whining noise from my 230k

[old al]

i recently bought a 2003 slk230k and i hear a distinct whine from the engine which rises and falls in relation to the revs,it is not a whistle like a turbo but is quite concerning as i cannot imagine the car should be making this noise.does anyone know what this could be,is a sign of something serious and what can i do to stop it before it drives me crazy cheers al.

 

[jamesmc]

The supercharger whines when being spun up and, as it is directly driven from the engine (via a belt), the sound will rise and fall in direct relation to engine revs.

It might be worth jumping in another car with the same engine... 230K and having a listen to what may be normal or not.

 

[Rashman]

That will certainly be the supercharger... if you install an induction kit, you will hear it even more!!!

 

[bigasotonuk]

Hi,
Check for the tension on the Supercharger drive belt, mine was changed and after the charger whined, being a bit concerned I returned it to the garage, and I presume he loosened it as although the whine was there still it was less pronounced.

 

[dbmoylan]

Could be timing chain tensioner installed improperly. Stop operating the engine if so as well documented problem on busting the camshaft if that is the case.

 

[jamesmc]

Hi,
Check for the tension on the Supercharger drive belt, mine was changed and after the charger whined, being a bit concerned I returned it to the garage, and I presume he loosened it as although the whine was there still it was less pronounced.

Unless the SLK230K has a different set-up than the CLK230K, my understanding is that the supercharger/alternator belt tension is not manually adjustable. On my CLK the belt tension is automatically regulated by a spring loaded tensioner unit which, as the belt stretches, should maintain the correct tension at all times.

old al
If you are hearing a low(ish) pitched whine under a good engine load (high speed) that rises as you increase speed, then you are more than likely hearing the supercharger at work. Don't let it drive you crazy.. just confirm that is what it is, and smile

 

[Phoenix]

Just removed my Supercharger , and it was a self adjusting tensioner on the pulley system - C230