Unidentifiable noise under moderate engine load

[whodoyouthinkyouaretoby]

So this has me and the dealer stumped. Under moderate load a sort of whirring almost cricket/frog like noise can be heard both inside and outside the vehicle.

https://youtu.be/auTi9FTOiNU

Sorry vertical video. The picture isn't important though. The sound begins at 14 seconds as I am accelerating, and changes pitch as I apply more gas at around 18 seconds. It is a sort of high pitched whistling trill, but definitely not the normal turbo sound which can (in person of course) be heard independently of the sound in question. It is not directly dependent on RPM or vehicle speed, although at higher RPM I am capable of "bumping" it up to a higher pitch.

This has been going on for almost a year. I've had the dealer look at it with no luck. It sounds air related. That's honestly all I've got. The vehicle is a 2013 turbo with 52,000 miles on it. The oil has been changed a few times since this began, and the air filter was recently replaced. There was nothing in the filter box but some dirt/sand. Performance has not been affected at all as far as I can tell.

Any thoughts?

 

[Chevrolet Customer Care]

So this has me and the dealer stumped. Under moderate load a sort of whirring almost cricket/frog like noise can be heard both inside and outside the vehicle.

https://youtu.be/auTi9FTOiNU

Sorry vertical video. The picture isn't important though. The sound begins at 14 seconds as I am accelerating, and changes pitch as I apply more gas at around 18 seconds. It is a sort of high pitched whistling trill, but definitely not the normal turbo sound which can (in person of course) be heard independently of the sound in question. It is not directly dependent on RPM or vehicle speed, although at higher RPM I am capable of "bumping" it up to a higher pitch.

This has been going on for almost a year. I've had the dealer look at it with no luck. It sounds air related. That's honestly all I've got. The vehicle is a 2013 turbo with 52,000 miles on it. The oil has been changed a few times since this began, and the air filter was recently replaced. There was nothing in the filter box but some dirt/sand. Performance has not been affected at all as far as I can tell.

Any thoughts?

We regret to hear you are experiencing this ongoing concern with your Sonic and can understand how this is frustrating. As we are not certified technicians we do rely on our certified dealerships to address concerns such as these. To clarify, is your Sonic currently at a Chevrolet dealership? We would be more than willing to offer our assistance. Please feel free to send us a private message with your full contact information, VIN, mileage and the dealership you are working with.

Best,

Cristina
Chevrolet Customer Care

 

[Christopher_2]

I bring this up becuase it was the last place no one looked. Odd sound and I never think of a spark plug backing itself out. Guessing the aluminum head and steel plug have a different coefficient of expansion and work loose.

I can't hear it in the video, check the spark plugs and make sure they are all tight. Mine had a spark plug that was a little loose. It had a small chirping sound under acceleration or a light load that went away most of the time. When I found mine I pulled the coil pack for the plugs and the well one of the spark plugs sits in was discolored from the gas leaking by.

 

[Maddmatts]

Check to see if the rupture disk is ruptured. It tends to cause whistling sounds. It's under the 'Ecotec' cover on the back, driver-side of the valve cover. If the disk is ruptured, sticking a finger over the hole will cause a change in the idle.