[theboynoz]

Edited above post

So tonight I decided that having spent a couple hors yesterday doing the rear discs and pads on the sister in laws MK8 Civic I should actually fix something on my own car for a change, and managed to pull out the old alternator and fit the new (second hand) one which seems to have stopped the whining. I did check with the aux belt removed and the whining stopped so figured it was either alternator OR tensioner pulley...... so at £25 I went for the cheap option.

However, it was not all plain sailing, as I found that after refitting the heat shield on the manifold there was smoke! I do think this is the result of me getting the wire brush out and cleaning some grime off the parts I had access to and it may have fallen on the manifold, but as I cannot be sure I now need to strip it down and check I didn't snag any wiring or anything...... Damnit! 1 and a half hours and I could have waited!