Engine whine/whistle with acceleration

rcs

Joined
Sep 4, 2022
Messages
389
Hi Guys,
I have searched this but have not found exactly my problem.
My Honda Pilot has developed a whistle/whine noise with acceleration. At first I thought it was my tires on a newly paved road I was driving on, but it isn't. When I let off of the gas pedal the noise goes away. When I am at idle in my garage the noise is not present, unless I rev the engine then I can hear it. My most recent post was I had the timing belt, water pump and all pulleys changed a few weeks ago with the Aisin kit. I have a new serpentine belt as of 2 months ago, but the pulleys were good per my mechanic and did not need to be changed. I have had ALL fluids, oil change, brake fluid, transmission, differential fluids changed in the last 4 to 6 months. I have a new Honda battery as of last month.
Please help this gal with this as it is something new. It is bad enough I am dealing with the noise from the Aisin kit. I will be taking this issue to the dealership as soon as I can get an appointment as opposed to my independent mechanic. I am very worried about this.
Your thoughts, advice and time in responding to my problem is greatly appreciated.
 
It might be helpful if you provided the year, engine, and mileage of your vehicle.
 
Exhaust leak in front, at the manifold or catalytic convertor. You can test this by stuffing a rag in the muffler. Start it up, the noise will be worse. If there's no leak, the backpressure will blow the rag out.

Or an air intake leak, see if the air filter box and tube to the manifold is secured & not cracked.
 
Also there are no problems with acceleration and no issues with idling, it seems to run fine. I did just have both rocker arms put in new as the compliance bushings were leaking
 
Exhaust leak in front, at the manifold or catalytic convertor. You can test this by stuffing a rag in the muffler. Start it up, the noise will be worse. If there's no leak, the backpressure will blow the rag out.

Or an air intake leak, see if the air filter box and tube to the manifold is secured & not cracked.
Ok,...I will have to look at some diagrams, being a women I am not familiar with these areas :oops:
 
wife had an accord that had a power steering pump whine, maybe check that.
 
Is it safe to drive my car? I know I won't be able to get an appointment with the dealership for a few days. I might just have to stop by my mechanics to have him hear it.
 
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wife had an accord that had a power steering pump whine, maybe check that.
I did have that, and changing the O'ring and new power steering fluid fixed that. Thanks for the thought though. I will check it again though to see if turning the wheels reproduces the noise as well. But I do hear it on a straight stretch of road, near where I live I can get up to 50mph .
 
Remove the serpentine belt for a very short test - see if it goes away. If it does its something that is driven by that belt, or the belt itself.

At least it will limit where your looking.
 
I would be looking hard at some kind of intake leak or vacuum line cracked or off. Is the car driving relatively normal otherwise?
Yes sir, it does drive normally otherwise. I do not hear it when I am pulling out of my garage and going down my side street. It seems only at a higher rpm above 2,000? I tested this when I was idle in my garage. Could I just open the hood and get a screw driver and tighten the nuts and bolts near the air filter box? I know I have to take it to the mechanic, because I really do not know what I am looking at or where the intake manifold etc is located. I do know there is a big hose that goes to the air filter box...is this where I should look?

It is so odd for this to develop...I literally had this vehicle at the mechanics 10 days ago! I am so frustrated.:cry::eek:
 
Remove the serpentine belt for a very short test - see if it goes away. If it does its something that is driven by that belt, or the belt itself.

At least it will limit where your looking.
thanks,...I will have the mechanic do this...being a women I would never do it...
 
Unusual for a Honda of that low mileage to have issues.
I know! I drive like a church lady too,..and I am not that old. I go to work, grocery store, and to church all within 15 minutes of my home. I have mechanics who want to buy my car because I keep up with all of the maintenance, and only wash detail it myself, with the exception of winter washing down the under carriage pf the salt and snow here in Michigan.
 
Well I opened up the hood and put a screw driver in every screw that I could to make sure everything was tight. Of course I did not take off the plastic cover on the engine. I did not see any holes in any hoses or anything leading to the air filter in the engine compartment. :unsure::cry:
 
Yes sir, it does drive normally otherwise. I do not hear it when I am pulling out of my garage and going down my side street. It seems only at a higher rpm above 2,000? I tested this when I was idle in my garage. Could I just open the hood and get a screw driver and tighten the nuts and bolts near the air filter box? I know I have to take it to the mechanic, because I really do not know what I am looking at or where the intake manifold etc is located. I do know there is a big hose that goes to the air filter box...is this where I should look?

It is so odd for this to develop...I literally had this vehicle at the mechanics 10 days ago! I am so frustrated.:cry::eek:
Since it drives 'normally', you could just open the hood, follow every line you can see, and make sure its on and tight. tighten every clamp, etc. Since it happens at speed, make sure nothing is hanging down below the grill, undercarriage. My SIL couldn't figure out a whistling in her truck years ago, took it to mechanics, etc. Two weeks later she figured it out. it was a barbie head that I stick on her antenna as a joke. AS she drove down the road, it would shake and vibrate making a whistling noise.. Yeah, I got a laugh, and an "I'll get you for this".
 
Since it drives 'normally', you could just open the hood, follow every line you can see, and make sure its on and tight. tighten every clamp, etc. Since it happens at speed, make sure nothing is hanging down below the grill, undercarriage. My SIL couldn't figure out a whistling in her truck years ago, took it to mechanics, etc. Two weeks later she figured it out. it was a barbie head that I stick on her antenna as a joke. AS she drove down the road, it would shake and vibrate making a whistling noise.. Yeah, I got a laugh, and an "I'll get you for this".
Thanks Propflux01. Yes I just did that and felt all of the hoses and clamps etc,...everything feels tight and does not feel loose. I did look under the car at the exhaust and did not see anything hanging down. I have very little rust under my SUV, I did look for holes.

It sounds like the noise your tires make on a certain pavement,..that whistling noise. BUT as I mentioned I know it isn't because when I let off the accelerator the noise stops even when I am going 45 or 50 mph, and I can reproduce it in my garage when the car is parked at idle and I rev the engine.
 
After listening to some videos I think it could be the idler pulley for the serpentine belt? Even though when that belt was replaced my mechanic said the pulley felt fine. Maybe with all of the times of taking the belt off and on it damaged the pulley? Would this noise change with the increase in rpms??? Meaning when I am in park and there is no noise then hit the gas pedal the noise starts would this be the idler pulley? Or would the pulley noise be the same?
 
Have you checked the alternator? I’ve had one make a whine with acceleration which turned out to be the voltage regulator was on its way out.
 
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