Hi gang... first post btw

Hyundai I20 Comfort 1.2 5 door registered in UK November 4th. In last few days have started to notice a sort of deep whirring noise apparently coming from something to do with the engine, apparently at relatively low revs, especially when accelerating or slowing down, although it's possible that when going faster it just merges into general engine noise. I don't know if it's normal and can't swear to it as to whether it did it when I first drove the car away.

I gather a noise of this sort has been seen on I10s where it can be caused by a faulty headlight adjustment switch. I tried operating this switch just to see what headlights adjusting sounded like. Yup, they certainly whirr, but that is a higher smoother whirr. Mine is a sort of deeper slower whirr. It also sounds to be associated with engine revs in some way. It sounds like gearwheels whirring slowly. I also gather that there is an engine primer somewhere that can also cause an unnerving whirring noise. I've also seen a suggestion that if the ventilation fan bearings go or something gets stuck in the ventilation system somewhere then that can also produce unnerving noises. But I can hear the ventilation fan and that is a separate noise. I've heard leaf stuck in ventilation before on a previous car and it doesn't sound like that either. My noise sounds very, um, mechanical. I am not getting any warning lights on the dashboard, and to my untutored ear the noise does not sound imminently disastrously expensive. Maybe I'm just being paranoid.

I should also confess that I did have a slow speed encounter low down at the front with a boulder on November 6th (IMG:style_emoticons/default/whistling.gif) but I have touched this up very carefully and it does not now appear to be visible, no dents, no remaining scratches, nothing (IMG:style_emoticons/default/innocent.gif)

I have looked underneath at the front and there is no obvious sign of anything being bent or dangling or anything. There appears to be a piece of horizontal plastic behind the section that encountered the boulder i.e. the paintwork underneath about the middle half of the number plate. Looking down from the top with the bonnet open I see the cooling fan immediately behind the front of the car, but that is higher up. There is a sort of light blue tap with something like H2O written on it (hmmm) but nothing very much visible lower down and nothing obviously bent or out of place.

Any guesses what this noise is? Has anyone else heard it? Are we basically in wait till the first service and then mention it territory?

Thanks in advance for any guidance

Michael

I've had something similar, but only occasionally. It sounds like a ball bearing running around a cup; it only seems to happen within about 5 minutes of starting up. I've mentioned it to the dealer, who said it might be something to do with the power steering. To be honest, I 'm not bothered about it, as long as it's not a symptom of something serious.

I doubt if it's there more than 1% of running time; if it gets more persistent I'll take it back to garage.

I have a similar issue and i need to ask, to you have the heater turned to RED when you hear the sound ?

well, this is the UK in December....the heater control is always on red lol

However, next time i'm out in the car, i'll switch it to cold air, see if it makes a difference.

please do!
As for me, i'll freeze to death before i hear that noise again.

I was out in the car last night, but there were no noises. In fact, it struck me that the sound only occurs when I have a passeger! So maybe it's not coming from my side of the dashboard at all.