2019 R, possible oil pump noise.

[Alain]

Ok guys, here we go. Car has 1500 miles on it. It had been sitting for about 3 weeks, started it and drove to the gym (35 minute drive).
was cold (60 degrees) so I took it easy l, as I always do, until the oil gets to 190 degrees

car drove fine. After the gym, I went to Home Depot, a 10 minute drive, car drove fine. From Home Depot I went across the highway to another store (5 minute drive). When I got there I left the car running and went Inside. I was inside for about 10 minutes. I came out and the car was making this noise.

sounds like it was coming from the driver side, towards the lower portion of the engine bay.

i didnt smell anything weird, the oil pressure was normal at idle (33-35 PSI) the heat gauge was normal.
I shut it off, restarted it and the noise was gone. left the store and listened for weird noises, nothing. Car drove fine, I got on it hard on the way home, drove just fine.

I am baffled, hoping someone on here has come across a similar scenario and can shed some light on this.
oil level as dropped since I changed the oil at 500 miles, it went from full on the dipstick to just a little below half in 1000 miles. i wasn’t concerned about it until now.
I really don’t want to bring it to the dealership unless I absolutely have to.
thank you for your input fellers.

does this sound like a bad oil pump ? That is my concern, I find it hard to believe that one of the belts is making this noise.

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[Alain]

my current plan is to stop by the dealership tomorrow, show them the video and have them change the oil and inspect it for metal shavings.

 

[GreenS550]

Sounds like a good idea. You must still be under warranty?

 

[JAJ]

Ok guys, here we go. Car has 1500 miles on it. It had been sitting for about 3 weeks, started it and drove to the gym (35 minute drive).
was cold (60 degrees) so I took it easy l, as I always do, until the oil gets to 190 degrees

car drove fine. After the gym, I went to Home Depot, a 10 minute drive, car drove fine. From Home Depot I went across the highway to another store (5 minute drive). When I got there I left the car running and went Inside. I was inside for about 10 minutes. I came out and the car was making this noise.

sounds like it was coming from the driver side, towards the lower portion of the engine bay.

i didnt smell anything weird, the oil pressure was normal at idle (33-35 PSI) the heat gauge was normal.
I shut it off, restarted it and the noise was gone. left the store and listened for weird noises, nothing. Car drove fine, I got on it hard on the way home, drove just fine.

I am baffled, hoping someone on here has come across a similar scenario and can shed some light on this.
oil level as dropped since I changed the oil at 500 miles, it went from full on the dipstick to just a little below half in 1000 miles. i wasn’t concerned about it until now.
I really don’t want to bring it to the dealership unless I absolutely have to.
thank you for your input fellers.

does this sound like a bad oil pump ? That is my concern, I find it hard to believe that one of the belts is making this noise.

I don't think that the oil pump has the ability to make a noise like that - it has no bearings in it, and the noise sounds like a failing bearing to me.

If I had to guess, I'd say it's the AC compressor making the noise. Right place, right noise.

 

[GreenS550]

I don't think that the oil pump has the ability to make a noise like that - it has no bearings in it, and the noise sounds like a failing bearing to me.

If I had to guess, I'd say it's the AC compressor making the noise. Right place, right noise.

Yes, makes sense. In my '18 5.0 the alternator is on the DR side low. Similar type of sound. If so, they won't have to crack the engine.

 

[Alain]

The noise seemed to be coming right from where the alternator is located. I have to confess, I went into a panic when I came out of the store and heard the car making that noise.

I quickly took the video to document it and turned the car off before really looking into where the noise was coming from. as you can see in the video, the noise seems more pronounced when I put the phone next to the driver‘s side front wheel.

I agree that it sounds like a failing bearing of some sort. I am praying that it’s the alternator. The alternator is right there.

the AC compressor is on the opposite side of the motor So I dont think it’s that.

what concerns me is that when I researched ”failing oil pump” some of the results said the motor would make ”a loud whining or whirring sound”. That is exactly what I’m hearing here............ or am I wrong?

 

[Alain]

Would an alternator make that noise if the car is not being used enough?

i Bought thw car brand new last September. Yes, I’m still under warranty but im the kind of guy that doesnt want the dealership touching my car unless they absolutely have to.

 

[JAJ]

Would an alternator make that noise if the car is not being used enough?

i Bought thw car brand new last September. Yes, I’m still under warranty but im the kind of guy that doesnt want the dealership touching my car unless they absolutely have to.

Sorry! For some reason I had the impression the noise was on the pax side, but if it's driver's side, then it's either the idler pulley, the belt tensioner or the alternator. That's what the sound reminds me of - my daughter's Focus just had the tensioner replaced for just that kind of sound.

Here's the belt path, with the candidates being 2, 7 or 8:

 

[GreenS550]

I have an easy way for you to check this out. Get yourself a 15 mm socket and take the belt off . All you have to do to get the belt off is release tension on the tensioner with a breaker bar and a 15 mm socket. once you take the belt off start the car up and see if the noise is still going on . The oil pump would be turning but the alternator wouldn't. On the 5.0, the air conditioning belt is a separate belt. So it's easy just to take your big serpentine off and then start the car up and see what happens.

 

[honeybadger]

I have an easy way for you to check this out. Get yourself a 15 mm socket and take the belt off . All you have to do to get the belt off is release tension on the tensioner with a breaker bar and a 15 mm socket. once you take the belt off start the car up and see if the noise is still going on . The oil pump would be turning but the alternator wouldn't. On the 5.0, the air conditioning belt is a separate belt. So it's easy just to take your big serpentine off and then start the car up and see what happens.

This is good advice. I diagnosed a bad water pump this way. And agreed with the other. Definitely not the oil pump - that’s at the front. If removing the belt doesn’t change it, it might be related to the flywheel. But agreed, sounds like a pulley

 

[Alain]

I have an easy way for you to check this out. Get yourself a 15 mm socket and take the belt off . All you have to do to get the belt off is release tension on the tensioner with a breaker bar and a 15 mm socket. once you take the belt off start the car up and see if the noise is still going on . The oil pump would be turning but the alternator wouldn't. On the 5.0, the air conditioning belt is a separate belt. So it's easy just to take your big serpentine off and then start the car up and see what happens.

This is good advice. I diagnosed a bad water pump this way. And agreed with the other. Definitely not the oil pump - that’s at the front. If removing the belt doesn’t change it, it might be related to the flywheel. But agreed, sounds like a pulley

fellers, the car hasn’t made the noise since then.
so disconnecting the pulleys won’t do me any good.

 

[GreenS550]

Then my guess is it's almost certainly the alternator or water pump or something like that. I can't imagine the oil pump all of a sudden quiet

 

[Alain]

My vote is for the idler. If you take the belt off you can just turn them to find out which one it is. A bad bearing should be notchy when turned.

Also before you take the belt off turn the A/C on and off to see if it has any effect on the noise.

Before I restarted the car I turned the AC on and off to check that the AC compressor wasn’t the issue (knowing these cars have issues with AC compressors). While I was driving home after this incident I had the AC ON to check for strange noises.......nothing. Since then, I’ve had the AC and heat on and the noise hasn’t come back.

I might take off the belts and turn the pulleys by hand to make sure the bearings are good.

since the car hasn’t made the noise again, this is the only diagnostic step I have left.
unless any of you have a better alternative.

 

[GreenS550]

It's conceivable that a small pebble or debris got into one of the pulley areas and made the sound and since then has dropped out.

 

[Alain]

thank you fellers.
im gonna stop by my local dealer tomorrow and show them the video. I’ll see what they say.

as of now, Im gonna keep driving it until the weather gets bad here in NJ and listen/look for abnormalities.

i think I’m gonna change the oil myself and closely inspect the oil and the oil filter. If I see anything crazy in either I’ll bring it to the dealer.

im hoping this noise is somehow a result of me not driving the car often.
If anyone has any other thoughts or suggestions please let me know.

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