Car Alternator making awful buzzing sound

Jamesy_Baby · 12-12-2012 6:59pm #1

Hi guys. Have a peugeot 1007 and back in August I started hearing this awful buzzing kind of sound from the engine area of the car. Let my father-in-law (who was a mechanic back in the day) have a listen to it and he felt it was the alternator. Brought it to a garage and they replaced the alternator and the problem was gone. Unfortunately I started hearing the same damn noise again last week and since it's gotten gradually worse. I turn the radio up higher just to drown out the sound of it and I can still hear it :mad:
Should an alternator deteriorate so quickly or is it something I'm doing that's making it wear out? Hope you guys can help or if anyone else has had a similar problem?

anthony4335 · 12-12-2012 7:17pm

No, But it may not be the alternator this time. If it is it should be under warranty as should be the labor if it is under 12 months.

Jamesy_Baby · 12-12-2012 7:21pm

Thanks Anthony. Yeah I'll just have to bring it back to the garage. It was only 4 months ago it was repaired so it'll be covered.

bobin fudge · 12-12-2012 7:38pm

try posting in the motoring section under motors, plenty of mechanics on there that could help you on the issue

Jamesy_Baby · 12-12-2012 7:52pm

Will do mate thanks.

Mr Simpson · 12-12-2012 7:57pm

Moved to motors

franksm · 13-12-2012 10:59am

Could be the starter motor, sticky solenoid. If it fails in the slightly-open position you might get a mechanical buzz between the flywheel and the starter motor, or possibly an electrical buzz within the solenoid.

I wouldn't suggest you give the starter a knock with a hammer or bit of wood, but that's the old skool method of seeing if it is jammed or whatnot ;-)

Quite a few engine fires have been the result of a jammed starter though, so hope you get an answer either way soon

Jamesy_Baby · 13-12-2012 11:37am

Thanks Frank. I'll have a look into that. I think the job the garage done on it the last time might still be under warranty as it was only about 4 months ago. Do ya reckon they'd have to look at it again free of charge?

franksm · 13-12-2012 11:47am

Yeah, although I would plead ignorance and bring it to them and just say that the alternator they supplied hasn't fixed the buzzing noise.

Could be something else of course, there's lots of spinning things on the front of the engine (pulleys, tensioners etc) that may well be clicking. If it's still making noise when you bring it to them, they'll hopefully do a better job of detecting it.

A while ago, the rattle I had from the top of my engine actually turned out to be a failed catalyst - on the opposite end of the engine! The internals were breaking up and rattling, but it was only perserverance that found the root cause, it sounded really like it was the top of the engine.

Car Alternator making awful buzzing sound

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