new VX owner here/ noisy acceleration

[hugoart76]

From what Ive been reading over the last few weeks, my story is like everybody else's. Saw the VX when it came out in the late nineties, had a bowel movement over the styling and vowed that one day it would be mine! That day has finally arrived. I just drove my 2001 EBONY BLACK VX WITH 60,000 MILES home from the dealership. Its beautiful, such an aggressive looking car.
But I have one problem...
-seriously loud wind, engine fan like noise when I step on the gas. Idles great, shifts gears smoothly, just sound like a jet engine or a mack truck UNDER THE HOOD when you accelerate from a stop light. You guys have any thoughts on this?

The condition of the vehicle was mint, not one scratch, flawless exterior(no off roading?). Interior was as good as I could hope for on a 7 year old car I suppose, not as good as the outside but totally clean and in excellent working order. So I took a leap of faith and bought it, hoping that the car is as clean mechanically as it is cosmetically. Maybe the noise is an easy fix????

I purchased a 3 year full warranty with the car hopefully that will come in handy.
Any words of wisdom for a newbie?

[hugoart76]

I will be taking it out for inspection to the recommended VX mechanic out here in Southern California, Mike at Sierra Isuzu. I read hes the best in my area.
but if this is a common problem, maybe I can go in with some info.

[WiSDoM]

Welcome to the group. I wish I could help yeah out with some info. If someone here has had the same issue or any info they will chime in. Good Luck and please post your findings.:cool:

[Jolly Roger VX'er]

I'd start off by checking the EGR nut (the EGR tube connects to the bottom of the EGR via a nut)....it is famous for coming loose and making a "diesel-truck" like sound. If it loosens enough...it can uncouple (mine did this once.)and you should get a check engine light if that happens (provided the light is working). The jet sound might just be that someone removed the airbox elbow inside the left-front (driver side) fender and it could be the pronouced air-flow you hear...or they added a cold-air intake like mine which produces alot of flow noise...hard to say without actually hearing the noise.

Good luck and welcome to the party!

[johnnyapollo]

Some type of mild intake leak could also cause the sound - rushing air into the opening at throttle. The other possibility is on the back end - an exhaust manifold or leak at the flange. Try driving next to the left wall of an interstate and goose the gas with the window down - if you hear a rattle coming from underneath it's probably the exhaust.

Do you hear the sound when sitting in park? Try goosing the peddle and see if it makes the same wooshing noise. If it does, open the hood and have someone else mash the pedal to see if you can figure out where it's coming from. If the intake has been replaced with a cone filter, it may simple be that. If it's more of a rattle sound check the EGR tube nute (under the EGR is a plumbing like fitting that connects the EGR tube coming from the engine to the bottom of the EGR - it sits on the back near the firewall, passenger side of the engine - can with wires coming from the top). As already mentioned, when the nut gets loose it'll rattle.

-- John

[Ldub]

:_wrench: cooling (radiator) fan clutch :_wrench:

[etlsport]

:_wrench: cooling (radiator) fan clutch :_wrench:

yea my vx sounded like a mack truck too for awhile, replacing the fan took care of it, i found mine off a parted VX for 10 bucks.. but you can also get one from a trooper or rodeo i believe

the EGR nut being loose will make your engine sound like a diesel, the fan clutch will give a very very loud WOOSH sound on acceleration

[hugoart76]

YES! Its a loud wooshing gush of air sound when I step on the pedal. Definetly coming from under the hood. No rattle at all. No noise when not hitting the gas.
I opened the hood and stepped on the gas and I think its coming from the fan? I will print this page out and bring it to my mechanic. this all so helpfull..thanks. Any more ideas about what it could be would be greatly appreciated. This forum is SO USEFULL its not even funny!
U guys rock.
Thanks again:)

[Ldub]

YES! Its a loud wooshing gush of air sound when I step on the pedal. Any more ideas about what it could be would be greatly appreciated. This forum is SO USEFULL its not even funny!
U guys rock.
Thanks again:)

I'm about 90% sure the fan clutch is the problem...and if you hang around here very much, you'll find this forum is not only useful, but VERY funny.:smilewink

Welcome :thumbup:

[etlsport]

yea almost without a doubt fan clutch.. pretty easy to replace, make sure you leave the serpentine belt attached to the pulley, using a 12 or 10mm hand held wrench (i forget which) you need to take off the 4 bolts that attach it, when i was doing it my fan kept turning! so what i had to do was use a pipe to extend the wrench and hit it quickly with a hammer to serve as sort of an impact wrench, also had to take the top of the fan shroud off, that was easy though, i think 4 clips and maybe 2 screws... all in all should take u 30-45 minutes

[Phantom]

Good advice on the fan clutch, just thought i'd add when I dropped a k&n filter in mine (thanks tone!) it started making a more pronounced "whoosh" noise than with the regular air filter it had in it when I bought it. I still have the stock air box on mine. So even if it doesn't have a "cone" on it, it could still be the noise of a k&n or green filter in the stock box.

[hugoart76]

thanks you guys, Ldub u rule! Yes its most def the fan clutch. The sound is much worse when the car is first started up. Then as the engine heats up the clutch I suppose does too and loosens a bit and the sound isnt so bad.
I turned the fan when the car was off by hand and it felt stiff and a bit "locked up" compared to my other car(passport). Ive been told this is a sure fire sign of a bad fan clutch.

Thanks again to everyone, well see how the highly recommended Vehicross specialist out here in so cal does on his first job.

The car fax report says the previous owner did the scheduled full mantenence inspection at 55,000 miles. I would however like to get it looked over mechanically anyway. Any areas in particular with these cars that should be looked into? I want to make sure I got a solid VX before I start driving it everywhere.

[SilverBullet75]

Take a look at this thread...
One of the members saved me a ton of money by suggesting the Timing Belt Tensioner. It was making a sound that was similar to what you are describing...
http://www.vehicross.info/forums/showthread.php?t=10722&page=3

[Solitude]

if you have saved a ton of money.. may I suggest you scroll down on the home page and make a donation to support this site... I did it when I finally fixed my windows.. this place is the best for saving money and will only get better as the dealer network dwindles to nothing next year.. welcome to the family

[Ldub]

if you have saved a ton of money.. may I suggest you scroll down on the home page and make a donation to support this site... I did it when I finally fixed my windows.. this place is the best for saving money and will only get better as the dealer network dwindles to nothing next year.. welcome to the family


:thumbup:Now THATS a good answer, twenty bucks a year is a drop in the proverbial bucket when compared to the amount of $ you can save by following the advice found on this site.
To let it wither & die due to lack of funding, would be a sad situation indeed.:sighwgray

[VehiGAZ]

Welcome Hugo! My advice is to monitor your oil consumption with every fill-up until you know what to expect. Some of these engines burn a quart every thousand miles, and some not at all. Learn where your VX falls on that spectrum earlier rather than later. And good move on the warranty!