As the title states I am having trouble diagnosing a noise whcih dead set sounds like one of those bloody noisy minor birds, Chick, Chick Chick and only when motor has been running for a while in normal driving conditions. Doesn,t do it on start up only after 10 minutes or sowhen everthing is fully warmed up. Even then if you stop the motor for 5 minutes and re start it while still hot it,s gone and then will come back again. I have removed the A/C belt and cleaned it, it had what looked like sand granules in the grooves which I thought may habe been the cause of the noise but it is still doing it.
I am starting to think it may not be belt/pulley related and is coming from the cam cover area around the timing belt which isn,t due for a change for another 40000kms.
Any ideas guys ?
Majordad

As the title states I am having trouble diagnosing a noise whcih dead set sounds like one of those bloody noisy minor birds, Chick, Chick Chick and only when motor has been running for a while in normal driving conditions. Doesn,t do it on start up only after 10 minutes or sowhen everthing is fully warmed up. Even then if you stop the motor for 5 minutes and re start it while still hot it,s gone and then will come back again. I have removed the A/C belt and cleaned it, it had what looked like sand granules in the grooves which I thought may habe been the cause of the noise but it is still doing it.
I am starting to think it may not be belt/pulley related and is coming from the cam cover area around the timing belt which isn,t due for a change for another 40000kms.
Any ideas guys ?
Majordad

get a long screwdriver and place it firmly on a pulley mount (where a pulley is bolted into the engine NOT on the pulley itself. lol) on the engine with it running. put your ear on the end of it and listen. just go around and check all the pulley mounts in this same way.if you can hear a noise through the screwdriver, you've got the problem. replace.

EDIT-if yu don't want t replace it, whack some WD-40 on it and see how it goes.

the plastic covers of the timing belt held on but 10 mm nuts do come loose

the bottom plastic one often hits on the crank pully an wears it through

gives the noise you describe

the drive belts too loose

bearing on the alternator/waterpump ?

a cracked exhaust manifold

leaking exhaust joint gasket

Magna Buff,
I believe you theory re the bottom Cam belt cover may be spot on. Can,t see the bottom without major shroud removal but a visual from the top mit the lead light indicates some possible rubbing going on around the top of the crank pulley. It,s touching for sure and probably more so when things heat up and expand which would explain anooying noise. I,ll spend an hour or so on the weekend and remove the plastic shrouds to have a good look, might have to cut a wee piece away to alleviate the problem.

Thanks for your input.

Majordad