My 94 corolla with 105 K miles on the clock developed a tapping/clicking 
sound; which to me in my ignorance sounded like a tappet or small end.

So it's round to our local ' Mr Whiz',  who listens, listens more, revs up 
and listens some more.

Then he whips out the WD-40, sprays it at the alternator....  Noise gone, 
smiles all round, and off I go.

Perhaps someone might educate a novice about my preconceptions. I would have 
thought that spraying a liquid on to a working alternator might create 
problems with it going inside and shorting something?   Also to the extent 
that WD-40 does have some lubricating properties (albeit for a short time) 
might that not have caused the driving belt to start slipping and playing 
up?

john d hamilton wrote:
> My 94 corolla with 105 K miles on the clock developed a
> tapping/clicking sound; which to me in my ignorance sounded like a
> tappet or small end.
> So it's round to our local ' Mr Whiz',  who listens, listens more,
> revs up and listens some more.
>
> Then he whips out the WD-40, sprays it at the alternator....  Noise
> gone, smiles all round, and off I go.
>
> Perhaps someone might educate a novice about my preconceptions. I
> would have thought that spraying a liquid on to a working alternator
> might create problems with it going inside and shorting something?  Also 
> to the extent that WD-40 does have some lubricating properties
> (albeit for a short time) might that not have caused the driving belt
> to start slipping and playing up?

most likely it was the belt he sprayed it at, they can make all manner of 
noises.  the noise will probably return and a new belt is the right cure.  I 
had a focus diesel in the other day, from the noise you would have thought 
that a bearing was going, a quick spray of belt spray showed that it was 
just a noisy belt, clean the pulleys and a new belt fixed it.

Mrcheerful

On Sun, 31 Aug 2008 15:03:31 +0100, john d hamilton  
<bluestar@mail.invalid> wrote:

> My 94 corolla with 105 K miles on the clock developed a tapping/clicking
> sound; which to me in my ignorance sounded like a tappet or small end.
>
> So it's round to our local ' Mr Whiz',  who listens, listens more, revs  
> up
> and listens some more.
>
> Then he whips out the WD-40, sprays it at the alternator....  Noise gone,
> smiles all round, and off I go.
>
> Perhaps someone might educate a novice about my preconceptions. I would  
> have
> thought that spraying a liquid on to a working alternator might create
> problems with it going inside and shorting something?

NOt generally, & specifically not WD40

> Also to the extent
> that WD-40 does have some lubricating properties (albeit for a short  
> time)
> might that not have caused the driving belt to start slipping and playing
> up?
>
>


If you get it on the belt it can.

"john d hamilton" <bluestar@mail.invalid> wrote in message
news:g9e8bj$ski$1@registered.motzarella.org...
> My 94 corolla with 105 K miles on the clock developed a tapping/clicking
> sound; which to me in my ignorance sounded like a tappet or small end.
>
> So it's round to our local ' Mr Whiz',  who listens, listens more, revs up
> and listens some more.
>
> Then he whips out the WD-40, sprays it at the alternator....  Noise gone,
> smiles all round, and off I go.
>
> Perhaps someone might educate a novice about my preconceptions. I would
> have thought that spraying a liquid on to a working alternator might
> create problems with it going inside and shorting something?   Also to the
> extent that WD-40 does have some lubricating properties (albeit for a
> short time) might that not have caused the driving belt to start slipping
> and playing up?

It was most likely the belt. I used to rub chalk on the edge of my fan belt
when my old MK1 Escort used to make that slight squeeky sound. It stopped it
for a few months, but then reappeared after damp weather. Oil is a good
insulator and won't do any harm to the alternator from an electrical point
of view. Get a new alternator belt. It will cure it.

Graham