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It's a harmless noise, but I'm so darned curious as to what it is.

So here we go, I Spy A Noise!


You ever hear a gerbil go to town on his little gerbil wheel? "chity chity chity chity chity"

They're super annoying.

OK, so apparently I have them same gerbil wheels in my car, because it sounds like the same darned thing.

My friend has an OLD toyota that's falling apart... literally... and it makes the same noise, only multiplied about FIVE TIMES.

The only time it makes the "Gerbil wheel chity chity deal" noise is under high stress. Say I am going 60MPH in 5th gear, and I give it some gas... well, the car doesn't really GO anywhere with the B6, but the gerbil wheel starts rollin. GO GERBILS GO!

Does anyone know what I am talking about?

it was tested in the 90s, by most import manufacturers... Unfortunately most test results failed, but a few did survive. Unfortunately like all creatures when they get old enough they start to die off, and your engine power is decreased and it runs rougher because the gerbils that are still left alive, have to jump over all the dead ones still spinning in the wheel.

Yes, but I am actually serious...

At first I thought it would be a wheel bearing issue, but if it only occurs when gassing it, that doesn't really make sense. Does it only occur under stress at high speed, or would it occur if you were to step on it from a stoplight?

It's mostly prevalent when the car's under higher stress than it can muster. Such as, going a low speed in a higher gear.
It'll do it if it's almost stopped and in second gear, for instance, and I try to get it going. The more gas I give, the louder the gerbils run!

is it a manual maybe clutch is slipping or a gear is slipping on its shaft a worn clutch will slip and squeek if worn down to the rivits

Have your alternator belt tightened. Both my 95 and 94 had this problem. Gets worse in the rain, huh?

To tell you the truth, if you hadn't described it as a gerbil wheel I wouldn't have guessed, but I think your speedometer may be giving out. Mine does the same thing, only in cold weather. Check that out. Next time you hear the noise, lean forward a bit, turn off your stereo, and see if it's coming from the speedo.

hmmm.....



its a pully. the bearing inside is worn out. not sure which one but when you give it gas like you explained it puts everything under load. the extra load is making the bearing stress more which is what is making the "eek-eek" sound. better get to that fast before it seizes up and brakes your belt.

I guess I'll check the pulley's. I have to change the alternator belt anyways.
It's coming from the engine bay, not the speedo. Kinda like throwing a marble in the engine and hearing it dance around.