Was in an accident and my serpentine belt got frayed and was replaced. Got the car back, it rides perfect, but at low idle, I hear a slight noise that was never there before. It's like a low whirrrr sound. It only happens when the idle is low, but it's buggin me, as I hear it in the garage, or anytime I'm next to a wall idling. Anyone have any ideas???

I have a friend that hosted this vid for me:

Video I made of belt noise/whirrr at idle

As I rev the idle UP, it goes away, but at low idle you can hear it.,

EDIT, here are pics after the the accident before the car was repaired in that area:

 

Sounds like a bad pulley bearing. I've had a pulley bearing freeze on another car...the pulley shattered sending a shard into the radiator plus cut the belt.

 

Cool, so it could be any of the pulleys? How would you describe that sound in the video? I'm glad you heard it, it's slight, but wasn't there before.

 

Ok, well, brought the car to the Honda dealer, (car was fixed by body shop, not honda), and Honda said they ran the car with the serpentine belt OFF for a minute and the noise went away 100%.

They spun the idler pullery and tensioner I think they said, and listened with a stethiscope, or whatever you call and and heard noise from these two pulleys. They gave me these part #'s:

31180-PCX-003

31190-PCX-000

Now, I can tell you 110% that his noise was not there before the accident, but the dealer says there is no way to know if it came form the accident, so my insurance says they can't cover it.

I thought I read if you removed the belt and the noise went away, that is could just need another new belt?

Advice?

 

Tell your insurance to suck it and pay up. Thats what they're there for. Arent they supposed to prove it WASnt because of the accident?

And no, when the noise goes away its just cuz the pulleys are no longer spinning - the pulleys spin cuz the belt turns them from the crank pulley.

 

Well, I talked to my adjuster, even spoke with his supervisor, and they said they will not pay for the two pulleys and the labor. They said there is no proof that they went bad from the accident. The pulleys are sealed units and can't be taken apart, and insurance said they'd have to see marks on them, etc, which the dealer can't find. All I know is, the car never made this noise before the accident, and I can't really prove it, since the parts are sealed, etc.

 

Get rid of that cheap ace company, i dont drive my much 2002 s2000, bought new current 25k miles, just got $22000 in stated value insurance from hagerty, they insure my vette so not sure if you have to have classic with them to insure a newer car, rates the s2000 as low production , for $571 a yrs no deductable, if this car gets totaled i wont worry about being low balled by a half ace adjuster from hartford, they insure our dailey drivers.

 

Ok, well, two new pulleys are on from the Honda dealer, and the noise is still there. The dealer isn't charging for the new pulleys, which is nice of them, since the noise didn't go away. They think the only thing left could be the water pump pulley (and they suggest replacing the water pump at the same time, since all the labor to get to the pulley would made sense to probably replace both) or the alternator could be the noise. You can't just but a new alternatory pulley it seems, you have to get a whole new alternator to get the pulley on it it seems?

Video I made of belt noise/whirrr at idle

As I rev the idle UP, it goes away, but at low idle you can hear it

Anyone else have any suggestions? This noise never existed before the accident, and not sure how I would ever get insurance to pay for this if the dealer can't determine if it was from the accident? I made just have to pay out of pocket.

 

Ok, latest update. Dealer just called me, they replaced the alternator and alternator pulley, and sound is still there. They are not charging me and are putting my old alternator back in.

The tech is saying it has to be the waterpump, or waterpump pulley. As everything else have been tried. BUT, if they put a new waterpump in, $350 installed, and it doesn't fix it, I have to pay for it, because they can't remove it and re-use it, since it will be lubricated and running water through it.. The waterpump "pulley" is on backorder for 3 more weeks, and that is only $50 to replace, but I really don't want to keep bringing the car back. Not sure if it could be waterpump pulley or waterpump.

Again, here is the noise.

Video I made of belt noise/whirrr at idle

Again, this noise wasn't there before the accident.

 

man it sucks that your honda dealership is full of part changers and not one single "mechanic"