Sleigh Bell type noise from belt?
 

Hi everyone,

I have a 1998 Chevrolet Cavalier, and am the original owner. Fortunately, I've had a very smooth run with this car and until now have never had an issue.

About 4 months ago I was idling at a stop-light and noticed a sleigh bell type noise coming from the front end, the car is usually extremely quiet. I drove it right to a local shop in Brooklyn but by then the noise had stopped so the repairmen didn't know what to look for. The noise may best be described as a high frequency rattle, if it weren't coming from the engine, I'd consider it a fairly pleasant sound...

Nonetheless, it is now very consistent and is a bit disconcerting. It tends to begin after driving for about 15 minutes, sometimes it lasts a long time and other times it abruptly stops.

I'm about 70 miles away from any mechanic that I trust so am trying the best I can to gather some insight in the event I need to take it to a local mechanic that I do not know. Essentially, I'm looking for some idea of what the $$ will be before I visit a shop.

I'm wondering if an expert may be able to shed some light on the situation given the paucity of information I can actually provide. My personal knowledge of what is under the hood stops at where to add oil and windshield wiper fluid.

This photo shows the engine of a 98 Cavalier, not mine. The noise is coming from the left hand side, from the grey metal encasement with coil visible through 6 opening. There is a belt attached either to it or to something behind it.

[URL="http://gtcarlot.com/data/Chevrolet/Cavalier/1998/3800072/Engine-38876992.html"]

Any help would be greatly appreciated, thanks!!

I have a 1996 cavi and it's been making the exact same noise, again only after running for a while. It used to be perfect but now its staring to sound like a New Orleans jazz band.