Tensioner pulley noise

[Martin77]

Hi there,
I think my belt tensioner pulley is going bad (making squealing noise first few hundred meters and then disappear). Do you think it is wise to replace both the tensioner and pulley system or should I just replace the pulley. It is the original tensioner and done approx 140k km.

I can also hear a faint chirp/tick which I can hear driving at low rpm (1500). Is this common with our accord euro?

[jjman]

it might just be the belt that needs replacing. if it is the original then this is most likely.
Put the fresh belt (easy enough to do yourself) on and see if the noise has gone away. if not then do the tensioner as this also might be getting on due to the age...

[Jasemas]

Not uncommon for the tensioners to go at this age

[Martin77]

Thanks.
The belt is relatively new. It's a 12 months old Bando belt.
I have done some you tube search and replacing the tensioner doesn't look very easy. I bought a bearing online for the pulley yesterday. I hope this will fix it.

[Hondarally]

Belt might be loose. If it's been replaced it might have been a little on the loose side and as its worn in it's loosened up a bit. The chirp is probably a/c cutting in.

Try tighten the belt first to see if that fixes it. If not then look at the tensioner bearing.

Also see if you can use a long screwdriver as a stethoscope against the tensioner (close to the bearing ) to see if it's making noise
More likely to be a rumbling noise than a squeal.

[Martin77]

Thanks for this.
I use Bando 7pk1755 for the 2005 accord euro with stock pulleys. Something I noticed this morning is that the tensioner pulley has specs on it. I should have cleaned it 12 months ago when I replaced the belt. I tried to scrape a little of it and it feels like belt residue.
Our accord uses an auto tensioner but I am not sure how to read it. Can anyone tell me how to read this? Is mine ok?
30082

[Fredoops]

It looks fine

As long as between the bit that "pops out" and the bit that "dips in"

Pops out = too long
Dips in = too short

[Martin77]

Thanks Fred.
I hope it's the tensioner pulley bearing that is making the noise. I started it co!d yesterday and with the bonnet open, the sound starts a few second after it got started and slowly disappeared after 20 seconds.
I bought a 6203 c3 bearing and I hope it's the right one. I'll try to replace it on the weekend.

[Fredoops]

I ended up just buying a while stensioner unit from gates.
. Didn't end up having to use it tho

[Martin77]

Hmm....
I replaced the tensioner pulley bearing and the noise is still there. It only happened when starting from cold but the noise doesn't start straight away. It does it after 5 seconds after starting and disappears after 30 seconds or so. It's not a rattle and more of a screech rather than a squeal.
I looked deeply and the only thing that has a slight wobble was the water pump. When I took the belt off again I felt the pump pulley and it does have a little play. This is an after market water pump (repco branded) and I was told by the original owner that it was just replaced before I bought the car (ie done about 40k km now). It's hard getting a screwdriver /stethoscope in there as there is not alot of space and a lot of moving parts.
Does a power steering pump exhibit this behavior? Pulley feels tight.

[Fredoops]

Yes. PS is the most common failure point after the tensioner

[Martin77]

Thanks Fred.
Can it be repaired with this seal kit below plus bearing? What else do we need?
http://www.rockauto.com/en/moreinfo.php?pk=3818211&cc=1430830&jsn=8

[Hondarally]

Power steer pump makes more of a whine - a bit like a blower sound. It should get louder as it loads up when turning the wheel. What's the fluid look like? If you're convinced its the ps pump, try flushing the fluid to see if that makes a difference.

Also where did you get the rebuild kit? Is there a vehicle guide anywhere? All my suppliers only want to sell me an overhauled pump.

[beeza]

It's not easy to find,I was going through this but did an engine swap so problem is gone..

I replaced ps pump,ps and alt belt,changed ps fluid, bought an auto stethoscope and sounded like it was coming from the 4 yr old water pump but still wasn't sure! I've had the tensioner pulley go and it was a loud bearing failure noise. This sound was more a low hum electrical noise that was there some days and not others. So annoying because you know if not fixed it can cause more problems.

I have an occasional thrust bearing noise now so meh ;) New heavy duty clutch so bearing probably just needs re-greasing and refitted.

I would take it to a reputable mechanic to diagnose.

[Martin77]

Thanks for that.
No, the whine is not related to the steering mechanism and the fluid looks clear and not aerated. I replaced the fluid about 12 months ago.
I ordered a few things today (belt, water pump and steering pump seal kit) and hope one of them will fix it.
You can buy the kit from ebay ($68+$15 postage) but I bought mine from RockAuto.com and that costed me $42 delivered (sure, it won't be here straight away). Does anyone knows exactly the cause of the power steering whine. Is it the o rings? Is it worth applying thin vacuum/silicone grease to enhance the seal?

[Fredoops]

There's an o ring that needs replacing. Where the PS hose meets the pump.

Google it there's YouTube video about thaf

Otherwise pump bearing

[beeza]

Great price Martin. I just read somewhere that honda changed the compound of that O ring seal so it should be fine now.Noise is bearing whine.

[Martin77]

Thanks Fred and Brett.
I will have a look at a new bearing. I'm pretty sure when I looked a few days ago, the original bearing is NTN 6203 LU. If this is right, LU (instead of LLU) contains only one seal (the other side inside the pump does not have the rubber seal). Is it better to replace it with a traditional bearing with seals on both sides to keep the grease contained?