, so I decided to dig deeper. Someone had worked on the car at some point and the power steering pump got covered in silicone sealant which filled the grooves of the pulley. I wire brushed it to clean out the grooves and threw a new belt on it (just to be safe) and no more birds.