Has anyone had a vibration or buzzing noise coming from somewhere inside their Outlander (it doesn't get worse when I open the window so I think it's inside)?

It happens when in gear - it's a 6 speed manual (stick shift) and with the foot off the accelerator (gas pedal) and foot brake, typically slowing down in traffic or going downhill, and between 1750 and 1000 rpm. It's almost as if there's something buzzing against a body panel, maybe the exhaust, spare tyre (tire) carrier.

I've noticed while revving the car with the bonnet (hood) open that the air filter body, while mounted with rubber bushes does vibrate and hum a lot, but it's a different noise to that.

I know the basic solution - turn the radio up....

 

I just had a problem with my rear license plate holder that was rattling and buzzing when going over bumpy roads. Not related to engine speed though - just a stiff suspension.

Going to post about it at lunch.
CN

 

Hmmmm, don't think it can be that as the license plate is screwed directly to the rear door, and as you say wouldn't be engine speed related.

Thanks for the post though!

 

It probably is the air intake many people including myself have had problems with it causing a booming noise when slowing down and at 1500-2000rpm.

I've wedged foam pipe insulation between the radiator and air intake and fitted two sets of cable ties to help support the flexible middle section. This has reduced the noise significantly. There is a thread on German forum showing the problem and solution run this link through Google translation for more details.

http://www.outlander-forum.de/sogeht...erdaemmung.php

 

Cheers again for the tip, I was suspicious about the air filter moving around a lot. I'm off to get some foam rubber!

Thanks for the advice on this and the CD burning, that's two pints I owe you! Oh, and a third for the forum signature!

 

I used some foam pipe insulation about a 6" length cut in half, then pushed one piece down the top part of the air intake and slid the other piece between the air intake and radiator. It must help because I had one piece fall out and I thought the engine had developed a major problem with the noise it was making!!

With the middle flexible section I joined two cable ties together to make a longer tie and fixed this tight around the section where the rivet comes through, do this on both ends of the flexible tube.

 

Just been down to B&Q and got just that and have also found a few large cable ties, will give it a go tonight.

 

Well that's made an improvement to the noise of the engine (cable ties around filter pipe join and half foam pipes above and below pipe to grille) it's certainly less gruff across the range, but hasn't removed the buzzing, I wonder if I need to try more of the pipe elsewhere as on the German post.

The other thing I wondered is to remove the air filter pipe and / or the grille and just isolate if it is coming from there as it's a strange noise, only happens when coasting (in gear) from 2000 - 1000 rpm, more noticable the slower you're going (i.e. 30mph rather than 50mph).

Otherwise it's going to be the stealership....

 

I'm glad that has helped with some of the noise.

I can't see a problem if you disconnected the air intake section from the air filter to the front grille. Then try a short test drive and see if the buzzing occurs, at least it would rule out one possibility.

So the buzzing doesn't happen when stationary and the engine is revved, only when moving and in gear? Does it stop when you dip the clutch?

 

Yes, it's only when moving and in the 'air filter' rev range, it stops when I dip the clutch - so maybe it is drivetrain related? Or perhaps in dipping the clutch the engine has moved, so 'something' is in a position where it doesn't vibrate any more? I really don't want it to be a drivetrain issue....

It'd seem logical that as we're in the same rev range of the air filter vibrations that it's something around there, but it's a much higher frequency than the air filter roar / drumming - it's almost a zinging / buzzing noise.

I was reading through the rest of the German forum, and found (in the original air filter thread) that the upper and lower sections of the air intake tube seem to resonate too, so may try some cable ties around other parts of that as well.