Two random questions, I'll post in a single message. First, occasionally when I first start up in the morning ('96 Eddie Bauer, 4.0) I have noticed that the engine will sound very airy and open and it almost sounds abnormal to me and lately I've noticed what sounds like an airy sound as I accelerate, but only when my foot is on the accelerator...any obvious reason? I've checked the hoses and the air intake and everything seems tight.

Secondly, I'm curious if there are computer sensors located anywhere within the transmission or fuel pump that would trigger a check engine light if a problem existed, I've checked Ford's website with no obvious answer.

Thanks for your advice and input!

Yes there are tranny sensors that will trip the CEL. Same with fuel system.

I would think that noise is a vaccum leak or some sort of intake manifold leak. Try searching for vaccum testing.

As far as any CELs you are getting, goto autozone and have them read whatever code you are throwing, it will make it very easy to pin it to a certain problem.

If it is a vacuum leak, is it going to cause me any major problems or am I just losing gas mileage? I just had the X in the shop for a tune up and while in they ran a thorough diagnostic check and they road tested it and claim that everything checked out fine on the computer and drove fine and I should be in good shape for a while. Supposedly, they checked the belts, hoses, etc.

A vaccum leak isnt good...it can cause bad mixtures, it lets unclean air into the system and can wreak havoc on vaccum dependent devices.... but you will usually notice sluggish performance and a rough idle. The noise may just be a weird bend in your intake tube or some buildup on your TB...... or mabey your IAC is stuck... open? I dunno, im just thinking out loud ;)

I'm convinced I'm having the typical problem with my air intake valve described in many posts on this site. I get a loud whistling in hot weather that comes from the far right passenger corner or the engine, right behind the passenger head light. I can live with the noise since it only does it a few months out of the year, but I figured it might be related to this "airy" sound that I'm hearing now. But I wonder if that might also contribute to the "airy" noise I heard tonight when I was accelerating, I was actually thinking that it might be an "airy" fuel mixture...

Not to mention that the car idles very smoothly except a slightly rougher idle when the air conditioner is on full blast...

Don't know if you "airy" sound is the same as mine. Mine is only noticeable when you first start it. After it warms up I haven't noticed it. It basically sounds like the fan.