Renault 4 making screeching noise

[RichardIRL]

There is a distinct noise coming from the engine of my Renault 4 when it is not accelerating.

Maybe screeching is a bad description, but it sounds like something is spinning and about to come off.

It goes away when the accelerator is let go.


Does anybody know what this might be?

 

[malcolm]

Is there any change when you depress the clutch? To test just tell the clutch it's doing a miserable job and you have thinking about replacing it for ages. :smile:

Failing that sounds like belts. Assuming they are all good and tight there's a fair chance the noise will be coming from the little wheel on the bottom belt tensioner. I'm sure there's a post somewhere where someone popped the bearing out and bought a replacement from a local bearing shop. Mine is on it's last legs and is chirping at idle. Waterpumps can sometimes get a bit squeaky sometimes when they are on their way out too. Removing the belts and spinning the waterpump and that idler wheel would be the way to check for stiffness.

 

[RichardIRL]

it definitely sounds like some kind of belt. It's a spinning sound

 

[angel]

I have noticed that with some aftermarket water pumps, what seems to be powder coating on the pulley is not friendly with the belt rubber and makes a slight hissing/screeching noise on idle that disappears when revs get higher. Is the noise on your car loud?

 

[RichardIRL]

It is very loud

 

[iancr900]

I once went to Scotland with my friend in his Vauxhall Chevette and the waterpump started to scream.It was so loud that when we were driving through villages,people more than 100m in front of us were turning around to see what the noise was.The manfold was blowing badly and the battery had stopped charging.AH the good old days.