"Clacking" noise on engine start up
 

Evening all. Car's just started to make a sort of clicking and clacking sound from engine bay when idling from cold. AC off. What can this be? Will see if it does it again and when hot too. Car runs brill otherwise.

Thoughts much appreciated.

Dodgy alarm siren maybe????

Hadn't thought of that. Alarm works fine though.

A kind of clicking sound came from my D5 at idle a while back, it turned out to be the alternator pulley.

I would pop the bonnet and have a look at the aux belt while the clacky clicky was happening. The aux belt tensioner should not be moving back and forth more than a mm or two and the belt should be running smooth.

Thanks for the help guys, I'll get this looked into. It has had a replacement alternator fitted recently.

Make sure it's fitted with a clutch pulley.
They can often be supplied with a standard pulley or they may have swapped over your old pulley which could be past its best.

Much appreciated Cheshire, is car safe to use till sorted? Don't want anything snapping or going bang. :nah:

I wouldn't put it on the long finger or plan any trips until sorted.
Yes a flappy belt , if that is what it is as seems likely, can soldier on for a bit but in many cases if the aux belt lets go or gets derailed it takes out the timing belt and it's game over.
No pressure or anything :). I wouldn't drive it if it were mine but I'm a scaredycat.

It depends if that is your issue so have a good look at the area.
Mine squealed and the belt flapped for weeks but that definitely isn't the way to deal with it.
Brendan's route is the way to go if the pulley is at fault.
My whole experience from last year is here.......
http://www.volvoforums.org.uk/showthread.php?t=202377