Clio 182 with a squeaking noise that isn't any of the belts?

[HarryJS]

Sorry if this is the wrong thread, admin pls feel free to move :smile:
Ok so the problem recently started a few weeks back, when the weather started to get cold i guess. When my engine is at idle/low revs my car seems to make a squeaking noise, almost as if a bird was chirping! Checked the belts and they seem fine, the noise doesn't really seem to be coming from the engine bay. I have also noticed it gets slightly worse when the engine has warmed up, maybe its just coincidence. It sounds like it is underneath the car towards the front. The noise goes away once i'm above 1.5k revs and also goes away above about 30-40mph. I also notice it makes a short chirping noise on start up but goes away immediately, it also chirps when I turn the engine off too.
I'm quite concerned, but could it just be the cold weather? Or simply some bearings/seals? Sorry I'm pretty amateur when it comes to mechanical issues, gotta start somewhere I suppose.
Any help at all will be appreciated, I wanna have a decent idea of what it could be before I let a garage charge me ££££'s for something i don't need.
Hopefully its not the gearbox :'(
EDIT : All the belts/dephaser were changed less than 10k miles ago

 

[Darren S]

Did you have the belts replaced by someone reputable? These RS Clios are very particular about having the belts setup correctly.

I was going to suggest the belt that hangs off the alternator - mine did the same noise after a jet-wash, but would quickly go away after 5 seconds or so. The noise is still there with the engine off? That's a weird one!

 

[HarryJS]

Sorry I must have worded it wrong, I meant it makes a slight noise as I turn the engine off, once the engine has been turned off fully it stops, if you get what I mean lol. And yes the belts were done by Torque Garage near newcastle, as far as I'm aware they are a popular garage with a decent rep, not some back alley bodge job. And it was 10k miles ago so surely it would have made the noise sooner if they were done wrong? Sorry, like I say I ain't that savvy when it comes to stuff like this, still learning lol. But yeah the noise doesn't seem to be coming from the engine bay and wet conditions dont seem to make a difference.
( http://www.torquegarage.co.uk/ is the garage, good reputation and happy customers as far as I know )

 

[Darren S]

Have you got a video of the noise at all?

 

[Freeman_1986]

Open bonnet. Look at the bracket that attaches the bit behind the battery to the car, near the suspension top mounts on the passenger side.

Mine had snapped off and was touching slightly. Caused the squeaking when engine running, and the squeak when I turned engine off. I took the snapped part off the car and it stopped completely.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[HarryJS]

Open bonnet. Look at the bracket that attaches the bit behind the battery to the car, near the suspension top mounts on the passenger side.

Mine had snapped off and was touching slightly. Caused the squeaking when engine running, and the squeak when I turned engine off. I took the snapped part off the car and it stopped completely.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Thanks for the reply, turns out its most likely an air leak in the mid section

 

[HarryJS]

Have you got a video of the noise at all?

 

[Darren S]

Exactly the same noise I had - and like you, just when the car was idling.

A new gasket kit sorts it out.

 

[HarryJS]

Exactly the same noise I had - and like you, just when the car was idling.

A new gasket kit sorts it out. :smile:

Cool thanks for the help dude

 

[flebay]

That exhaust mount, bracket and flexi pipe is non standard,they dont look like that from the factory, maybe the problem is from there.