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Ghost in the engine?

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MikeyH
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Ghost in the engine?

Post by MikeyH » Tue Oct 26, 2021 9:56 pm

Firstly, I absolutely love my Z4 so much that the wife keeps telling me to shut up going on about it or she’s leaving home :rofl: . However I know that Halloween :evil: is just around the corner but I have noticed a strange ghostly whhooooooo sound when I accelerate through the gears or sit still and gently rev the engine. I’ve read quite a few threads with talk of whining, has anyone found out what it is or is it a feature of the 2.2i engine?
Now, Sterling grey Z4 2.2 with cup holders, stubby aerial and sport seats. Roadsters ‘cause they’re great with the roof down.
Ford Anglia, Red Sprite, a few MG midgets, MGB Roadster and yellow Ford Capri, all gone many years now.
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PDJ
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Ghost in the engine?

Post by PDJ » Tue Oct 26, 2021 10:00 pm

MikeyH wrote: ↑Tue Oct 26, 2021 9:56 pm few threads with talk of whining
Leave your wife at home
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MikeyH
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Ghost in the engine?

Post by MikeyH » Tue Oct 26, 2021 10:01 pm

PDJ wrote: ↑Tue Oct 26, 2021 10:00 pm
MikeyH wrote: ↑Tue Oct 26, 2021 9:56 pm few threads with talk of whining
Leave your wife at home
nice one :rofl:
Now, Sterling grey Z4 2.2 with cup holders, stubby aerial and sport seats. Roadsters ‘cause they’re great with the roof down.
Ford Anglia, Red Sprite, a few MG midgets, MGB Roadster and yellow Ford Capri, all gone many years now.
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buzyg
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Ghost in the engine?

Post by buzyg » Wed Oct 27, 2021 1:59 am

PDJ wrote: ↑Tue Oct 26, 2021 10:00 pm
MikeyH wrote: ↑Tue Oct 26, 2021 9:56 pm few threads with talk of whining
Leave your wife at home
Or at least let her sit in the car, not sat in the engine bay. You could damage something that is clearly precious to you. :wink:
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enuff_zed
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Ghost in the engine?

Post by enuff_zed » Wed Oct 27, 2021 7:47 am

Have you checked the small concertina'd pipe on the inlet to the throttle body.
I had exactly the same kind of noise on the 3.0i I just brought home and found a hole in it.
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Ghost in the engine?

Post by MikeyH » Wed Oct 27, 2021 8:16 am

enuff_zed wrote: ↑Wed Oct 27, 2021 7:47 am Have you checked the small concertina'd pipe on the inlet to the throttle body.
I had exactly the same kind of noise on the 3.0i I just brought home and found a hole in it.
Thank you I will have a look today
Now, Sterling grey Z4 2.2 with cup holders, stubby aerial and sport seats. Roadsters ‘cause they’re great with the roof down.
Ford Anglia, Red Sprite, a few MG midgets, MGB Roadster and yellow Ford Capri, all gone many years now.
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Ghost in the engine?

Post by MikeyH » Sun Jul 31, 2022 10:42 am

I still have this noise and checked the concertina pipe and it was new. With the roof down it’s not as noticeable so have forgotten about it but yesterday I moved the car out of the driveway with roof up to unload luggage from my wife’s car and it was very noticeable. Quite loud. Could this be a pulley or drive belt, the water pump was changed by a previous owner. Has anyone who has this noise found out what it is. Would a K and N air filter be the problem? Thanks in advance.
Now, Sterling grey Z4 2.2 with cup holders, stubby aerial and sport seats. Roadsters ‘cause they’re great with the roof down.
Ford Anglia, Red Sprite, a few MG midgets, MGB Roadster and yellow Ford Capri, all gone many years now.
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Ghost in the engine?

Post by enuff_zed » Sun Jul 31, 2022 10:49 am

Can you get your wife to rev the engine while you have your head under the bonnet. Be helpful if you knew what area the noise was coming from.
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Ghost in the engine?

Post by patriot66 » Sun Jul 31, 2022 11:38 am

Some oil filter elements can make a peculiar loud noise. I did an oil change a few years back and used a K&N oil filter that made a right racket. Never had an issue since with Mann or Mahle filters :thumbsup:
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Ghost in the engine?

Post by MikeyH » Sun Jul 31, 2022 4:32 pm

Thank you enuff_zed and patriot66 for your replies, got the wife to rev the engine, although she got a bit carried away with it and had to ask her to calm down a bit, and the sound seems to be coming from the alternator area. The previous owner before the one that sold me the car had replaced the water pump but not the alternator. Could it be this do you think? This is the m54 2.2 engine by the way. :thumbsup:
Now, Sterling grey Z4 2.2 with cup holders, stubby aerial and sport seats. Roadsters ‘cause they’re great with the roof down.
Ford Anglia, Red Sprite, a few MG midgets, MGB Roadster and yellow Ford Capri, all gone many years now.
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Ghost in the engine?

Post by enuff_zed » Sun Jul 31, 2022 5:53 pm

Possibly the alternator, but there are also a couple of idler and tension pulleys in there which could be the issue, and hopefully a lot cheaper!
Can try carefully aiming a squirt of WD40 at the top idler pulley and see if it quietens down. Try to avoid covering the belt though.
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Ghost in the engine?

Post by MikeyH » Sun Jul 31, 2022 6:15 pm

Thank you enuff_zed, I give it a go tomorrow. :thumbsup:
Now, Sterling grey Z4 2.2 with cup holders, stubby aerial and sport seats. Roadsters ‘cause they’re great with the roof down.
Ford Anglia, Red Sprite, a few MG midgets, MGB Roadster and yellow Ford Capri, all gone many years now.
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Ghost in the engine?

Post by BumpyZ4 » Mon Aug 01, 2022 6:18 pm

patriot66 wrote: ↑Sun Jul 31, 2022 11:38 am Some oil filter elements can make a peculiar loud noise. I did an oil change a few years back and used a K&N oil filter that made a right racket. Never had an issue since with Mann or Mahle filters :thumbsup:
Agreed. Check the oil filter for collapsed pleats. They will make a hell of a whining noise.
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Ghost in the engine?

Post by MikeyH » Mon Aug 01, 2022 7:51 pm

Okay, I have carefully squirted some wd40 around the pulley at the top where the sound seems to come from but no difference. It's more of a whoooing noise like wind blowing through an open door or window rather than a whining noise.
Now, Sterling grey Z4 2.2 with cup holders, stubby aerial and sport seats. Roadsters ‘cause they’re great with the roof down.
Ford Anglia, Red Sprite, a few MG midgets, MGB Roadster and yellow Ford Capri, all gone many years now.
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Ghost in the engine?

Post by patriot66 » Mon Aug 01, 2022 9:30 pm

Get a decent oil filter and change it. Dead easy. If its stops whoooing then happy days. If not, are you able to jack up the front/drive it on ramps ? You can then remove the undertray and get much better access to the belts and all pulleys etc. You can pop the dust covers off the tensioners/idlers and locally spray some WD40/GT85 etc in each bearing and see if it quietens any. Alternatively, remove both belts and start the engine for a minute. If silent then it's definitely something on the main v-belt. You can then examine each bearing including waterpump and alternator in turn for roughness, play and wear etc. This is my M54 2.5i but your 2.2i will be the same :thumbsup:
20220208_112645.jpg
20220208_112645.jpg (156.5 KiB) Viewed 487 times
A = Air Con belt tensioner
B = Waterpump pulley
C = Alternator pulley
D = Upper idler pulley
E = Lower idler pulley
F = Tensioner pulley
Sterling Grey '03 2.5i SE / Infinitas Supercharger / S.M.G / Hardtop / Gloss Black 162s / Bilstein B4s / 3.0i Brakes / DLV De-Cat & Silencer / Rebuilt VANOS / Sonar 2Xcite Lights / Carbon & Alcantara Trim / M-Sport Seats / ...& Side Covers !
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