05 Neon high pitch squeal

[cordes]

I'll try to take a video of this. It sounds almost like a bearing or perhaps a belt barely slipping. It does it best when you modulate the throttle a bit around 1500RPM. I'll try to take a video of it in a bit and post it up. Are there any common problems with these? It sounds like it's coming from the front side of the motor on the pass side. I'm almost inclinded to think it's the alternator.

[jonnymopar]

Mine used to make a very faint, constant belt squeak and I didn't find out why until I did my timing belt. The accessory tensioner pulley had worn down in the center of the belt surface. So instead of a flat surface for the belt to ride on, it was now U-shaped. So the belt and the pulley were wearing each other down as time went on. The bearing still felt perfect.

Either that, or throw a wrench on the tensioner itself and make sure the internal spring hasn't gotten lazy. Hopefully it's ok because to replace it requires 80% of the work needed to change the timing belt.

[cordes]

Yeah, I hope that's not it. Here's the video.

[contraption22]

This sounds stupid, but it might be your PCV valve. This happened to my SRT-4. Pull off your oil cap and see if the sound goes away.

[jonnymopar]

Sounds like leftover Halloween ghosts made it into your engine!

That is really bizarre. It certainly does seem to be very consistent relative to engine RPM. Dragging A/C clutch maybe?? See if you can hold the engine at that perfect RPM, then throw the air conditioner on.

[cordes]

This sounds stupid, but it might be your PCV valve. This happened to my SRT-4. Pull off your oil cap and see if the sound goes away.

I'll check that. With the way that the car runs it really seems like it could be a vac leak etc. so I won't rule that out.

Sounds like leftover Halloween ghosts made it into your engine!

That is really bizarre. It certainly does seem to be very consistent relative to engine RPM. Dragging A/C clutch maybe?? See if you can hold the engine at that perfect RPM, then throw the air conditioner on.

I cycled the AC while it was making the noise and it made no difference.

[RattFink]

This sounds stupid, but it might be your PCV valve. This happened to my SRT-4. Pull off your oil cap and see if the sound goes away.

+1 to this, sounds like some type of vacuum leak. I've heard a PCV system sound like this before also and pulling the oil cap is a good test to see if the noise changes or goes away.

[Chris W]

The factory PCV valves contain plastic internals. Over time they tend to deteriorate and fall out causing strange whistling noises. You should replace the PCV on your valve cover every 15K-20K miles.

Chris-TU

[cordes]

Thanks for that tip. I've only waited 10x the recommended replacement cycle then. Does anyone have a link to the Mopar unit?

[Chris W]

Thanks for that tip. I've only waited 10x the recommended replacement cycle then. Does anyone have a link to the Mopar unit?

The quality of most all the available PCV valves are not up to what a Turbo Engine should use, but there is nothing else.

In the order to which were the best to worst. Tested holding 10lbs psi over 30 seconds %.

Aitex ........# 6P1276 Made in USA...............-5%
Standard...#V393 Packaged in USA (?lol)...-10%
MOPAR......# 4884479AB Made in Mexico..........10-15%, 19 were tested
SMP.........#320340 Made in China ........-20%

Stock PCV valve from Chrysler with 53kmiles on it had -10%


Hope that info helps ya.

Chris-TU

[jonnymopar]

Is your Neon turbo??

[cordes]

This sounds stupid, but it might be your PCV valve. This happened to my SRT-4. Pull off your oil cap and see if the sound goes away.

Sounds like leftover Halloween ghosts made it into your engine!

That is really bizarre. It certainly does seem to be very consistent relative to engine RPM. Dragging A/C clutch maybe?? See if you can hold the engine at that perfect RPM, then throw the air conditioner on.

The quality of most all the available PCV valves are not up to what a Turbo Engine should use, but there is nothing else.

In the order to which were the best to worst. Tested holding 10lbs psi over 30 seconds %.

Aitex ........# 6P1276 Made in USA...............-5%
Standard...#V393 Packaged in USA (?lol)...-10%
MOPAR......# 4884479AB Made in Mexico..........10-15%, 19 were tested
SMP.........#320340 Made in China ........-20%

Stock PCV valve from Chrysler with 53kmiles on it had -10%


Hope that info helps ya.

Chris-TU

Thanks for that info. That's pretty helpful.

Is your Neon turbo??

It's not. SOHC.

[jonnymopar]

Ok, I didn't think so! I was pretty sure it was basically the same as mine.

I didn't realize the valve-cover mounted PCV valves were a trouble spot. I put a 1st gen aluminum valve cover on mine years ago, so I've got the L-shaped in-line valve with the metal internals.

[contraption22]

Hey Cordes,
Did you find the issue?

[cordes]

Hey Cordes,
Did you find the issue?

I'm pretty sure it was vac related. It made that noise for a couple of days and now it's back to normal. I was going to trouble shoot it again to see if I could distinguish what the real issue was, but it hasn't happened since. I'm ruling it a case of ignore it and it'll go away.

[contraption22]

Did you try removing the oil cap when you hear the sound?

[cordes]

It pretty much went away after I posted the last time. It might have made the noise very faintly once more, but that was it.

[jonnymopar]

I'm ruling it a case of ignore it and it'll go away.

I swear I saw that in the factory service manual somewhere.

[cordes]

I think I may have narrowed the noise down to the serpentine belt. On the upside, you don't need that belt for the water pump like you do the 2.2/2.5 cars so my wife had little trouble making it to work the other day. No PS or AC is the only side effect of not having it and it's not AC weather out.

[contraption22]

So, technically, your strategy of ignoring the issue actually worked.