Rattle coming from the front of the motor

[UNOMYFLO]

Does anyone else have a rattle noise coming from the front of the motor when starting their H3 in the am? It only happens when the truck is dead cold. I tried to pinpoint it this am and it sounds like it is either the clutch fan mechanism or perhaps the belt tensioner....really sounds like a heat shield but I pushed down on them and it didnt effect the rattle at all so I have to rule it out. Once the truck runs for a minute or 2 it goes away and will not do it again until the am (truck is comletely cold). I would love to know if anyone else is experiencing this or has has it diagonised or perhaps fixed.

It is definatelly coming from the front of the motor...

Thank You

Mike

[hummerdonthurtem]

That's the horn? Wow, no wonder it sounds to wimpy....LOL

[UNOMYFLO]

Its not a squeeling noise it is a RATTLE/ VIBRATION noise. I have been restoring cars and working on them for 20 years and I have never heard a serp belt make a rattle noise. I am with F5Fstop I think it is the clutch fan mechanism...when the heat sensative bushing inside of the mounting area heats it expands and engages it, plus it must tighten up the juncture and eliminates the noise...I would like to have a definite on this though. I could pull the fan mech and check it just for the short start up period to see if it eliminates it.

[UNOMYFLO]

Oil level is fine, its the serp belt.

Getting it replaced and the pullys cleaned and the tourque checked on the tensioner also.

U

[Game Over]

'm in Bitburg, there's a dealership right outside where I live but it seems like they're a 'lil difficult to deal with. I tried to ask them to order a roof bar set for me and they said it's better If I oredr it from the states 'coz it's going to be expensive and it's going to take a while though them. I mean Damn..'m paying for it. Anyway, I think it's because I didn't get my truck through them. BTW if u don't mind me askin' how much did you pay for yours, they're selling theirs at 55,000 Euro.

Originally posted by Frank1500:
We live in Aachen and our dealer is in Düsseldorf

have a great 2006
from Germany
Frank

Where in Germany are you at, Reason 'm askin' is I'd like to know how your experience was with the dealer.

Thanks[/quote][/quote]

[Bruce]

but some people are complaining about a squeling like mine. i dont have a metal to metal rattle. i have a squelling. is mine normal then?
thanks

[UNOMYFLO]

any word on this from the dealer anyone?

"the rattle"

I still havent made it into the dealer yet.

thanks
UNO

[UNOMYFLO]

UPDATE:

It has been pretty warm here this winter SE GEORGIA.

This am it was 32 coldest it has been in weeks and since the belt change....the rattle is back...I do not feel the belt change and pully cleaning helped although they did say there were contaniments found on the belt and the pullys.

The rattle was also louder than ever, and it did the same ol.....once the truck was warm (and it took much longer even after the needle reached temp.) I also noticed the rattle changes loudness based on the throttle position...basically when I backed out of the driveway it got louder and changed the level of rattle as I applied the gas. Once down the street a bit it was gone.

I was standing on the pass side of the truck this am and now I have a hunch it might be a heat/exhaust shield under the truck. The reason I felt it was coming from the front of the motor (and it still might be this is all speculation at this point) is because I have always stood there and the way the under body cavity and contour is shaped (as in all vehicles) I think it is eminating from under the truck and the sound is traveling from under the body under the cavity for the transmission and out the underneath of the firewall into the engine bay like a megaphone.

I need to crawl under it this weekend as it is suppose to be cold. Every morning I have my dress chlothes on for work and it hasnt been an option.

Definately still there, definately cold and heat affected, goes away when truck is warmed up fully, which this am took much longer than normal.

I do not think it is internal in the motor. I need to get under the truck and check all the skids and all heat shields this weekend...

So bad news guys and gals I thought this was gone and to be honest it has been since the service 2 weeks ago, but again it got real cold here last night..

So I am still on the hunt for the location of the rattle and to stop it..

F5 Help! : > ) can you do some research on your GM computer to see if other techs have diagnosed the problem and fixed it?

The belt change did not fix it.
Thanks
UNO

[f5fstop]

I have no rattle here in MI, and it has been colder than a "you know what." Finally took it to the dealer and got a new PS pump pulley to stop the squeak, and that has not returned.
You have a good idea about pulling the clutch fan and running the engine on a cold morning to see if this fixes the problem. Engine would not be hurt. I would suggest the dealer do this.
I'm at a loss guys. I have listened to at least six H3 starting up on very cold mornings, and not one had a rattle, only two had the belt squeak.

[Okthenbye]

My H3 is 6 mos old and when it was new it made a squeeling noise when cold. It was the serpentine belt. Once they changed it the noise went away.

[evldave]

Something that happened to me a few years ago on my heep. My h2o pump bearings were going, causing a rattle. I was on the road at the time and just had the ability to tighten the belt - did that, sound went away, but 2 days later the bearings went. Tightening the belt made the sound go away, but not the problem. Maybe it's not the belt getting changed, but the belt being tightened down more by the dealer?

[kennyosemite]

No solution comment here . . . just want to commend everyone for their camaraderie. This forum is awesome. I'm still 5 weeks from delivery of my truck and feel the groove as though the problems were my own. Nice to know the caliber of good people here.

[UNOMYFLO]

Hey Susan can you tell me exactly what they did on the repair ticket?
did they clean the pullys and replace the belt?

Or was it just a belt replacement.

Thnx
Mike

[Mike B]

I have a rattle, but it's not when the H3 is cold to warmup--it's when speeding up or pressing the break to stop. I went and checked all areas mentioned in this thread and everything is tight. I did notice that my fan shroud isn't tight and I can shake it, but I can't determine how to tighten it.

[ChevyHighPerformance]

Has anyone been able to get this fixed yet?

[UNOMYFLO]

After the belt change and the pullys being cleaned at the dealer a few weeks ago I still have it. I too believe it is the clutch fan mech. It is temp related and rpm related. Now when I fire her up and it has been colder here in GA when I back out of the driveway the rattle sound is closer together and gets louder 2 min into the commute to work it goes away. A good way to trouble shoot it would be to remove the assy and fire the truck up for a few minutes overheating wouldnt be a problem if ran for 2 min or so. I wonder if the clutch fans are defective...since this is not normal. I wonder how much the assy is I would like to get a price from advance auto if it is cheap I might replacre it to avoid the 4 hr round trip to the dealer..they might re-emburse me as I have a real good repor with the hummer manager...shoot I got a bruish guard fro free due to all the troubles I have had.

If I had time I would yank the clutch fan mech. I wonder if the fan shroud has to come off...probably so but it might be possible to remove the mounting bolts and work the fan and housing out...

The removel of the clutch fan is easy..just need the time.

I am going to call advance now and se if they have an app for a colorado or perghaps the H3 juts for my information....then I will call the dealer and tell them the rattle is not gone.

The encoder has resolved the stab light 4wd deal and the washer pump is replaced and working...if I can get this rattle to go away I am set.

Still love this truck..

UNO

[Susan]

It really did sound like a metal on metal kind of rattle. Honestly, I thought the horn bracket theory a while ago was much more plausible than a belt noise. I will definitely post back and let you know if it solved the issue. Mine started doing it at 30 miles on the odometer and it did get progressively longer in duration, which is what prompted me to actually take it over to the dealership.

[UNOMYFLO]

Bruce I looked in the manual as you said about the rattle and found nothing ..got a page number?

I would love to read it.

I still think it is totally not normal to have it though.shouldnt be there..

[UNOMYFLO]

No the mnual is describing the ffan air movement noise the noise we have is a metal to metal rattle...definately not normal

[UNOMYFLO]

Frank did you have the 50second rattle? or was the noise a squeaking sound?

This am it was warmer then it has been and no noise first time in 3 months...very odd.

I stand by the truck every am and wait for it and this morning nothing....

Shoot if it is the belt I will go to Advance Auto or Autozone or Nappa and buy a belt and put it on myself....the dealer is 2 hours from me.....worth the cash out of my pocket to stop it...I doubt they would send me one.

I would like them to send me the updated rear washer pump so I could put it in myself also.

It would take me longer to get to the dealer than to have the pump installed.


****Not to beat a dead horse but did the belt swap stop the rattling noise? If this is the fix we all are going to get off easy for sure. My biggest fear was a timing chain or something internal inside of the front of the motor.

Let me know
Thanks Frank

Mike