demigod

My car started making a loud squeaky sound when I was driving. It's coming from one of the pulleys on the motor.. I sprayed some grease in the top left pulley bearing and it went away while it was in the driveway, but I didn't drive it after so I don't know if it's gone for sure. Also the check engine light came on the same day that the sounds started happening. I didn't drive the car today but tomorrow I will be taking it in to have it looked at. I made a vid and posted it on youtube ..anyone know what it is? TIA!

Link:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HgOgGQSONv8

Rareamg

Hopefully it's nothing major.. Goodluck.

Zeppelin

If you are still under warranty then I would take it to the dealer. If you are out then take it somewhere else. The dealer will probably say you need a new supercharger when it is a $25 bearing or a $80 pulley.

moorfan

My opinion is almost certainly a bearing issue, whether it be on the tensioner pulley or the supercharger pulley. These just need replacing. Don't fall for the new supercharger bit.

Regards,
Pete

demigod

Thanks for the help guys.

It sounds like it is the tensioner pulley, after I sprayed it yesterday the sound went away. The check engine light did come on though.. Can someone tell me where the OBDII plug is at?

demigod

Not relating to the tensioner pulley. The check engine Cel Code for the problem is: P0422 - Main Catalyst Below Threshold(Bank 1).

I'm thinking it's maybe a bad 02 sensor, catalaytic, or an air leak in the intake.. Anyone come across this code before? Checked intake and seems fine.. I erased the code and I'll wait to see if it comes back again..

Code3 Performance

I just started getting some squeeking from my upper idler pulley. If I can find a bearing that fits, I will replace it myself. It sound comes and goes as well.

demigod

How hard is this to do? Is there a writeup on it somewhere?

Code3 Performance

The upper idler pulley comes off with one bolt. The bearing will be a piece of cake to replace. I doubt you need a press for it even.

demigod

Nice! Thanks for the info.

RRxGrasshopper

Anyone have a part number for that bearing? I just changed my supercharger bearing and would like to change this one as well.

Code3 Performance

I was going to pull the bearing out and measure it.

demigod

I guess the dealer said they will take care of it for me after we cleared some stuff up about the extended warranty. Now they can assess my problem with the Cel code also..

I'm taking the car into the dealer tomorrow morning. I'll see about getting the part number for the bearing if you guys want.

demigod

Sorry guys I didn't get the part number.. Dealer didn't even fix anything and to boot they scratched the car. I was worried leaving it there when my gf said she saw other cars being scraped going into the service center..I even warned them before hand about it.. bahh

Stomlo

Dude, i encountered EXACTLY the same squeak when i started up this morning. Comes and goes, but never gets louder or softer. Its just there. Hard to isolate it where it is coming from, but my guess it the upper idler pulley.

Did you get an answer out of the dealer as to the cause? When i stop by the dealer (i want it to be noisy when i do so - so i can demonstrate), i want to be able to be able to tell them to think again if they want to replace the whole S/C when its just a pulley or bearing.

Code3 Performance

If you hear the squeaking, pop the hood and listen. It should be easy to hear it if its coming from the upper idler. Mine is clear as day.

boohooramblers

Get yourself a length of garden hose (~18") and listen through it - works great for isolating/pinpointing sounds. Be careful though - don't let it catch pulleys/belts/fans!

Stomlo

Yup, did - it definitely coming from upper, center of the engine. Cant isolate if it is the upper pulley or just behind it, but its that region.

Question is does a squeak = bearing or belt I was hoping it would make a noise this morning, so i could stop by the stealer, but it was as quiet as the woods at night.

FrankW

most likely the bearing. how can the belt itself make any noise.

Stomlo

Took it to the dealer, noise stopped 2 blocks from their door. Booked it in tomorrow.

Feel like i am being led to my execution.

demigod

I hope you didn't take it to Downtown Mercedes in L.A... They scratched my car and denied it with all these stories and to top it off ..were rude to my gf and I. I even have pictures of the car with the scratch when I was picking it up in their service bay..and they did a "walk around" on paper before they took it in which even said no scratches. Worst service ever in my entire life!! Service Dept over there is the epitome of trash...

Stomlo

Aint no L.A. in South Africa

FrankW

the idler bearing if it's the same as the one just below it than I may have an extra. I was told by zeppelin that they should be the same bearing.

Stomlo

Got the report back from merc, after leaving the car with them overnight to cold start it:

- Squeak is a result of worn bearings in the supercharger, water pump and alternator pulleys (think they said the last one was the alt. cant recall now )
- Last week then towed in a c32 that hadnt heeded the warnings and had to replace the kompressor and water pump (things were looking a bit bleak now)
- They have bearing kits! They are replacing all 3 bearings and rings, with motorplan, my portion comes to $825.

Sure, its a lot to pay, but a whole lot less that i was expecting. Given it is three that require replacing, it would be a mission of a DIY job given the location of the waterpump and 3rd pulley.

Stomlo

Basically, i am glad i didnt do a DIY on the kompressor bearing. Looks like I caught big problems early, and got off acceptably:

Replaced kompressor bearing flange
Replaced kompressor pulley
Replaced water pump and pulley
Replaced water pump pulley tensioner
Replaced idler pullet and pulley tensioner
Replaced driver belt
Replaced anti-freeze and pressure check done

Total bill was $825 under motorplan.