Weird siren like noise. Help!

[spooneralmighty]

Alright guys ever since I purchased my car (2002 jetta tdi 5 speed) I knoticed when rpms get around 1800 a siren like noise is heard(sounds like from the back of the car...maybe through the exhaust) and it stops around 3000rpms. The sound is similar to an old storm warning siren. Slow coming in. Anyway I included two videos that I uploaded to YouTube. I took these vids with the windows down. The car is straight piped and a k@n filter. Please help me figure out if this noise is bad or normal.

Maybe the waist gate being stuck open slightly?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PeHw4gwkvp4

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=15rpMTsXPDU

Thank you very much

 

[whitedog]

Any recent work done on the car? How long has the noise been there?

I didn't hear it in the videos.

 

[spooneralmighty]

Nothing real recent and the noise is in the video. Before i bought it the guy did a new egr valve its been like that for 5-6k miles(that's how long ive had it) You can hear it when I get into the throttle and it does out before I shift. That's the actual whining sound

 

[spooneralmighty]

In the second video you can deff hear it and if you watch the tach you can see the noise dissipates at 2800 rpms. But the rpms keep climing. That's the noise I'm talking about.

 

[whitedog]

Did it do the same before it was straight-piped and K&Ned?

 

[spooneralmighty]

Its been so long that I'm not even sure. I only has the car for 5 days before the straight pipe and k&n. Do you think it could be some kind of exhaust leak maybe. A pin hole leaking. But if it was that I would think it would do it after 3000 rpms as well. Not come and go throughout the rpms

 

[Seatman]

I think you might find a leak around the egr somewhere, maybe the flexi pipe or the joins, that's what it sounds like.

 

[whitedog]

I don't know what these cars sound like with straight pipes and engine killers on them, so the only advice I can give is get it in the hands of the person that did the straight pipe and see what they say.

 

[spooneralmighty]

Ok
Just an update. I did an egr delete and I had a full 2.5" exhaust put on. I also replaced the plastic intercooler pipe. I'm still hearing this noise. Any additional info you guys can provide would be great. It sounds like its deff coming from the exhaust because I can hear it more if the rear windows are down

 

[DPM]

perhaps the turbo is about to expire. Check it for play and damage to the compressor.

 

[VeeDubTDI]

perhaps the turbo is about to expire. Check it for play and damage to the compressor.

That's my initial thought, too - although it seems to have good power.

Check the turbo for shaft play and oil leakage.

 

[spooneralmighty]

I recently had the down pipe off the car and I checked the shaft. It was very tight not loose at all. But when taking my egr off it was blocked up and there was oil in the hard intake line. I checked the car oil and it's not low at all. I also recently replaced the hard intercooler pipe and that was oily. I was talking with a diesel mechanic and showed him the sound and his innitial thoughts was a clogged up intercooler. He said big trucks make this noise and that's what the cause is. Then I told him about the egr and the oil being in the line. And he was there when I checked for play in the turbo on the exhaust side and he said the turbo was good. Feels new. So could this be it? Maybe oil got into the intercooler and
clogged it up?

 

[Birdman]

Are you sure it is not just the normal turbo whine? I can hear mine from 950 rpm to just above 2000 rpm. With the straight pipe they are a bit louder. I know with my 01 which had a VNT17 with a 3 inch downpipe, it was a lot louder then the almost stock 03 I have now. I can also say that the cooler the outside temperature is the louder the turbo seam to be.

 

[spooneralmighty]

It may be. But my two buddy's cars don't do it.

 

[xreyuk]

A police siren type noise is often associated with turbo failure on VAG group cars in the uk.

 

[Birdman]

Do your buddies cars have a straight pipe? Also some cars you can hear some cars you can't hear. It is kind of hard not actually being in the car. I hope it is not the turbo going bad.

 

[Seatman]

My last tdi made a superb owl sort of noise, my new one makes a higher pitch sort of noise before the boost builds fully, both turbos were/are fine.

Definitely sounds like it's turbo related anyway or boost related. No exhaust leaks? No little black sooty marks around or on the flexi on the downpipe? Exhaust gasket in good order?

 

[spooneralmighty]

Yes my friends are both straight piped. And the exhaust is in good order... Maybe I just have a very loud turbo. The noise is similar to a big rig taking off. How toward the top of there gear you hear the whine. I think it's the sound when there fans are running. Because my Duramax will also make a similar noise when taking off after my fans are running full bore. The car also seems to only be doing it when building boost. Once boost is built the noise goes away. And if I slowly accelerate like a normal human and my foot isn't in the floor then it doesn't do it. It will however do it when I'm wot trying to move

 

[Timeshifte]

Do the other cars you listened to have the 3" pipe ?

 

[Donnatinyy]

Hi i have/had a Golf 1.9 tdi 51plate i had the same problem of the siren noise, checked all pipes and hoses but no holes. Had a feeling that it was something to do with the turbo but didnt have the time to get someone to look at it. Anyway i was driving on the motorway on thursday morning, car went into limp mode (used to have this problem before but sorted it) got about 2 miles away and smoke started bellowing from the bonnet, luckily i could go down a slip road and crashed into a barrier, had no breaks, steering lock came on, took the keys out and it was at high revs continuously (luckily managed to get my two children out even though i couldnt see a thing cos of the smoke) it stayed like this for about 10 minutes then the revs dyed down and the smoke stopped, ( i just ran down the sliproad thinking it was going to burst into flames) managed to tow it home and we are thinking the turbo has imploded?? Also has burst the radiator and intercooler. Cant see anything 'obvious' when i lift the bonnet but gunna jack it up and have a look underneath. It has 250000 miles on and it was a 51 plate so not going to bother fixing as turbos are to expensive and for a car of this age i dont think it would be worth it, just gunna send it to the scrap yard. Has anyones else done this? Still shook up as my children were in the car.

 

[Franko6]

Some turbos just whine. As a rule, I like a nice quiet one, but when it comes to boost, the one place you want turbulence is the turbo, which can lead to noise. Straight pipes are fine, and you will get much more turbo noise down the pipe. You never indicated location.

If the noise is engine compartment related, It is often a broken bellows on the SS EGR exhaust to EGR cooler pipe or the the stainless steel gaskets and mating surfaces for the pipe. They have to be clean and flat. New SS gaskets are RARELY needed, but new friction nuts can help. We have also seen exhaust manifolds do a reed-whistle, if the manifold nuts come loose. We always recommend replacing all friction-stop nuts, once removed.

Donnatinyy,

Classic turbo runaway...the intercooler has to be cleaned out. The pressure of the oil going through the hoses probably blew off the connection, but that is the least of your concerns. The chance you bent a rod or two is basically, huge. Sorry....

If you pull the center pipe from the turbo and feel inside the hole, you will most likely feel the broken and shredded compressor wheel.

 

[VeeDubTDI]

If your turbo starts sounding like a siren, STOP THE ENGINE IMMEDIATELY. If you continue to drive it, the turbo will fail and the engine will run away, turning a $1000 problem into a $5000 problem.

 

[TurboDieselPoint]

IMO high-pitched whistle in moderation is not a sign of poor turbo health, but any siren, whine, howl, scream, or other harsher louder noises are abnormal.

 

[Franko6]

The particular sound described is most likely a turbo boost leak, which fairly common. Of course those should be fixe, if for no other reason, boost leaks are economy and power-robbing.

If the turbo directly, is the concern, then wiggling the turbo shaft will give you indication that the turbo shaft is bad. However, what you seem to be describing is a reed noise, that is regularly a simple boost leak from one of about 4 places. That is sometimes as easy as finding 'the cricket in the room', as the noise can be hard to pinpoint.

 

[bollweevil]

If your turbo starts sounding like a siren, STOP THE ENGINE IMMEDIATELY. If you continue to drive it, the turbo will fail and the engine will run away, turning a $1000 problem into a $5000 problem.

I agree, need to find problem. My experience would dictate that it's a bad turbo. I would diagnose carefully when car is not moving !! May have to climb underneath as well !!

 

[urabaas23]

Where are the 4 a boost leak can come from? I am having a similar problem but mine is directly connected to turbo speed because if I keep the car from going into boost it will not make the sound. I also noticed oil in my intake system should I check the intercooler for excess oil?

 

[VeeDubTDI]

Where are the 4 a boost leak can come from? I am having a similar problem but mine is directly connected to turbo speed because if I keep the car from going into boost it will not make the sound. I also noticed oil in my intake system should I check the intercooler for excess oil?

Are you sure that you have a boost leak and that your turbo hasn't failed?

 

[tperretta]

Sorry bro, but whining on these cars is usually bad. The simple issue is possibly a leak somewhere, but I've heard the whine of death on two turbos that blew shortly after.

 

[Charliepd02]

Doubt I’ll get a reply but did u ever find the issue ? I’m having exact same problem