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Very loud screeching noise AND smoke on start up....

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ironryon

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leicester
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7th Gen Accord
Hi everyone

Can anyone help me understand what this problem is and advise if I should keep driving it/take it to a garage/scrap yard (only joking :) )

This morning on start up my Honda Accord 05 non face lift icdti on 140k had a very loud screeching noise coming from the engine bay!
I left the engine running for all of about 1 minute...or until I saw smoke coming out of the bonnet gaps on the drivers side.
I turned it off straight away, waited a minute and started it again and it began screeching again so turned it off. I opened the bonnet but everything looks ok...no belts have come off or look damaged.
The ac was turned off if that helps (read a bit about failing ac compressor clutches on the net) - the heating for the inside of the car was on but not ac...as far as Im aware.

I've been back out to the car approximately 1 n half hours after and it started fine and with no screeching or smoke....

Confused what it is and what to do next.... :wacko:
 
Had the engine been wet by any chance? Wet belts can screech for a while and a wet engine heating up can produce a lot of steam that will escape through bonnet vents.

If it was smoke it would have smelled like something - oil, coolant, burned plastic or tar..
 
All the warning lights gone out on the dash?
 
Hi Richard

The engine is dry...it rained last night but the bonnet was closed and appears dry on inspection.

It was definitely smoke - I was a bit alarmed by the noise and the smoke that I didnt go and inspect it enough at first to know what kind of smell it was. From the wiff I got it just smelt like a burning smell from where I was in thedrivers seat/door open.
 
Hi Matt

I didn't notice any warning lights on my dash..I think I would have if there were any.
I'll keep an eye out though next time.

Sorry - Just got what you meant...did they go out??...I think so.
 
Just wondering if a bearing on the alternator or aircon compressor could've failed?

Coolant level still correct in it?
 
Hi Matt

Coolant level checked...cant make it out on the side where it says MIN and MAX but when I opened the coolant lid I could see liquid just below the top - around where the MAX level is on the side.
 
Probably not water pump death then, as you'd expect that to have puked coolant everywhere?

If you run it up and it still screeches, you can always squirt a small amount to of wd40 on the ribbed side of the accessory belt.
If it shuts it up temporarily, that's your culprit.

With a ribbed belt, when it wears, you'll notice that the bottom of the vees on the pulley go shiny instead of the tapered sides of the vees.

If it is the accessory belt, and it hasn't had it done, it's worth doing the idler delete and going to a shorter belt as per the Honda revision.
There are a couple of threads on here about it somewhere.
 
The screech will be a slipping belt. Te smoke could have been from the belt where it was rubbing on whatever pulley is/was stuck.

Best bet is to remove the aux belt and spin everything, make sure everything that should spin, does.

As has been said the new aux belt is shorter than the old one, and takes a slightly different route round the pullies, as to take pressure off an idler and a few other pullies.

If it were me I'd take the car to get the belt replaced and the garage can check everything is moving as it should.
 
Thanks Matt

Thanks Simon

I've been out in it tonight and no screeches or smoking yet.

I'll take your advice Simon and get it down the local garage and advise them to check the belts and replace with new shorter one. :) :) :)
 
On a 52 Citroen van I used to drive, a screeching sound turned out to be a pulley bearing that had dried out grease under the seal and was about to fail completely. Noisy for the first minute of start up in the cold but too short to get under the bonnet to find it.
 
Took the car down to a local mechanics and they've just called to say they think its the AC compressor pump as its breaking up.
He said "they're £400 new and that it might last a week it might last a life time - hard to say".

What I was wondering is what damage will that cause if I just leave it and it breaks. Will it just stop the AC working?
 
Well if the compressor is locking up then it's not really drivable because it will shred the belt and you will lose everything.

One alternative is fit a shorter belt and temporarily take the AC compressor out of the circuit which I have done.

If you have also had the work done to remove the extra idler pulley then I can tell you the belt that fits.
 
Cheers Graham

Just collected the car. He hasnt done any work on it. He said the compressor isnt locking up - its breaking apart. He couldnt show me because it wasnt on the ramps anymore but he said about a rubber thats coming away that indicates its breaking up.

I asked him about the shorter belt alternative. He advised against it because "it could send something the wrong way"....He did agree though that its an option and it would take out the AC compressor entirely. He also said it will get louder and occur more often before it gives up.

I've seen on ebay used AC compressors for £40. Just need to check the belt prices to compare.

I'm a little bit confused why there was smoke from the engine bay the day I heard the screeching noise if its just the compressor breaking up rather than locking up....

Also confused what to do with the car now because casual driving its fine but when I gave it some stick last week the clutch was slipping badly at times. Maybe I'll be buying a lottery ticket this weekend :)
 
If you're gonna keep the car, for £40 it's worth getting a second hand compressor and then keeping the belts running where they should be.

I'd also definitely recommend getting the revised and shorter aux belt fitted. It's the first thing I did when I bought my tourer.
 
A shorter belt that bypasses the AC will not cause anything to "run the wrong way" as long as it's fitted correctly. I have been running with no compressor for a couple of months with no issues whatsoever.
 
Thanks both.

I'll get a used compressor and have it fitted...he said about £80 to fit so £120 all in.

I just found the instructions on the shorter revised belt so will get that done at the same time.

Thanks for all the help!!! Much appreciated.
 
I had a horrible noise no smoke though, found to be the alternator pulley, cure was a recon alternator and shorter belt option, noise all gone. But try the WD40 FIRST.
 
Saturday morning I got the screech again when I started the car. I turned the engine it off straight away, noticed that the "dual" heating green light on the dash was turned on. I turned the heating "Off" and started the car again. No screech sound. It might be a coincidence but it might also be something to do with the ac pump being on when I start the car unless I press the Off button.
 
If the heating is set on auto the air-con is activated.
 
Hi Ned - thanks I noticed that was the case when I first got the car so I always make its not on Auto unless I want the AC on.

Graham...that wouldnt surprise me as it seems to me that AC pump is on when I first turn the car on - that is, if the heating is on too.

AC pump ordered so all should be a distant memory soon :)
 
Latest and hopefully final update - I had the ebay purchased / used AC compressor pump fitted along with a new belt, also the AC was re-gassed so touch wood the problem is fixed. There has been no more screeching or smoke and the AC works very well. Noisy AC when it works (I think its a fan or maybe the pump I hear coming on and off) but it works well.

I think the mechanic had identified the problem correctly as he showed me the old AC pump and I saw the rubbers coming out of the insides. It didn't look very pretty. Also, while the problem existed I had the heating turned off all the time but on two occasions I risked it and turned on the heating (not AC just air flow to windows and feet) and both times I heard the screech noise until I quickly turned off the heating and the screech stopped straight away.

All being well the used AC pump will last a while. The mechanic said as I never use my AC that could be one of the reasons the old one corroded and broke.
 
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