Volvo D9 turbo whine.

[Driver]

Hello,

My port side 2012 Volvo D 575 has a quite loud turbo whine that comes in at about 1500 rpm, is slightly louder between 1700 rpm and 1900 rpm and continues up to max revs. The noise becomes irritating after about 30 minutes in the wheelhouse. The starboard engine has no such whine at all. Boost pressures are the same for both engines. There are no obvious leaks. Any comments, please?

 

[Portofino]

I would start looking at the pipe age for leaks .
Are the air filters new and the boxes or fittings properly seated ? Come loose ?

more here
Potential causes of turbo noise include:

• Boost/air/vacuum leak – either on your engine intake, or your intercooler
• Compressor wheel damage
• Split hoses
• Over boosting (potentially caused by a wastegate fault) or poor remap

Thankfully, these problems are rarely terminal, and can be repaired/resolved by a competent turbo specialist.

Other causes of whistling noise

A whistling noise coming from your vehicle can also have a number of other causes, including:

• Exhaust gasket vibration – as parts become loose and rub against each other, they can create a buzzing noise that’s reminiscent of a turbo whistle

 

[volvopaul]

I would start looking at the pipe age for leaks .
Are the air filters new and the boxes or fittings properly seated ? Come loose ?

more here
Potential causes of turbo noise include:

• Boost/air/vacuum leak – either on your engine intake, or your intercooler
• Compressor wheel damage
• Split hoses
• Over boosting (potentially caused by a wastegate fault) or poor remap

Thankfully, these problems are rarely terminal, and can be repaired/resolved by a competent turbo specialist.

Other causes of whistling noise

A whistling noise coming from your vehicle can also have a number of other causes, including:

• Exhaust gasket vibration – as parts become loose and rub against each other, they can create a buzzing noise that’s reminiscent of a turbo whistle

You been googling again Porto ? Most of your hints relate to engines fuelled by petrol , very little there that relates to a marine diesel or particular the D9 .

 

[Driver]

The air filters are new and the box secure. No obvious leaks or split hoses. Turbo boost is the same for both engines. Hello VolvoPaul, any comments, please?

 

[Portofino]

You been googling again Porto ? Most of your hints relate to engines fuelled by petrol , very little there that relates to a marine diesel or particular the D9 .

When one of my air filters drops off I can immediately tell by the inc in whistle , as the OP everything else Eg boost , and dare I say it but I will EGT s are the same .

Acts as a muffler as well as filter .

Just one 13 mm clamp and they can + do work loose .

What would you suggest initially. No apparent loss of performance we are told ?
Help the guy out he’s reaching out .

 

[Momac]

Whine or whistle ?

 

[Driver]

Its a whine, not a whistle. Air filters new and secure.

 

[julians]

Its a whine, not a whistle. Air filters new and secure.

Maybe it's not the turbo whining? Could it be something else whining,like a bearing on a pulley or the alternator,or belt?

 

[Portofino]

Bluntly we can’t hear it .

 

[Driver]

It only comes in under load. Running the engine in neutral does not produce the whine. Seems to me it must be the turbo.

 

[Portofino]

When did it start in relation to having “ new air filters “ fitted ?
Are the air filters genuine and who fitted them ? Try swopping them around .

Thinking the rubber lip edges not quite sealing , caught on the box edge .

Once we can finally eliminate lack of filter silencer effect then look at the gear box .Fits with under load .

Stethoscope s are great at identifying noises locating where they come from .
Either a 2 ft long small dia tube or indeed a solid metal long screwdriver .
Get some one the helm in calm seas .Mindful of rotating pulleys / shafts and any thing hot , get it to whine .
Then selectively sound out each component and compare to the good none noisy engine .

eg start with the turbo housings both side etc .Then gear box bell housing etc etc ,You could stick it on the alternator body itself as it’s bearing will transmit its whine to it …..careful it’s spinning etc .
Water pump housing ……..fill your boots so to speak = you will pin it down .

You put one end on the suspect and your ear to the other and compare engines .

 

[Portofino]

Had a rattle recently on one my classic cars .The car in Q has weak timings chain tensioners at the front .Clutch bolts are know to loosen and drop into the bell housing at the back .Any valve guide securing bolt can loosen .Plus any connector around the carb and heat shields . Even a pushrod perhaps rattling .No loss of performance etc , just this annoying rattle more so heard at tick over , low rev range .

Running parked with ear only revving it up it wasn’t easy to pin .Could have been any of the above .

Mr Google the car club ……throws up everything as they do .
Guys removing the rad to get to the water pump to get to the front timings cover ( head removal job ) to replace the chain and tensioner .No luck .Another guy dropping the engine / g box , splitting them to check the clutch wasnt loose lost a bolt .Nope .Guy s phaffing on with the rocker cover , easy job looking at valve caps .Nope .So whist Googling kinda helped sort of I ignored it because none of the above had a definitive diagnosis.They all just dived straight in.


So I got a stereoscope out and very carefully went round it .It wasn’t from the front timing ,or the rear bell housing or the rocker box ( front to back each cylinder one by one ) also went around the whole block , the alternator, water pump you name it .
After this I put it on ( carefully) the exhaust manifold and started to trace it .It got louder towards the 4 into 1 manifold clamp , the down pipe .BINGO found it .= was a slight leaky clamp .
Thing is the rattle in my case or “ whine “ in yours wasn’t a rattle like something loose it was , it sounded like it because of the 4 stroke , 4 cylinder firing thingy imitated a rattle when gas escaped a very slight leaky exhaust to manifold joint .

1/2 hr simple fix just resealed re did the clamp bolts up .

So your “whine “ …..you need to exactly locate it first .They can be deceptive.

 

[scottie]

Had a rattle recently on one my classic cars .The car in Q has weak timings chain tensioners at the front .Clutch bolts are know to loosen and drop into the bell housing at the back .Any valve guide securing bolt can loosen .Plus any connector around the carb and heat shields . Even a pushrod perhaps rattling .No loss of performance etc , just this annoying rattle more so heard at tick over , low rev range .

Running parked with ear only revving it up it wasn’t easy to pin .Could have been any of the above .

Mr Google the car club ……throws up everything as they do .
Guys removing the rad to get to the water pump to get to the front timings cover ( head removal job ) to replace the chain and tensioner .No luck .Another guy dropping the engine / g box , splitting them to check the clutch wasnt loose lost a bolt .Nope .Guy s phaffing on with the rocker cover , easy job looking at valve caps .Nope .So whist Googling kinda helped sort of I ignored it because none of the above had a definitive diagnosis.They all just dived straight in.


So I got a stereoscope out and very carefully went round it .It wasn’t from the front timing ,or the rear bell housing or the rocker box ( front to back each cylinder one by one ) also went around the whole block , the alternator, water pump you name it .
After this I put it on ( carefully) the exhaust manifold and started to trace it .It got louder towards the 4 into 1 manifold clamp , the down pipe .BINGO found it .= was a slight leaky clamp .
Thing is the rattle in my case or “ whine “ in yours wasn’t a rattle like something loose it was , it sounded like it because of the 4 stroke , 4 cylinder firing thingy imitated a rattle when gas escaped a very slight leaky exhaust to manifold joint .

1/2 hr simple fix just resealed re did the clamp bolts up .

So your “whine “ …..you need to exactly locate it first .They can be deceptive.

Could be owner induced at fuel dock damage to wallet even

 

[Driver]

Thanks guys, however, I don't fancy stumbling aound the engine room at 18 knots at my age. Almost impossible to compare engines this way as half of the interesting bits are outboard where you need to be a heatproof dwarf. I will speak to my engineer friend when he returns from holiday. Pretty sure its the turbo though, I have heard turbo whine before, but not so loud. It fits all the conitions.