9-5 Aero - very loud noise from engine bay (not alternator!)

[GeordieInExile]

My 9-5 is very, very loud from about 30mph upwards. The noise doesn't get louder if I rev and it doesn't go away if I drop the clutch - it's consistently there and rises in pitch and loudness the faster I go.

It's not the alternator - that was replaced recently - so what could it be? I've seen engine mounts being mooted as a possible culprit.

[shogun001]

As it's speed related and not engine rev I'm going to go with something in the gearbox (As it's all still turning even with the clutch down) or wheel bearing. Possibly diff? It's all a guess without actually hearing what the noise is like however.

[GeordieInExile]

It could also be related to the bumper damage I inflicted on the poor thing - if the wheelarch lining has also come loose that'll be rubbing against the wheel? Would explain the vibrations I'm feeling through the wheel as well.

It's going into the garage today to get that fixed which will hopefully solve the noise problem! Nothing else has changed, just the body damage, so it would seem the two are linked.

[GeordieInExile]

GeordieInExile said:

It could also be related to the bumper damage I inflicted on the poor thing - if the wheelarch lining has also come loose that'll be rubbing against the wheel? Would explain the vibrations I'm feeling through the wheel as well.

It's going into the garage today to get that fixed which will hopefully solve the noise problem! Nothing else has changed, just the body damage, so it would seem the two are linked.

Nope, nowt to do with the body... it's a wheel bearing. That'll be another £150!

[shogun001]

I've recently replaced one of my front bearings with an SKF unit which I purchased for £80. I'm guessing you're not doing it yourself?

[GeordieInExile]

I bloody well will next time - £45 for a wheel bearing off Neo Brothers. Watched a video after getting the car back and it didn't look like too troubling a job. It's going to need discs and tyres next, and the wheels are tatty... I think I'll do the discs with a mate (he has a good amount of space off-street and the tools for the job) and sort the wheels and tyres together by waiting for a nice set to show up on FB Marketplace