Strange Noise ? ?

[Geoff F]

Hi Guys, I wonder if anyone can shed some light on this potential problem.

Pulling up at Eurotunnel on the way back fromVRCC meeting at Raalte,Holland I could hear a chirping noise coming from the engine (sounded a bit like a bearing) which increased when the revs did (not the volume). Switching the headlight off and it lessened off to being barely detectable. I also had a slight dribble of coolant from the cap, the temp would not drop much when the fan came on, however the temp was ok riding back home after the trip across tunnel, Had the chirping noise at home, but could not get it again the next day.

My thoughts..1 Something to do with Alternator, 2, Water pump? but does not explain change in volume when lights go out.

Bit worried as I have a big trip planned to Germany in a few weeks time

[old2soon]

Have a look see at the timing belts and the tensioners. Also what year is it and how many kilometers/miles on it?? Others i'm sure will chime in. RIDE SAFE.

[Daniel Meyer]

Also check the vacuum lines...they tend to split right at the manifolds and often "chirp" and sometimes "tick". Most think it's an engine noise. They change and can be hard to reproduce depending on engine and outside temperatures.

Doesn't explain the volume change though...

[Geoff F]

Thanks Guys, some useful pointers, its a 2002 Standard with 62000 miles, changed the belts about 20k miles ago.

[Rio Wil]

I think I would ignore the chirp for now and investigate why there is a dribble of fluid from the radiator cap. Not a normal/desirable condition.  You said the temp doesn't come down when the fan is on, so I presume you have a temp gauge.....is the fan coming on often, what is the ambient temp and are you sitting still when the fan comes on.  Had you checked the fluid level in the overflow tank.....is it full to the proper mark when hot/cold.  Is the radiator cap seated properly.....blah blah......you get the idea

 Checking the radiator when cold is it full......wonder if the chirping was steam escaping fron the radiator cap?

[pancho]

What Rio said,,,,  I think the priority is to chase down the overheating problem. You should not have coolant coming from the cap, it should be flowing back and forth to the reservoir under the left side cover when the temperature rises. I would first remove the radiator cap and verify the coolant level and top off if necessary, then check for a kink in the overflow hose causing the leak from the cap. The hose will sometimes pinch where it runs between the radiator and frame. If the overflow has been leaking out around the cap instead of going into the tank, the level will now be low and cause the overheating problem.

[Thunderbolt]

chirping is probably vacuum lines as Daniel says.  Check the center cylinders on both sides first.  #3 and #4 go to the pair valves.  At least in the U.S. Some cylinders have caps on the vacuum ports.

[F6MoRider]

Does your's chirp while sitting still or only when moving?

Whenever I hear a chirping noise, I remember my u-joint.  It started as a chirping and turned to a rhythmic whirr as I rode home from Daytona.  It would vary as my speed changed, more frequent as I increased to highway speed and, as I slowed to residential neighborhood speed, it went away.  Finally, I heard a light clunking noise at low speed the following morning and took her apart as it sounded like it was up front in the belt tensioner area but felt like it was in the back of the engine.   The U-joint was almost ready to fall out and the wear was evident as the bearings failed and there was metal to metal rubbing.

Was the fan able to drop enough temp to turn the fan off? 

The coolant leak is something that needs investigating.  If it's hot out and you don't have good airflow, I'd expect cycling of the fan.  If the fan cycles off, it's responding to lowering temperature changes.  If you have fluid leaking, you need to isolate the fault.  I'd check the connections, loosen the cap screw and make sure the cap is tight.  Check levels in the radiator, overflow tank and the condition of the hoses.  Could be a loose hose at the fill neck?

Recheck the light stimulus change w/r/t to the chirping.  Recreate it and share the specifics.  Does a blinker change it, too? High and low bean have identical impact or is it on and off only?  I don't have a light off option, only H and L beam.

[Geoff F]

Many thanks to you all, Just checked the reservoir which is over the upper mark, but the radiator level was down by about 4 inches, the overflow line looks a bit kinked near the cap, so this is the likely cause of the heating problem.

Once this is sorted I will re check for the chirping noise, this I only hear at idle (in the UK we can switch the headlight off which is when the noise gets less) I changed the U joint a year ago when refurbishing the swing arm so I am happy its not that, and I am stationary when it happens.

Thanks Again

[Rio Wil]

Make sure the overflow line is clear all the way to the overflow tank and the port going into the tank is not partially clogged.  If the tank is over full, means the water was coming out of the radiator when hot but was not being sucked back into the radiator when the engine cooled. As the engine cools it creates a vacuum on the overflow tank to pull the fluid back into the engine, if the rad cap is loose (not holding a vac) the fluid will not get pulled back into the engine as it cools.

[Geoff F]

Thanks Rio, That make sense I will check it all through 

[Patrick]

I believe the fellas are right about the noise, idler pulley or vacuum hoses. The coolant leak. Be very careful removing the cap, mind the set screw. It can damage the neck. Also check the 'tangs' on the cap, sometimes just slightly bending them will help with the sealing.

[Geoff F]

Coolant problem sorted, kinked line and radiator cap not seated well. Rode bike and ran engine then let it idle until fan came on and no chirping noise yet, will check out other possibilities over the weekend.

Many Thanks to all for your help.