Help kill the whistle sound..please!!

[bandalita]

Hey everyone!!!
I love my emerald green '98 Explorer. It rides so smooth!! But has anyone noticed that when your running the AC, after the engine gets hot, air leaks somewhere and makes this loud whistling noise? It really gets annoying when I'm stopped at a light. Any ideas on how to fix this??? Pleaseeeee help make the "wooooooo" sound stop, LOL.
Thanks!!
Ban

 

[4U2NV]

I have the same problem on my 00 sport.. noticed it about a month ago.. i will be making an appointment w/ the dealer.. damn thing sure is annoying

 

[Stephen]

You mean a low wistling sort of noise?

Ever turned the A/C off when thats happening, it actually gets worse!

 

[jwild4x4]

If the sound you are speaking of is coming from under the hood, and sounds like harmonics you are not alone. The good news is that the problem is very easily fixed.

A couple of questions first... Does the sound only happen when you are idleing? And then does it go away once you give it gas?

If this sounds like the problem, then 9 out of 10 times, the problem is a bad IAC (Idle Air Control) valve. Over time, carbon deposits on the inside of this solenoid valve causing it to stick. The new part is roughly $90-$100 from ford, or you could go with another brand. Cleaning out the valve is only a temporary solution, and the humming will return shortly after. This valve is located usualy on the side of the intake manifold. It is a metal cylindrical (looks like a small electric motor) valve mouned with two Bolts. It has a black button looking object on it's side (it's actually some sort of air vent). Anyhow, just replace the bad boy yourself, save the money on labor!!! It's only two screws, and the lovely Ford guys would get an hour of labor out of you! Hope this helps. I just fixed the same problem myself. good luck.

Jason

 

[tbomb]

well, i had a similar problem. i wouldnt call it a 'whistling' sound, but mine was more of a hissing - sounds like a vacuum leak. i took in to my mechanic and he said it wasnt a vacuum leak. the SOHCs (not all of em, but a lot of em) have a plastic plenum, and the hissing is just the air rushing through the plastic. how annoying is that?!

in my opinion, engine parts made of plastic (and ford still charging a pretty penny for an explorer) just shouldnt be.

the thing with describing noises on the internet is that its tough to explain. i was thinking about recording my hissing noise and posting it on here, but then i thought to myself, 'do i really have that much time on my hands? and no matter what it is, im gonna have my mechanic fix it anyway" lol. good luck with your problem, and if you take it ford, dont let them give you the run around - they have a reputation for resetting the computer, then the problem comes back in 2 days and you gotta go back - pains in the a$$.

 

[jwild4x4]

The sound my X made was similar to air being blown over the top of a bottle and was coming from the intake. Hope this helps.

 

[sideswipe]

Just had the same noise on my 98 with all this hot weather. Thinking it was the brake pads wearing (sensor), I replaced them. Guess that wasnt it. Heck, they needed to be replaced anyway.

 

[bandalita]

Thanks for the info!!

Hey Jason and all,
Thanks for the great information! I'm sending your comments on to my hubby/shadetree-mechanic, so hopefully the noise will go away this weekend(crossing fingers). Jason the noise is constant,(after the engine gets hot with AC running) and doesn't go away when I give it gas. Thanks for your help!

Ban

 

[BUCHVILLEMAN]

jwild4x4 is absolutely right on the fraking money. this problem has eluded me and many for a long time now. The IAC quit howling for me after i cleaned it but i anticipate that it will come back. mine would get so loud that i was embarrassed to ride around town because everyone was starring. i didtn want a lawsuit for peopel breakign their necks trying to see what noise was coming at them.

 

[mikeresin]

i have a funny noise too but mine isnt at idl;e its when im driving. sounds like there is air leaking out somewhere. its abnoxious as hell too.

hahaha gotta love ford.

 

[BUCHVILLEMAN]

in 97 i bought my x with 50k on it. my pa in law bought a chevrolet pu brand new 0k at the same time. to date i have 135k and he has 80k so we do a similar amount of driving. his vehicle is used to go get groceries, drive to town, etc. he has a s-10 to drive inthe woods with so his full size gets no offroad use. i drive the hell out of my x. on the beaches in the mud, in the snow, i tow stuff. just about any problems i have had with my baby have been due to my mistreating it. well that chevrolet truck has had more problems, by far, and not cheap either. BUT my explorer gets dogged around here because its a ford in chevy county. it trips me out. last week uncle bruce who drives a silveroda 2wd with a 350 git stuck in the sand. he has posi rear and 31s and all he did was bottom out. i got up to him inthe x put it in 4low, hooked the strap to his hooks to my hitch and yanked him out. now it took a couple pulls and he was so sure that the x wouldnt get him out. i still get no respect because ive got 32s with a v6 they think its blasphemy because i dont have near the power as some of these guys with their v8s. thats okay. i play more and have more fun.

thanks for letting me vent. oh ya mike. if your explorer is hissing wear it is a badge of honor because you got a built machine. i think im going to go get a cup of coffee to cool down (??)

 

[mikeresin]

hah i love ford. i would never buy a chevy. well i would buy a 68 z28 or a 69 chevelle but i would never buy a new chevy. i love my X. i just like makeing fun of ford becuase they are cheap *****. the engines in fords are built tough. all the details and little parts are what break all the time. =)
but hey, we all love ford, flaws and all.

 

[Stephen]

Originally posted by jwild4x4
The sound my X made was similar to air being blown over the top of a bottle and was coming from the intake. Hope this helps.

Thats my problem! Thankya.

 

[KJB]

I had the same problem on my '96 Explorer. The noise is coming from the IAC valve. On the side of the IAC valve is a black plastic breather. Snap the plastic cover off and you will find two small felt filters that are clogged with soot. Clean them or like I did through them away and snap the cover back on.

 

[jwild4x4]

While just dumping or cleaning the filters may eliminate the sound, it really won't do anything for your caked up IAC valve. The carbon depoists on the inside keep the valve from moving freely. Ditching the filters just changes the way air moves through the setup, thus eliminating the harmonics, but not really fixing the true problem: The bad IAC valve. Just my .02

Yeah, it is nice to not break people's necks anylonger while driving through town. I was also walking out of the mall the other day, and heard the distinctive hum, and quickly located the x making it.. I wanted to go tell the guy what the problem was, but I would have felt like an ass. He should be on this site anyway

Jason

 

[BajaXplorer]

Ive been fighting this since Ive owned my SOHC X(June 6th)

Ive cleaned the IAC throughly, and still have the noise. Thers a small figure "8" gasket under the IAC that needs to be replaced when changing out the IAC as well(just thought you folks would want to know) but mys as clean as I can get it with a toothbrush and carb cleaner and still have the whistle. Im broke at the moment or Id walk next door, plunk down my $56 , and get a new IAC at Ford.

Its either my IAC, or my tranny seperator plate that I mentioned before.??

Interesting note, the factory service manual states in BOLD letters DO NOT CLEAN THE IAC the OHV one can be cleaned but because the filters on the SOHC IAC will hold in the carb cleaner, I guess they want you to plunk down money on them and replace the entire unit(and make your wallet lighter.

 

[4U2NV]

I think thats the same problem i am having i will look into it.... i was beginning to think it had something to do with the holes i made in my air box... cause it started awhile after i drilled it..

 

[jwild4x4]

On my 4.0L V6, my IAC didn't have a gasket. There was an "o-ring" built into the IAC mounting area. I just cleaned the mounting area, being careful not to knock any dust or dirt into the hole, lubed the o-ring very lightly with some motor oil and installed it. Took less than 5 minutes.

Oh, I almost forgot.. Welcome to the site bandalita! I don't think that it is your IAC valve if the sound doesn't go away even while you're driving/accelerating. It could be. If you can lift the hood, and start the engine, and if it sounds like the sound is coming from your intake, then it might still be the IAC. But it kinda seems like you might have a different problem. I didn't want you to go out and buy the part only to have it not fix your problem. Best of luck.

Here's a picture of one.

Jason

 

[drmoore71]

thank god!! i have been hearing this "howling" noise from the air filter area for weeks, and just thought it was som sort of harmonic thing i wouldn't be able to get rid of...i will try to clean this iac tomorrow. thanks guys!

 

[Xplor]

Yup, ever since, I installed the KKM filter. I here a hissing noise on acceleration