Growly Engine & Noisy Air Con On 2020 Aygo

June 9

Our 2020 Aygo is due its first MOT and service since we bought it.

Generally very happy with it, but we'd appreciate input on a couple of noise issues from those who know more about cars than us (so pretty much everybody).

The air con fan has developed a whistle come whine that can almost drown out the stereo. Is that likely a fan / fan bearing and is it an expensive fix? And not covered by the Toyota warranty that's got a year to run?

The other minor thing is a slightly 'growly' engine sound as you rev up. It's not that unpleasant - petrol heads would probably like it in a performance car. We're not overly bothered by it but we've been in other same model Aygos and their engines are noticeably quieter. It's not an exhaust rattle and was present when we bought it nearly a year ago. A friend who knows marginally more than us wondered if it could be a timing issue that could be easily rectified?

It was bought from a main dealer who'd done all its servicing. We'll probably be using a good independent garage for this full service. Model is MY18 x-clusive 4, petrol, manual, only done 20000 miles.

June 9

A bit more Googling suggests the AirCon squeal is often down to its compressor belt or bearing. The latter doesn't sound cheap.

June 14

Hi,

what you have described may well be the auxiliary belt needs re tension if there is not an automatic tension pulley. The radiator fans bearings could be bad too but not necessary, sometimes it’s just a dirt trapped near the bearings and a good car wash and eventually an engine bay wash if it’s dirty can help on that.
AC may need regas too. Your car is 4 years old and this is exact time when you need to do ac regas. This process adds gas + oil to the system and makes the air conditioning compressor work easier, which reduces fuel consumption, extends compressor life, ac works more efficient and the car drives more pleasant with less noticeable on and off of the ac compressor.
For the engine noise it could be from exhaust indeed but this doesn’t necessarily mean you have a leak. If you drive your car exclusively on short town trips the exhaust pipes can be filled with water from the vapour that happens when engine is warming up and weather is cold, some of this water can be trapped in the silencers and create gurgling noises. Take the car for a motorway drive and accelerate faster few times pass 4000rpm to clean exhaust.
And at the end book service for AC, change cabin filter , do a yearly service for your car and talk to your mechanic about these. Push for warranty repair if necessary.
Good luck