Car sounds different since repair

frostyspice

My two-year-old Vauxhall Vectra had a replacement steering rack put in last month after an accident in the snow. Now the 'note' of the engine sounds different - louder and higher-pitched than before. Is this a problem - it's quite irritating - but should I worry about it?

motorguy

Power steering pulley belt too tight?

Fanbelt too tight?

Could be one of a hundred things though - best get it checked out.

hartzou

You had better let Vauxhall check your car.

frostyspice

Officer_Dibble wrote: »

So what have Vauxhall said about it?

Nowt, yet. The OH had the steering rack repaired by local independent guy. Not a new original Vauxhall steering rack either (OH did the damage so felt unwilling to part with the cash for new Vauxhall stuff, bought compatible instead).

Should I be driving the car around? I need to do about 1000 miles in it in the next fortnight.

Inactive

Possibly voided the warranty to some degree by doing that, take it back to the independent that fitted it.

frostyspice

Inactive wrote: »

Possibly voided the warranty to some degree by doing that, take it back to the independent that fitted it.

Not sure that I even had a warranty. It was bought at a year old from one of those Network Q places.

Now I'm panicking...

Inactive

If the car is 2 years old, it should still have years warranty remaining.

Pew_Pew_Pew_Lasers!

Possibly a missing seal around the steering column, letting more noise from the engine bay inside the cockpit than before.

anewman

Inactive wrote: »

If the car is 2 years old, it should still have years warranty remaining.

Assuming it was serviced to schedule.

Pew_Pew_Pew_Lasers! wrote: »

Possibly a missing seal around the steering column, letting more noise from the engine bay inside the cockpit than before.

Well easy way to check for that is if it doesn't make the noise at a snails pace.