Engine chugging...

2005 Ford KA Design
Car: Ford KA
Year: 2005
Variant: Design
Categories: Running Rough, Starting & Power Loss
Hi there,

Recently I was house hunting in Wales and I noticed my battery warning light came on... and went off... and my headlights were dimming. I found the nearest garage where the mechanic kindly checked my battery and said that it was charging fine. So relieved I got back in my car. Then came this weird chugging noise, and whistling almost like a kettle, when accelerating. It seems to calm down in higher gears.

So managed to drive the 200 miles home and have had a mechanic looking at it.

First opinion was that a component (pully?) on the alternator needed replacing. Cheap to do and the tension was corrected aswell. This was done.

The car was the same.

So mechanic came out again and had a look and came to the conclusion that I needed a new alternator... kind of expected that... so arranged for the work to be carried out.

Had a pleasant surprise when mechanic returned and had said that all he needed to do was replace the charge control module as it had burnt out. Good news!

So now my lights are fine. No dimming :) However there is still a weird noise occuring that no one seems to notice but me, so I'm assuming it's on the right side of the engine. Performance has not been affected.

I am concerned as I am moving to Wales and will have to do that 200 mile trip many times very soon and I can't afford to keep faffing about trying to find a problem and replacing part pointlessly.

Will my car pass it's MOT, am I safe to drive it, and what on earth could it be???

Thanks in advance

:)
Problem added: Oct 22, 2010 (13 years ago)
sorry I meant the right side from the inside... the left if you're standing outside....
Answered Oct 22, 2010 (13 years ago)
Surprised he didn't fit a new / replacement alternator .Is that where noise you hear is coming from ? Nothing you mention should affect MOT .Might be wrong , but thought " the charge control module " was part of alternator .With the pulley also needing replaced , would not have been best to fit replacement ? Could it be alternator bearing noise ?
Answered Oct 23, 2010 (13 years ago)

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