jmattley

Video here Hi everyone, my 2009 VRS CR manual is making a strange deep rumbly rattly noise when it’s under load between around 800-1100rpm. The car drives fine and behaves normally though. Also no error codes. Bit of background, it had a newish turbo (and full service) about 3 months ago and had a new upstream lambda sensor a couple of days back. It seemed to start making the noise at around the time I got a warning light for the O2 sensor, but obviously carried on after I swapped it and stopped getting error codes. I do most mechanical jobs myself. Oh it’s also not the intake cover in front of the grille. Any ideas?? Thanks!!

Update! So, I replaced the EGR cool pipe to EGR valve gasket, but before I did ran the engine with the bolts loosened slightly so there was a small gap around the gasket then also with the pipe fully disconnected from the valve. With a tiny gap, it still squeals. Slightly larger at around 2mm, the squealing stops, then fully disconnected it sounds like a tank but also no squealing. Changing the gasket did not stop the squeal. Since the squeal stops with the a slight gap, I’m feeling that it releases enough pressure in the pipe to stop a hole or gap elsewhere from passing gas at high enough speed to squeal. I think my next step should be to check gaskets at the other end of the pipe (but they’re are new annoyingly) and also maybe the pipe for splits. @MicMac, I’ll also use your hosepipe stethoscope idea to help narrow things down too.

From a quick google, sounds like it could be the egr cooler to egr valve pipe. I actually didn’t replace this gasket, so could be plausible.

So, update. Ran it without the drive belt. Still squeals. I guess it’s a boost leak! It honestly sounds exactly like a squealing belt. any ideas where to start?

This makes sense as it only squeals when the engine speed quickly increases. Gentle acceleration won’t do it. And it’s the same squeal sound I’ve experienced in the past with old belts, but they did it on startup like standard worn belts do.

I really should have done this the last 2 times I lifted it and took the belt off! I should probably check though. Hopefully it’s not the turbo making a squeal as I’ve just changed it and it’s pretty young (60k miles).

@J.R.Thanks! So how would a failed sprag clutch make the belt squeal? Would it be stuck permanently coupled or slipping occasionally?

No difference.

Just at driving speed. It’ll squeal when revved at stationary at around 2k rpm. When driving it only squeals when the engine speed increases. It doesn’t squeak under load unless it’s accelerating (correct gear selection etc). It’ll squeal if I coast and rev it (3k rev limiter at idle when the handbrake is on).

Hi all, On my CR170 VRS, I recently changed the turbo which involved the car not being driven for 3 weeks. Straight away on the first drive it developed a squeal. So, changed the drive belt, now it squeaks more! The alternator, AC pump and tensioner all spin freely and I also cleaned them with degreaser. The tensioner spring feels firm, so I would’ve thought it’s fine, but maybe it has to be super strong to not squeal? Any ideas why it could still be squealing? BTW, it’s an 09 plate so getting on a bit. cheers!

Evening all! So the turbo's died on my 2009 CEGA engined VRS and I'm planning on swapping it myself. I'm pretty handy with a spanner, but I've never changed a turbo on a FWD car. I've watched a few videos and read the Haynes and it seems doable. My only concern is getting access to the turbo from underneath with the car just on axle stands. I don't want to start tearing it to bits and get to the bolts underneath the turbo just to realise I can't reach them without it being on a ramp. Anyone done this before and have any advice? Thanks everyone!!!

UPDATE, is just started working again by itself. I think a cable must have got stuck in the nearly on position. I’ve barely driven it during the week lately since I’ve started cycling. Thanks all though!

Brill, thanks a lot! That’s my Sunday morning sorted.

Evening all! Leaving work earlier today, took the handbrake off and the all of a sudden the handle went all floppy! Previously the handbrake was well adjusted and worked well. It'll still hold the car, but it has to be pulled super high now. I feel like one of the cables may have snapped. I try to fix as much as I can myself, so does anyone have any pointers about diagnosing and repairing? Thanks!!

Exactly. You just get a strange look from the garage folk till you explain the entire situation haha.

Hi all, I’ve recently fixed my AC, maybe it’ll help someone. My 09 tdi cr vrs started blowing warm air, had it regassed, still no cool air (Kwikfit don’t charge if it’s still hot which was handy). So was likely the compressor as it held pressure but the engine note didn’t change when I turned the AC on. I also didn’t get any fault codes from my OBD11 app (great app btw). Did a bit of research and the common cheap and easy to fix failure modes of the compressor are the shear plate - not a clutch but it provides drive from the pulley to the compressor shaft and the compressor solenoid valve. These compressors don’t use a clutch, instead diverting the gas with said valve, so effectively acting as a switch. I inspected for the first potential issue by removing the drivers side front wheel and arch liner and checking if the drive shaft splines had stripped or not on the input shaft (I found some guides on YouTube how to check for this, dead easy to check). It wasn’t that, so ordered this valve https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/142899171603?mkcid=16&mkevt=1&mkrid=711-127632-2357-0&ssspo=Kg4_M3XrQxa&sssrc=2349624&ssuid=IG3wQ3dxQIC&var=&widget_ver=artemis&media=COPY. I did have to check the part number on the compressor and old valve first though as there’s a couple of different types, I’d recommend doing the same. It’s fairly easy to access under the car on your, you just need to lift the front and remove the under tray. The valve is secured with an internal Circlip that you need angles pliers for. I should point out that I asked a local garage to remove the gas for me and then regas it when I was done. I got this at a slightly cheaper rate as all the gas was still there so was only charged for labour. And hey presto it worked! Might be different for some, but it’s worth checking if you think your compressor is knackered. I’d like to point out that whilst I am a mechanical engineer, I just found it all on Google and YouTube so any DIY mechanic can do it. Hope this helps someone!