Intermittent, high pitched squeal, front end 2015 LTD

[Momma Dulce]

Help! Hello! Intermittent front end squeal while driving. Have replaced belt, tensioner, pulley. Not AC related. Not brake related. Not speed related, although it stops when my car is almost at a stop. Noise starts at about 4-5 miles after starting morning drive, and is random after that. Several mechanics have driven the car, but the squeal hasn't happened. I'd love to figure this out! The sound is bouncing off the wall and is very noticable here... I'm afraid something will freeze up on the road and cause a horrible accident!

Here is a link to the squeal.

 

[Fix4Dirt]

that sounds like CVs to me, except it aint speed related. is it rpm related? if you take the belt off is that noise still made? also sounds like the earlier PS pumps in these 2nd gens and ranger whaaa hwaaa whaaaaa can hear that thing comin

 

[peterk9]

Help! Hello! Intermittent front end squeal while driving. Have replaced belt, tensioner, pulley. Not AC related. Not brake related. Not speed related, although it stops when my car is almost at a stop. Noise starts at about 4-5 miles after starting morning drive, and is random after that. Several mechanics have driven the car, but the squeal hasn't happened. I'd love to figure this out! The sound is bouncing off the wall and is very noticable here... I'm afraid something will freeze up on the road and cause a horrible accident!

Welcome to the Forum.
Unfortunately, I am not able to hear the sound over and above the other noise.

Peter

 

[Momma Dulce]

that sounds like CVs to me, except it aint speed related. is it rpm related? if you take the belt off is that noise still made? also sounds like the earlier PS pumps in these 2nd gens and ranger whaaa hwaaa whaaaaa can hear that thing comin

I'll share your thoughts with my mechanic!

 

[Momma Dulce]

Welcome to the Forum.
Unfortunately, I am not able to hear the sound over and above the other noise.

Peter

Hi Peter... Can you hear it here?

 

[peterk9]

Hi Peter... Can you hear it here?

I heard some clicking. Not sure if that is what Fix4Dirt heard to lead him to believe it might be CV joints.
If it gets progressively more constant and you take it to a dealer, insist on taking a tech for a ride with you to point out the sound you are hearing.

Peter

 

[Momma Dulce]

Hi peter, here is a longer part of that video. You can hear a squeal you can hear it when it starts to slow down. The noise stops just before I come to a complete stop.

 

[Fix4Dirt]

I heard some clicking. Not sure if that is what Fix4Dirt heard to lead him to believe it might be CV joints.
If it gets progressively more constant and you take it to a dealer, insist on taking a tech for a ride with you to point out the sound you are hearing.

Peter

yeah i heard clicking. not sure what the other noise is, guess i should have been more specific. after i go through water/wash the X, my cvs sound sort of like that, not rhe normal clicking sound, more similiar to that. or at least i think its the cvs? never fully diagnosed it. granted i have a 2nd gen though. it changes with speed, and its not the hubs, it aint the diff, nor brakes..... though at first i wondered if the main squeal, not the popping could have been something like the PS pump on the earlier x's, but seeing the longer video leads me to believe otherwise. now i am unsure

 

[Momma Dulce]

I heard some clicking. Not sure if that is what Fix4Dirt heard to lead him to believe it might be CV joints.
If it gets progressively more constant and you take it to a dealer, insist on taking a tech for a ride with you to point out the sound you are hearing.

Peter

Hello again! The clicking you heard may have been my blinker while I was driving...

 

[Fix4Dirt]

Hello again! The clicking you heard may have been my blinker while I was driving...

whoops, thats my bad

 

[boominXplorer]

Is it 4x4 or awd? Does it only happen when rolling? If so I'd check ptu fluid but it might be too late

 

[joney]

I hear the high pitched squeal loud and clear. wonder if some small rotating part is making contact with a fixed surface.

 

[Momma Dulce]

whoops, thats my bad

Do you hear the squealing sound?

I think this is the longer video.

Is it 4x4 or awd? Does it only happen when rolling? If so I'd check ptu fluid but it might be too late

It is AWD. Only sometimes happens while the car is moving.

 

[Momma Dulce]

I hear the high pitched squeal loud and clear. wonder if some small rotating part is making contact with a fixed surface.

Joney, I'm glad you hear the noise! Any ideas what it could be?

 

[joney]

It is so high pitched like a violin, makes me think it has to be a small pulley or bearing - or something that is interfering with one of those. As in something metal sticking out and rubbing on something rotating. A misaligned pulley perhaps? You would have more things on your Ex than I have in mine. Fix4Dirt had some interesting suggestions also. Don't know which engine you have or whether it's a turbo. I didn't hear the clicking or other lower pitched noises over that whine (that's where my hearing isn't as good) Interesting you stated the noise decreases when you are coming to a stop, seems that indicates it is rotation related ? Just speculation on my part. Loose caliper or bracket?

Joney, I'm glad you hear the noise! Any ideas what it could be?

 

[peterk9]

I hear the high pitched squeal loud and clear. wonder if some small rotating part is making contact with a fixed surface.

You must have 'younger' ears.

 

[XPARATROOP]

Help! Hello! Intermittent front end squeal while driving. Have replaced belt, tensioner, pulley. Not AC related. Not brake related. Not speed related, although it stops when my car is almost at a stop. Noise starts at about 4-5 miles after starting morning drive, and is random after that. Several mechanics have driven the car, but the squeal hasn't happened. I'd love to figure this out! The sound is bouncing off the wall and is very noticable here... I'm afraid something will freeze up on the road and cause a horrible accident!

Here is a link to the squeal.

If it stops or changes when you apply the brakes it's your front brake wear indicators.

 

[jamesTexplorer]

Mine started like that. Very similar. It was the front, right wheel bearing / hub.

 

[jamesTexplorer]

It wasn’t too hard to change. I ended up doing brakes while I was at it.

The knuckle is aluminum and the hub is steel. The dissimilar metals prevented the two from rusting together.

 

[Dave K 58]

I don't think this is your problem because the pitch isn't high enough, but an open diode in the alternator can cause a high-pitch squeal that varies with engine speed. It causes the voltage to go way up on the open winding causing magnetic saturation in the stator laminations making them oscillate at alternator RPM. This has been know to stump some very good mechanics.
The alternator still puts out, but at a greatly reduced capability. I haven't heard about this happening on a car with a modern ECM - it would probably be detected as an electrical problem.