I own an ’06 Boxster with 16,000 miles. It recently started making some strange noises. I am curious if anyone may be able to recognize the noise and point me in the right direction in terms of fixing it.
The first video shows a noise that comes from the engine compartment when the engine is cold. To reproduce, I start the vehicle after having been off for a couple hours. Either driving or parked, I rev the engine to about 3,000 RPMs for approximately one minute. Then, I slowly lower the RPMs until I get to exactly 2,200 RPMs, at which time this whiny noise starts. If I can hold the RPMs steady at 2,200 RPMs, the noise will remain prevalent. If I continue to lower the RPMs, the noise will fade by 2,000 RPMs. It always starts at exactly 2,200 RPMs. The noise occurs regardless of whether the vehicle is in gear or not, regardless of whether the vehicle is in motion or not, and regardless of whether I am on the clutch or not. After about five minutes of operation, the noise disappears not to be heard again until the next time I start the engine cold. It has been doing this for about 3 months now, though I only drive the car about twice a week on average. The sound seems as though it is coming from the engine compartment, though I cannot pinpoint whether it is stronger on the left or right side. For what it’s worth, it seems as though the noise is exterior to the engine though I’m not an expert so don’t take this as fact.
Video #1:
2006 Porsche Boxster Noise #1 - YouTube
The second video shows a more recent noise that started coming from the engine compartment. It happens all the time, regardless of whether the engine is hot or cold. It happens whenever I hit the accelerator with a fair amount of force. As the engine begins to rev up, it makes this high pitched sound for a split second. It also happens regardless of whether the vehicle is in gear or not, regardless of whether the vehicle is in motion or not, and regardless of whether I am on the clutch or not. All I have to do is quickly hit the gas pedal at any point and it will make the sound, whether I’m stopped at a traffic light or accelerating while already in motion. Again, the sound seems as though it is coming from the engine compartment, though I cannot pinpoint whether it is stronger on the left or right side. And again for what it’s worth, it seems as though the noise is exterior to the engine though I’m not an expert.
Video #2:
2006 Porsche Boxster Noise #2 - YouTube
Thanks in advance for any insight you might be able to provide!