Sound Like A Water Pump?

[97tahoe]

Hello All-
I am hearing a winding noise on my '97 tahoe. The sound seems to directly relate to the engine speed (getting louder/faster as the rpm's increase.) I had the alternator checked at Auto Zone and it tested good but still wonder how accurate their tests were???

My other thought was the water pump. Can you guys give me a direction on what I might be able to do to test either the alternator or water pump or just what you think it might be.

thanks
P.S. My battery and temp gauges have not changed since this started so......

 

[car-15]

You posted in the wrong forum.

 

[fco_gonzo]

consider the ac compressor also.

If it was your alternator going bad you would have been left with no power and no warning. ( l lost my alternator about 15 miles from home in the middle of the night on a lonely strecth of Arizona Highway, kinda like the scence off a scary movie minus the naked hot chicks getting thier heads cut off)

You may want to have your friend rev the engine (hood open) while you attempt to locate the sound, without getting any body part or hair caught in the serpentine belt or any other moving part. I not a mechanic but I sleept at Holiday Inn Express last night.

 

[96ProCompTahoe]

i went through the same thing. replaced the alternator and tensioner pulley, but it turned out to be the fan clutch. when you shut the engine off, the belt stops turning almost immediatly, the fan ususally turns a few additional times on the clutch. have someone start it and warm it up and then watch/listen when they shut it off.

fan clutch set me back about $75. sort of a pain to get off as well. found a easy trick to get it off without the special tool that NO ONE carries:mad3: :cuss:

you can always pop the belt off and spin the alternator.

 

[97tahoe]

i went through the same thing. replaced the alternator and tensioner pulley, but it turned out to be the fan clutch. when you shut the engine off, the belt stops turning almost immediatly, the fan ususally turns a few additional times on the clutch. have someone start it and warm it up and then watch/listen when they shut it off.

fan clutch set me back about $75. sort of a pain to get off as well. found a easy trick to get it off without the special tool that NO ONE carries:mad3: :cuss:

you can always pop the belt off and spin the alternator.

96 procomp.....
Yeah that special tool is hard to find. Seems like everyone has the ford model but not the GM?????
So you are saying to watch after engine is warmed up and then shut off and fan should stop immediately if fan clutch is bad?

 

[96ProCompTahoe]

when you shut the engine off the belt / water pump will stop turning almost immediately, the fan will turn a couple more times whether the clutch is good or not. your just listening for the squeak to continue after the water pump stops turning.

 

[97tahoe]

So could I remove the belt and manually turn the fan?

 

[96ProCompTahoe]

you can manually turn the fan with the belt on.

 

[97tahoe]

Right but to bypass the other pulleys and gears in say the water pump or ac condensor if I disengaged the belt, I could better isolate where the sound was coming from. Does that make any sense or......

 

[qlc1964]

take a broom stick start the tahoe CAREFULLY watch the fan and put one
end on the water pump or any of the moving parts then put your ear on the

stick and listen you will hear the problem through the stick.
or you can buy a auto stesacope it does the same thing and a little safer.

 

[96ProCompTahoe]

i guess im not following what your saying.

you can take the belt off and spin them all free hand (if you can spin them fast enough for any of them to make noise) and you could try what i suggested, before you pull the belt off.

qlc hit it on the head, but check the fan clutch first since you can't stick the stick or stesascope on a spinning part.