What makes our cars sound so strange (stock)?

[sjgYFZ200]

ok i got a really newb question. (stock) my car sounds like no other car ive ever heard, let alone another 4 cylinder. ive never heard a 2g, does it sound the same way? im talking about that extremely loud whine at idle. i was thinking maybe because of the turbo, but at idle its not boosting...does anyone else know what im talking about? its kinda like an electric motor, it just whines out like a spaceship or something. i know evo's dont sound that way either.

 

[ADrewzki]

Like a spaceship? Like on the Jetsons or something? Does the whine get louder as you step on the gas? Some fuel pumps will cause a whine. A little more information would be extremely welcome. You know, maybe a general location (engine, rear, etc.), things that aggravate the noise (if any), and anything you've tried so we don't waste our time suggesting things already tried. Just saying there's a whine at idle doesn't give us much to go on.

 

[WombatTSi]

You're probably hearing the Oil pump, as its gears were straight cut until 93 (hense the whining). I love that sound. If you don't like it you can get new oil pump gears that have a helical cut.

 

[BISHILVR]

your timing belt cover could be rubbing against the pulley or belt......

 

[Tallen]

One of my emissions solenoids used to whine before I removed them.

 

[sjgYFZ200]

no sorry, what i meant is the engine. i know theres nothing wrong with it, but take your normal 1g. they just sound so different than any other 4 cylinder. when you throw on an exhaust, maybe it sounds different, but stock, my car sounds like no other car on the road.
does anyone else know what im talking about?

 

[BISHILVR]

no sorry, what i meant is the engine. i know theres nothing wrong with it, but take your normal 1g. they just sound so different than any other 4 cylinder. when you throw on an exhaust, maybe it sounds different, but stock, my car sounds like no other car on the road.
does anyone else know what im talking about?

well, every engine design does have its own musical signature, so yeah i understand.....its funny from working around gm products a little while, i can still tell what type of engine it is when i hear a car start up, and i mean without even looking in the direction of the car itself....no joke, especially the gm 2.5 liter or 2.2 very easily detected........

 

[project94tsi]

power steering pump, alternator, oil pump gears. there are all kinds of things that can make a whine noise. There is a Datsun 280z at my school with a 350 small block swap and it has the whine of a supercharged at idle but when i asked him about it he said no it was his power steering pump.

 

[pianoman]

Its the timing belt. I remeber when I got my gst I had the TB done and it sounded like a battery powered car, I used to hate it. It really sounded like an RC car. So I cut my DP right infront of my cat and never head the sound, or much else agian. Also all of my cousins with awd's theres don't sound like my gst did, nor does my tsi and my gsx never did either, but my uncles fwd laser did. Call me strange but I believe its a FWD thing.