I'm new to the forum and haven't been able to find a discussion of this problem...

I have a 1995 850 with 189k miles, and during any cold weather starts, there's an overpowering scraping/wheezing noise coming from somewhere near the center (maybe front center?) of the engine, ending with a loud metallic click. The scraping noise lasts about 3-6 seconds, depending on how cold it is.

Once on, the car runs great, and the noise doesn't occur anytime other than startup. I checked the air filter to see if it was just a rock or something caught in there, but that seems clean, and I think the sound is coming from closer to the center of the engine anyway. The car's not a turbo. Any suggestions? Could it be a failing belt?

 

Does it sound like this?

http://youtube.com/watch?v=XO-BpkSc6ig

 

When was the last timing belt and tensioner,idler replacement?

 

wheelsup: it doesn't sound like that video. it's much louder (like a make-people-across-parking-lots-turn-their-heads loud), and more of a consistent scraping than a repetitive tapping.

tech: I believe the timing belt was just replaced this summer, but I was away when it was serviced and don't have the service records with me to double-check. I do know that it was checked just a couple weeks ago and looked fine. I don't know about the tension and idler. Are those normally all replaced together?

I was also thinking this could be a problem with the Secondary Air System, since it only happens during the winter, and other than the startup noise, the car runs perfectly fine. Last winter I had the same noise but it was much more brief (<1sec), and my mechanic never got to hear it. Throughout the warmer months, it never happened, and now that it's cold again, the noise is back but much louder and longer. Could it be that gunk built up on the SAS valve during the summer? I don't know much about that system, but from what I understand it seems possible. thanks!

 

It could be the air pump look at it and see how it looks.
The batterys are known to leak acid and eat up the air pumps.

 

And if possible, give us the info on what kind of oil & filter you've been using (SAE grade &the brand names of oil & filter). Tech's reply would likely hit the bull's eye, but just in case.


JPN