Hello all,

My car engine is making some weird noise when I put the key in the ignition mode.

When in park or neutral, I can hear noise in the cabin. I opened the hood and without starting the car I can hear the noise coming from engine somewhat close to the center.

Can anybody please tell/ suggest me the possible causes? Can I drive the car to the repair shop? Anything I can check/ do to stop this noise if this is serious?

Thanks.

 

Throttle assys make a 'whining' noise when powered up. It is NORMAL for the throttle to make some noise 'key-on, engine-off'.
Other than that, I don't have any answers.

bob gauff

 

Early on when I had had the car about 18 months, I noticed a slight whining noise when the engine was running, and the car was stationary. An air con service cured it and it has never recurred. I think it was the air con compressor and the gas was a bit low. There is, of course, the air suspension compressor but that only runs when it needs to for up to 2 minutes.

However, you haven't said what the noise sounds like.

 

Hello Motorcarman, Thanks for reply. I get this noise all the time I drive. I never used to listen such high noise in the cabin.

Hello Fraser, Thanks for reply. The air conditioner might be a possibility as the car was not cooling as it should be for last summer. The buzzing/whining noise starts as I put the car in the ignition mode. I tried switching the air con off but sound stayed. Did you found similar phenomena?

Thanks.

 

If it's loud and occurs with key off but in ignition with engine off it should be very easy to find. First it's safe (nothing moving) and second most things are not powered. Just go round listening. Solid rod (screw driver / etc) pressed against suspect area and bone next your ear.

 

It's difficult to think what is powered-up when the key is in the ignition switch, but the engine has not yet been started.

From your post, I understand the noise starts when you turn the key to ignition-on, but don't start the engine. Normally if the climate control is on, the fan will start to run, and the radio or CD if on when last switched-off will come on and start playing.

What I'm not sure, is if the auxiliary coolant pump comes on then or not, my Technical Notes is silent on this. These pumps are fitted on the V8 models, my own car doesn't have one as it's a V6

By opening the door and inserting the key, the air suspension will go into Preliminary mode, but apart from levelling the vehicle using the air in the compressor, nothing else comes on, the compressor is not used at this stage.

 

Listen around the ABS pump, if they start to go they can run a long time or continually. There is usually a bulb with a bladder that is pressurized. If it looses pressure the pump runs and runs. Thats just one thing that buzzes.
Now at least we know what kind of noise your talking about. Your looking for a buzz.
As the others have said, this should be very easy to locate with the engine NOT running.