What is that sound???

[Zann]

When I crank my car and sometimes when idling I hear what sounds like a jet engine spooling up. It never lasts long then spools down. I always assumed it was the two fans under the hood by the radiator but I had my car idling with the hood up yesterday while adjusting my headlights and heard the sound. I immediately looked at the two fans by the radiator and they were not turning. I couldn't figure out where the sound was coming from!

I immediately started cursing as I thought the fan motors were bad and the spooling up sound was from a faulty motor not turning the fan but then I turned on the AC and checked those two fans again and they were working and not loud at all - definitely not the winding up and winding down noise I have been hearing.

So what is that sound? Something to do with the turbo? Never noticed it until the last few months.

[krzysztof]

secondary air injection pump?

[ziptron]

It's the secondary air pump.
Located at the right front of the engine, to the right and below the oil filter as you look from the front.
Mines been making that noise for over a year, eventually it will fail and post a check engine.
Doesn't impact anything other than emissions.
In the mean time- I just tell em it's the turbo spinning up!

[Zann]

Thanks for that! It had me curious.

[scarabY2k]

Yep, SAIP

For our earlier model beetles (mines a 2000 1.8t) the rivets will loosen and the center seal will fail. The fix is very easy... gingerly route out the rivets and replace with machine screws and nuts- problem solved. It's all of 2.00 to fix, vs. a couple hundred bucks the dealership will charge you.

[IndyTom]

Originally Posted by scarabY2k

Yep, SAIP

For our earlier model beetles (mines a 2000 1.8t) the rivets will loosen and the center seal will fail. The fix is very easy... gingerly route out the rivets and replace with machine screws and nuts- problem solved. It's all of 2.00 to fix, vs. a couple hundred bucks the dealership will charge you.

WOW, you must have a very cheap dealer since those Secondary Airpumps for the 2000 1.8 run around $377 and 2001 and up $575.
So your dealer is pretty cheap if he only charges your $200 bucks Of course there are Online parts sources where you can get it a lot cheaper. I found them at Partsgeek.com for $277 for the 2000 models and $315 for the 2001+ models.
Of course the 2.00 fix is still cheaper.

[Zann]

So it should normally be quiet then and by mine making that sound it is on it's way out?

But the worse that will happen if it fails is a dash light and crappy emissions? My area has no car inspections so not really worried about emissions.

[scarabY2k]

Originally Posted by IndyTom

WOW, you must have a very cheap dealer since those Secondary Airpumps for the 2000 1.8 run around $377 and 2001 and up $575.
So your dealer is pretty cheap if he only charges your $200 bucks Of course there are Online parts sources where you can get it a lot cheaper. I found them at Partsgeek.com for $277 for the 2000 models and $315 for the 2001+ models.
Of course the 2.00 fix is still cheaper.

Ahhhh, lemmie double check the quote sheet I got from the dealer- It's a couple years old and sitting in my repair files. As my memory serves me, that's pretty close. Still, 2.00 (roughly) for a little bag of machine bolts and nuts is waaaaay, better than 200.00 to repair it.

277.00 isn't too bad to replace it either, and is a easy DIY job IMHO

Originally Posted by Zann

So it should normally be quiet then and by mine making that sound it is on it's way out?

But the worse that will happen if it fails is a dash light and crappy emissions? My area has no car inspections so not really worried about emissions.

The whining, spool sound is normal. If you have an additional, shhhhhh/ sucking sound, that is not and is the tell tale sign of the seal failing. You can know for sure, buy popping your hood, start your beetle, then go under the hood and place your hand around your SAIP. If you're feeling air sucking around the seam, welp, your seal is going or gone- time to do the DIY, by the which, is here on the org