what is this vibration/fan/bearing noise I hear?

[DonaldLL]

Hello All,

I have an '06 Boxster (2.7L) 5 speed, a new purchase, for about 3 months (3500miles). I plan on taking it to the dealer for service but I wanted to hear your opinion(s) on what this noise might be. It only happens within the first 10 or 15 minutes of startup so the engine can be cold to somewhat warm but not at full Operating temp. Once the engine is up to temp the noise disappears. Sometimes it happens on acceleration but then other times it happens on deceleration. The sound is coming from just right between the seats just right behind the firewall at shoulder level. It sounds like a vibrating fan blade, or a scraping blade, or a vibrating bearing noise and it kind of cranks up for a couple/few of seconds then gone. It will do this several times on some (not all) accelerations/decelerations until the engine reaches a warm temperature then I don't hear it again until the next cold start.

Any ideas?

Thanks

Donald

[DonaldLL]

I received a response on another forum from a member of this forum (robcorn) and I think I have my answer. TSB# 1726 says it all. I also found a thread on the subject

http://www.renntech.org/forums/index.php?showtopic=8166

I have an appointment at the dealer next week. Strangely enough, when I spoke to the service dept, they did not know of any such problem! I gave them the TSB info so they could "look it up". This is not very comforting.

I just joined this forum and already it has been a benefit

Donald

[Westcoaster]

I read both this thread and the linked one, and neither fix seem to apply to the noise I hear in my car. I am not sure if it is related.

My car has 700km on it and I just noticed the noise yesterday, a bearing or metalic scraping noise that begins to be noticable at about 1500RPM and is engine speed related. I didn't notice this before and it happens when it is warm.

Could this be the same problem? I would have thought that a car as new as this would have the updated part talked about in the other thread?

****, the fact that the engine is such a bugger to get to prevents me from looking for some of these noises!

[DonaldLL]

Westcoaster,

I know what you mean. I have not done a visual inspection just because I guess I have gotten lazy AND I live in a condo and sorely miss my garage where I used to do my tinkering. I am not cerain that TSB 1726 describes the same noise I hear but it seems close enough and worth a try.

So yours does make the noise even when the engine is at full operating temp? That's different than mine. As for why updates are not installed when you purchase the car, that's a good question. I had to take mine back in to have the key programmed. The other key didn't work at all and the battery had to be replaced. While that was being done they made 2 additional "updates", one to the windstop and one other to add a shield to prevent rubbing against a hose. Why these things discussed/addressed before delivery of the vehicle, I don't know.

I'll take the Boxster in for the update tomorrow (12/27) and I'll post the results. The strange thing is that I have not heard the noise now for the last 4 or 5 days. It's just gone.....

[Westcoaster]

Westcoaster,

I know what you mean. I have not done a visual inspection just because I guess I have gotten lazy AND I live in a condo and sorely miss my garage where I used to do my tinkering. I am not cerain that TSB 1726 describes the same noise I hear but it seems close enough and worth a try.

So yours does make the noise even when the engine is at full operating temp? That's different than mine. As for why updates are not installed when you purchase the car, that's a good question. I had to take mine back in to have the key programmed. The other key didn't work at all and the battery had to be replaced. While that was being done they made 2 additional "updates", one to the windstop and one other to add a shield to prevent rubbing against a hose. Why these things discussed/addressed before delivery of the vehicle, I don't know.

I'll take the Boxster in for the update tomorrow (12/27) and I'll post the results. The strange thing is that I have not heard the noise now for the last 4 or 5 days. It's just gone.....

Yes, it makes the noise when warm, I would take the car in for them to look/listen but I don't have a lot of confidence in their diagnostic skills! Once took them 4 trys replacing 3 other parts before acting on my original suggestion that the clunk on my 2003 Boxster was a trailing arm, not the shock, bushing, bolts...

Please do let me know what they find, I might still have to crawl in their myself!

[05Boxster]

This noise is a very well known issue in the Boxster community. There is a TSB out there to fix it. I also had this noise and had the dealer fix it. It involves replacing a piston in the oil pump. The noise occurs right at 2100 rpms before the engine is up to normal operating temperature. Apparently, once the oil warms up the piston no longer makes the noise.

They installed the updated piston in the oil pump for me and the noise is 90% gone. I still get it occasionally but not nearly as bad..

[DonaldLL]

Well I took the Boxster in on Wednesday morning. And again, it did make the noise on warmup. I had already told the 'Service Advisor' what I had found out about the TSB 1726. He did not seem to know much about this. When I arrived at the dealer, I met the guy who was going to work on my car. He said he was aware of the problem and had seen this before... said it was not uncommon. He replaced the piston in the oil pump as recommended by TSB 1726. I picked up my car yesterday and the noise is gone. So far so good but I think that solved my problem.

They also fixed my whistling passenger side mirror too!. The same 'Service Advisor' said he had not heard anything about whistling mirrors. The service technician knew immediately what I was talking about and fixed it.

Westcoaster, maybe you ought to just tell them what you found on this forum (TSB1726) and tell them you'd like to have the part replaced. They can do their diagnostics but at least you'll have the modified piston installed. It might just take care of the problem

Donald

[Westcoaster]

Donald, you might be right, I plan to mention this to them the next time I am at the dealrship, too bad that on a car of the level we have to be the one searching out the repair actions!

It is great to have a forum for these things! :renntech:

[percymon]

Donald, you might be right, I plan to mention this to them the next time I am at the dealrship, too bad that on a car of the level we have to be the one searching out the repair actions!

It is great to have a forum for these things! :renntech:

i've not seen any reports of metallic buzzes or rasps at 1500rpm or anywhere close to that - it might be somethign as simple as a loose exhaust heat shield, which just happens to resonate at that frequency / rev range

[White987S]

Donald, you might be right, I plan to mention this to them the next time I am at the dealrship, too bad that on a car of the level we have to be the one searching out the repair actions!

It is great to have a forum for these things! :renntech:

Westcoaster, have them check for TSB #W574. This is for the washer on the exhaust bracket clamp. Maybe it is rattling.

[DonaldLL]

Yep, it could be any of the above. As for the noise, vibration, metallic, buzzing sound I heard.... it's gone! Mine was best described by TSB 1726. The only thing I'd say differently would be that I would not descibbe the noise as a screech. The noise was only during warm up. So Wescoaster maybe your problem is something else. Let us know what you find. And again, thanks to one of the members (Robcorn) for the info.

Edited December 31, 2006 by DonaldLL