99 Cherokee I6. There is low pitched noise coming from the area of the water pump and alternator. Like a grinding grumbling. The water pump pulley is not loose and will not rock back and forth. Nothing is leaking. Tomorrow is forecast as icey and I have a choice of sending my wife 30 miles each way to work in the Cherokee or a 2005 Mustang, which is absolutely terrible in the snow or ice. I can get the car into the shop on Thursday for diagnosis and repair. Since the pulley is not loose I am thinking it will be OK for another day even if it is the water pump bearings. Thoughts?
I continue to be amazed at the poor advice offered on this site. Water pump bearings are sealed and therefore not able to be lubricated. Please do not add oil to your cooling system as you will contaminate your cooling system. While it is true that spraying WD-40 on the pulley will quiet the noise IF IT WAS A BELT NOISE!! And yes it will effect the other pullies since this vehicle most likely has a serpentine belt. If you can, pull the serpentine belt off and spin each pulley to determine which one is making the noise. If it cannot be detected this way, use a long screwdriver or other piece of long, thin metal and place it close to each pulley. this will tell you which one it is. If it is the water pump, or alternator, it will most likely be safe to wait for a couple of days to get it serviced. I would keep the Mustang in the garage and send her in the Jeep. Just don't wait much longer to get it serviced.
Have you got a long screwdriver or metal rod that you can set against each place you need to check the sound. If so with auto running place one end on suspected bad unite and the other end up against your ear hole. Bad sounds will be exploited with this manor of testing. Be careful OK!
could be water pump bearing going sure couldbe one of the pulleys bad as well and id sure chance the trip and keep the mustang off the road if you dont have to really if it locks up should nt be hard to replace anywhere really not that hard of job and doesnt cost much at autozone
Check the Tensioner pulley it is next to the power steering pump. It is the most likely part to fail, and make this noise. Be Careful and place a long screwdriver on a none moving part of each part you suspect. If you carefully place your ear on the handle you can tell which part is the loudest. The engine will be running so please be careful or stop off at your local mechanic and have him fix it first. If it is a slight rumble you'll most likely be ok. If it is a loud grinding have her take the mustang or the day off.
nothing is leaking. you're not even sure, positively that the water pump is the culprit. I learned something last week, that if you spray wd40 on the offending pulley it will silence it. The other pulleys of course will not be affected.
