Tech Tip: Whine, Whistle and Ringing Heard from Cadillac’s Engine – UnderhoodService

Tech Tip: Whine, Whistle and Ringing Heard from Cadillac’s Engine

Some customers may comment on a whine, whistle or ringing-type noise from the front of the engine that increases in intensity as engine rpm increases. This noise is most audible standing in front of the vehicle with the hood opened. If the noise fades into the ambient engine noise by 2,000 rpm, refer to PIP3453 in the Service Information (SI) for camshaft drive chain noise.

Models affected: 2004-’05 Cadillac CTS, SRX; and 2005 Cadillac STS — with 3.6L engine and without heavy-duty cooling.

Some customers may comment on a whine, whistle or ringing-type noise from the front of the engine that increases in intensity as engine rpm increases. This noise is most audible standing in front of the vehicle with the hood opened.

If the noise fades into the ambient engine noise by 2,000 rpm, refer to PIP3453 in the Service Information (SI) for camshaft drive chain noise.

This condition may be caused by the harmonic balancer.

Important: If the vehicle is equipped with the V03/V92 Heavy Duty Cooling package, DO NOT replace the six-spoke design crankshaft harmonic balancer. Continue with routine diagnosis to isolate the noise.

Inspect the crankshaft harmonic balancer. If the vehicle was built with the three-spoke design crankshaft harmonic balancer, replace the harmonic balancer with P/N 12597654. Refer to Crankshaft Balancer Removal, Cleaning and Inspection and Installation in SI.

If the vehicle was built with the new design six-spoke crankshaft harmonic balancer, do not replace it. Continue on with routine diagnosis to isolate the noise.

Courtesy of General Motors.

You May Also Like

Belts and Pulley Alignment

A misalignment of the plane of the belt can occur when a pulley is not parallel to the other pulleys on the belt drive system.

Drive Belt Alignment Alignment is key to the health of an engine belt. The belt drive system is designed to create friction between the grooves on the belt and pulley to transfer power from the crankshaft to the alternator, water pump or power steering pump. If the grooves on the belt do not align with the pulleys, the friction won’t be evenly applied and can result in wear and noise.

Diagnosing Misfires

What if there are no codes and a misfire is intermittent? This is where it gets complicated.

Lifter Deactivation

The area of contact between the lifters and cam lobes is the highest loaded surface inside an engine.

Alternator Testing For No Charge Conditions

Many alternator problems turn out to be nothing more than a bad connection at the alternator or a bad wiring harness.

Understanding Coolants

All-season coolant used inorganic acid technology and worked great for almost 30 years.

Other Posts

Ignition System Do’s and Don’ts

Why do ignition systems give technicians problems when diagnosing ignition-related misfires? The answer is that some technicians use tests that might give inconclusive results or do damage to the coil or drivers inside a module.

Tools To Service Serpentine Belts

Servicing the serpentine belt on some vehicles is a tough task.

Battery Charging and Diagnostics

Here are six tips to use when diagnosing a vehicle with a dead battery. 

Why Do Timing Chains Stretch?

As the timing chain wears, it can change the timing of the camshaft and crankshaft.