2004 Chevy Impala Strange noise when accelerating

Tiny
LIVISMOM
  • MEMBER
  • 2004 CHEVROLET IMPALA
  • 6 CYL
  • 2WD
  • AUTOMATIC
  • 77,000 MILES
Help! 2004 Impala - 77,000 miles (just ran out of warranty of course!). When you push the accelerator, there is a strange sort of "winding up" noise coming out from under the hood (on the passanger side). This has been going on for about 2 weeks. My husband says something is going to break soon and we'll know what it is! But that's not good enough for me! It almost sounds like a belt? But this morning we noticed the car is running pretty hot. It is 100 degrees outside today, however. Could it be the water pump?
Friday, June 19th, 2009 AT 9:25 AM

7 Replies

Tiny
RENAUDTN
  • MECHANIC
  • 636 POSTS
Yes it could be your water pump. If your water pump is leaking, some coolant will get on the serpentine belt and make it squeal when your engine is on.
Check your pump for leakage and replace it right away if it's bad. Don't keep driving the car if it's low on coolant because it will result in very expensive damage to the engine.
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Friday, June 19th, 2009 AT 2:18 PM
Tiny
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Thx Renaud!
Okay. It wasn't the water pump. My husband went to replace it and he says it still looks brand new. We've solved the slight "overheating" problem. He flushed the radiator. And now it's okay. However, the noise is still there and seems to be getting louder each day. We aren't driving it much. He says the noise sounds like it's either coming from inside the engine or the power steering pump. But wouldn't we have steering problems if the power steering pump was going bad? I think it sounds like a belt but he's checked all belts and they are healthy.
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Thursday, June 25th, 2009 AT 11:49 AM
Tiny
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Another possibility is that one of the pulleys driven by your serpentine belt is slightly crooked which makes the belt rubs on the sides of the pulley resulting in squealing. Also, it's possible that your belt is loose on the pulley (either it's stretched or the belt tensioner is no good anymore). It's also possible that one of the components driven by the belt is on its last leg (which includes, as you mentioned, the steering pump). Does it make noise when you turn left or right? Have you checked the steering fluid level? Any leaks, either at the pump, or under the car at the pinion rack, boots, etc?
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Thursday, June 25th, 2009 AT 12:33 PM
Tiny
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No, it doesn't make the noise any louder or different when we turn the steering wheel. It just gets much louder when we push on the gas. The steering fluid level is good. And we don't think there are any leaking. But I will have him take a better look at that. We park in the garage and there are no fluids in there. Thanks so much Renaud!
P.S. I am also in TN (Memphis).
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Friday, June 26th, 2009 AT 9:37 AM
Tiny
RENAUDTN
  • MECHANIC
  • 636 POSTS
Hello fellow Tennessean (Clarksville here),

Here is a little tip to troubleshoot a belt noise problem:
Using a spray bottle filled with water, mist the belt lightly. If the noise level recedes for several seconds, then returns louder, a misalignment problem is likely. If the noise immediately increases after the belt is sprayed, slipping is likely.
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Sunday, June 28th, 2009 AT 12:57 PM
Tiny
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Renaud - We finally took the car to the mechanic. Just wanted to let you know what the strange noise is. The idler/tensioner pulley is going bad. So we're having it replaced :)
Thanks so much for your help!
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Tuesday, June 30th, 2009 AT 1:39 PM
Tiny
RENAUDTN
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Hello there and thanks for the feedback.
I'm " œglad' to see that a bad tensioner was one of my suggestions... People usually leave no feedback so I can't tell if I've been able to help or not.
If you haven't gotten the tensioner replaced already, it's an easy job. You can do it yourself and save you some money. I replaced the tensioner on my wife's 03 Impala last year, and it took about 10 minutes (because I'm slow). The part itself is about $40 if I remember correctly.
Anyhow, I'm glad you found what was wrong. Enjoy your quiet car now :)
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Wednesday, July 1st, 2009 AT 8:26 AM

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