4

4Bee4Bee

Well-Known Member
As the title says, just recently when starting from cold, I get a kind of medium pitched howling noise that is speed related for the first half a mile or so. Then it disappears until the. Ext time I start from cold.

It's not engine related, as I can coast in neutral and hear the howl/whine changing pitch with the decrease in speed.

Difficult to say where it's coming from.

I'm suspecting a wheel bearing when cold makes the noise? Does that sound like a reasonable guess? Or does anyone have any suggestions as to what else it could be?

Many thanks.
 
Nah, that's a different sort of whine, and doesn't go away. But you can learn to ignore it or turn the stereo up. The latter often causes the level of whine to increase though! So better to just ignore. (Although it has to be said can be quite an expensive whine)
 
Check oil levels in the gearbox, IRD and rear diff. If the oil is low, it'll take a bit of running to fully protect the components.
 
Thanks.

Rear diff is ok oil wise, as I have a slow leak, and keep it topped up, until I have the time to change the seals. (Which turned up last week from Rimmers).

I'll double check gearbox and IRD though. No obvious leaks around them, but worth checking the oil I put in them in the summer is still a good level.

I guess keep listening at the moment for it get worse, then increase the chance of locating it.

If it's still not obvious, I'll take the prop off, but that is a PiTA to get back on with a pit, and just one person.

These things never develop in the summer when it's warmer. No, they wait until the days are short dark and cold!

Thanks again, and I will update when I find the source.
 
Prop bearings can be very noisy in cold weather until they've warmed up if they're on their way out.
If it was a wheel bearing I wouldn't expect it to stop.
The only other thing I'd check is the front rear diff mount for perished rubber or movement.
Mike
 
Thanks for the suggestion about the FBH fan. Although it's a TD4, there is no FBH on my vehicle. I think at the time (2003) it was only fitted to the top spec models or as an extra.

BTW, when I say cold, I mean the car not having been driven for a few hours, not necessarily the ambient temperature. It still does it when we have a mild day here, not the brass monkeys of the past week or so.

When I'm back home after the weekend, I'll start to work my way through trying to eliminate the things people have suggested.
 
You'll probably have a PTC heater. Look in the engine bay on the left of the L fuse box. There should be 2 small box's, ones a relay and one, the outer one, has 3 30 amp fuses in it.
Mike
 
Yep, I think so too. For when you turn the blower on, in the dark you can see the headlamps dip slightly as the current starts to rush through those resistors when starting from cold. I believe the PTC was standard on all the TD4s that didn't have the Fuel Burning Heater fitted, which mine definitely does not have. (Still it means I have the space to fit some in bumper fog lights :) ... it's a pre-facelift so space it tight with models that have the FBH.
 
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