04' TDI Passat Wagon Idling Noise

Not So Fast

I might have been a bit quick on my judgement that the problem was corrected. It seemed to be when I first picked up my Passat but now that I've driven it there is still something abnormal. I don't get the chriping noise when I move the steering wheel anymore but during normal idle the engine will go into, the best I describe it, a low growl, intermittently. When it does that the serp belt will flop/slap just above the power steering pump. I cannot pinpoint the growl but it does it with or without the AC on. I'm going to take it back to the dealer to see what they say. I'll keep you posted.

ForJP said:

I might have been a bit quick on my judgement that the problem was corrected. It seemed to be when I first picked up my Passat but now that I've driven it there is still something abnormal. I don't get the chriping noise when I move the steering wheel anymore but during normal idle the engine will go into, the best I describe it, a low growl, intermittently. When it does that the serp belt will flop/slap just above the power steering pump. I cannot pinpoint the growl but it does it with or without the AC on. I'm going to take it back to the dealer to see what they say. I'll keep you posted.

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I say again, there is a TSB about the alternator pulley on these cars. It has a one way clutch build into it.

Jason

Fixed.....Again

I just picked up my Passat from the Dealership and guess what, they replaced the alt. clutch and the noise, belt slap is finally gone! What gets me is how in the world an "experienced" Tech could miss the diag the first time in. This is my first diesel vehicle so I'm still learning the nuances but even I can tell the noise coming from the engine compartment is "noticeably" different now and the serp belt is running much smoother. When I took it in today the Service Advisor, who is more experienced than the one that was there when I took it in the first time said it was probably the alt. clutch. He had seen the symptons a number of times while he's been at the Dealership. I'm pretty sure I also had a power steering pump problem in addition to the alt. clutch. Not sure if one caused the other I'm just glad my TDI sounds and runs right again!

I have the same chatter and was originally looking to replace the tensioner but the ALT pulley sounds like the problem. Was the part number 022-903-119D?

BTT on this.

Can anyone confirm the part number for the alt pulley. The one on my wife's car is making that noise and I want to fix it ASAP.

Thanks!

As of this posting the most recent p/n I have is 022 903 119 D.
It is the part I installed as shown here: http://forums.tdiclub.com/showthread.php?t=200181

MOGolf said:

As of this posting the most recent p/n I have is 022 903 119 D.
It is the part I installed as shown here: http://forums.tdiclub.com/showthread.php?t=200181

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thank you very much. Now off to order the pulley and the tool to fix it with. Thanks for posting that thread. It looks all to easy to fix this annoying noise.

Alternator Pulley

I got the rattle and chirping at idle last Thursday night, need a new serpentine belt, power steering pump and VW said alternator belt but the service technician was relatively new, did he mean pulley?

Has anyone experienced Alternator emitions light & or a battery light with this problem when this pully is going bad, I hear the same sounds as described here but I also get the lights, but they do not stay on

Nope, didn't get the lights just the noise, so after all that the bill was $1300, I like Vacaville VW but they mis-diagnosed the problem which ended up costing me time and needless trips back and forth so I will look for an independent next time, I refused to pay labor on the crap they got wrong, they buckled under that logic and agreed, BTW the car is running great now....

Rick Auffenberg said:

Has anyone experienced Alternator emitions light & or a battery light with this problem when this pully is going bad, I hear the same sounds as described here but I also get the lights, but they do not stay on

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If the pulley has failed and the belt isn't driving the alternator you will get the lights. Eventually, the car won't start because the battery becomes discharged. It may intermittently engage and the lights go off, but eventually you'll find it would have been better to get it fixed than to wait.

This post saved me several hundred dollars and alot of time thanks to all of you!!!! I had Troy do the pulley he is awsome, Troy is in Canton Ga. so for any of you in N. Atlanta he is excellent ph# 570-233-1385

ps the lights stopped aso

Rick

Rick Auffenberg said:

This post saved me several hundred dollars and alot of time thanks to all of you!!!! I had Troy do the pulley he is awsome, Troy is in Canton Ga. so for any of you in N. Atlanta he is excellent ph# 570-233-1385

ps the lights stopped aso

Rick

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Yeah! Another TDI club wallet saver! Way to GO!

nevermind, found it at worldimpex

Same problem with my 2004 Jetta. It was the serpentine belt tensioner. Seems like the vibration wears these things out. Replaced the tensioner and the growl/chrip in tight turns went away.

TDICLUB.com wallet saver

Exact same symptoms as others with the chirping and rattling around and near the power steering unit. Noise increases with turning the wheel, goes away with a few more RPMs above idle. Belt was flopping around abit also.
I searched this fine forum and tipped off my independant mechanic. He replaced the serpentine belt and tensioner which solved the majority of the problem. Belt had frayed from the excessive movement from the failed tensioner. I still had a bit of noise at full lock so we flushed the power steering and the noise is now completely gone. $350 well spent.
2004 TDI Passat wagon. 93K miles. Import Doctor, Seattle WA.
The $4000 spent on my wife's 01' TDI Beetle 01M transmission is a whole other story... 80K miles and kaput! Should've gone manual.

Shmoozer,

Crazy! you dug up the thread about MY car. (http://forums.tdiclub.com/showthread.php?t=205628)

Did you actually replace the alternator clutch assembly? Wasn't that the actual cause of the noise?

Find someone WHO KNOWS to do your timing belt, it's coming up soon.

For the interested the car is running great at 107K now.

Diesel on,

I replaced mine yesterday, with 89441 miles on the odometer. This pulley is the culprit behind the chirping noise. New part no. is 022 903 119 D - D is the latest rev. I bought it from 1st VW Parts for $88.00. This is the lowest price out there. Others charge anywhere from $120-$150.

Just wanted to chime in and say thank you to everybody. My car was exhibiting all of the symptoms described in the post, and without even looking under the hood I took it to the dealership and had them replace the alternator pulley. The problem is completely fixed.

I am way too busy to fix it myself so I had to pay the high price of $310 for parts and labor, but it was worth it. It sounded like I was driving an old american car- belts squealing, engine rumbling.

Thanks guys!

So the pulley should only turn one way? Or the pulley turns both ways but only turns the alternator in the forward direction?

I have a similar problem and would like to be sure before I replace good parts.

Thanks

belt problem

I have a passat 04 with 2.0 tdi Ive done the oil change on power steering, new fan bearing, new alternator [last one broke rotor ],new belts. I've been reading everyone says change pully my alternator dont have a clutch on it its solid could that be it and I checked the crank pully too ready to pull my hair out

did you get that proublem fixed

sleze said:

I saw some people describe this noise as a chirp and other people describe it as a rattle. I have a rattle. For the people who had this fixed by replacing the pulley, was it a rattle?
My rattle sounds like it is coming behind and slightly beneath the dashboard, by the windsheild, just to the passenger side of the middle. Where was your sound? Was it loud inside?

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This is truly the best description to describe mine. And yes, mine is loud inside. I'd even say that it sounds louder inside than outside. I'm embarrassed to have people inside the car at this point.

I changed the belt. A small improvement the first 5 minutes, but then back to the same rattle, and fact it might have got even got worse after all was said and done. The day after, a quick parking lot visit from the VW manager/technician sais "oh that's the tensioner....see how it's vibrating when you look at it?"

But now I'm reading on here that it's the alternator pulley. I believe it.....but like sleze's description up above, is the "rattle" and the "chirp" related??? I can visualize the chirp as belt slippage per the power steering as the wheel is being turned(many cars on the road suffer from this it seems). But is the loud rattle in my situation one and the same? Does the rattle suggest alternator pulley or tensioner?

Mine just started making noise today, 126K. I did the timing belt, wp etc and probably should have changed it then

Brian's96TDIPASSAT said:

Mine just started making noise today, 126K. I did the timing belt, wp etc and probably should have changed it then

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So what is the correct thing to change? The Alternator Pulley or power steering pump?
Seems like it could be either one of those two things. I have a brand new belt and new tensioner on my 2004 Passat TDI....

It worked!!!!

Ok, I finally changed my alternator pulley tonight. The job was really easy and did not take long to do. The new pulley eliminated all my power steering vibration & squeel. The steering wheel no longer pulsates and the idle is much quieter. I am one happy camper!!!! A big thanks to those who share their knowledge on this board.

I bought my replacement pulley @ 1stvwparts.com Cost: $92.96

Rambocj7 said:

So what is the correct thing to change? The Alternator Pulley or power steering pump?
Seems like it could be either one of those two things. I have a brand new belt and new tensioner on my 2004 Passat TDI....

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I know this thread is a littled dates but I was just wondering what the issue turned out to be for Rambocj7's noise issue...

and if ssomeone can describe how to diagnose if it is Alternator Pulley or power steering pump?

Thanks.

Or simply use the pencil or dowel to try and move the alternator fan without taking anything off. A pocket screw driver GENTLE press the fan each way is how I find most of them.

Jason

QuickTD said:

Easy, it's always the alternator pulley.

The pulley can be checked by removing the belt, blocking the alternator from turning by inserting an object (I recommend something soft like a dowel or pencil) in the alternator fan. The pulley should be locked in the driving direction and freewheeling in the other direction.

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How can you say it is always the pulley...I have had on two other occasions a trusted mechanic tell me it is the pulley and the first time it was the power steering pump and on the second time the serpentine belt tensioner had actually broken in half. It all sounded the same but yet two different issues causing the same whining noise.

I now have the same whining noise as of this morning and I am having it checked out tomorrow...just wondering if it will finally be the pulley as you say it always is or if it is something else again.

QuickTD said:

It has very likely been the alternator pulley all along. The new power steering pump had a nice new painted pulley that quieted the belt squeal for a little while, once it polished up, the squeal was back. The tensioner broke from flapping around due to the siezed alternator pulley. I'm pretty sure you will be a happy dude when you replace the alternator pulley.

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I was not referring to things that have just recently happened. These are all separated occurrences over a few years. Also, when the tensioner was changed the tensioner was checked and was fine at the time.

I will keep you posted as to what the latest issue is.