Squeak/Squeal Coming from Rear Door

[gumbo2000]

Hello all!

I have a very strange problem with my 2004 Mercury Mountaineer that I'm hoping you all will be able to help me with. I occasionally have a squeak or squeal that comes from what sounds like the rear door hatch. The sound is rarely the same tone, volume, or length. Sometimes it's just a quiet little chirp, sometimes it's loud and long, and sometimes it starts quiet and gets louder as it goes. It only lasts for at most ten seconds. In a way, it sounds like wind is blowing thru some kind of reed. Not like a duck call though...higher pitched. As a kid, if you've ever taken a blade of grass between your thumbs and blown air thru it to annoy your folks...it's something like that. It's very hard to explain.

I've driven myself crazy trying to come up with a pattern. It happens when I'm accelerating, maintaining my speed, and slowing down. It happens when at a complete stop...in gear and out of gear. It happens rain or dry, cold or wet. It comes and goes as well. I can go months without a peep and then days like yesterday it does it every 10 minutes....driving me absolutely nuts!

It definitely doesn't sound like brakes or anything suspension related.

The weather stripping around the door and window looks fine. On noisy days, I've tried re-shutting the back door and window but it doesn't get rid of the sound. I wish whatever it is would just break so I can figure out what it is and get it fixed.

One other thing....I recently developed a crack on the back door. It's horizontal from the back door window...along the Mercury logo....and down ending just above the door latch. I'm not sure if it is related but it seems like a strange place to develop a crack and its around the general area where the sound seems to be coming from.

Thanks in advance for any help you can give!

 

[gumbo2000]

Sorry to bump this topic but I am still having this problem.

A coworker told me her ex had a similar problem with her expedition and it ended up being some kind of compressor for climate control towards the rear of the vehicle. I'm not sure if the Mountaineer has anything like this since it is much smaller? It does seem like I have been getting the noise less while having the rear climate fan control on something other than it's lowest setting.

I've since found out that the crack is unfortunately...normal.

Thanks!

 

[Keeper0311]

I'm having similar issues with my 2000 Explorer Sport. When the vehicle is idling, the drivers side door will have a constant squeeking. As soon as I step off the brakes the squeek is gone.

Any ideas?

 

[DLinkOZ]

I can't explain why it sounds to be coming from the door. And everything I'm about to say is pure speculation, so keep that in mind:

Rule out the breaks - You're sitting still, so I don't see how that would be the cause. If your vehicle has hydroboost problems (not sure if that's used on your vehicle), then the problem wouldn't go away when you take your foot off the break. I had a Mustang with a leaky steering rack, and when the fluid got low I'd get a grinding when I hit the brake pedal. Only turning off the engine made it stop.

What else could make a noise when brakes are applied? Right off the top of my head, only the torque converter comes to mind. But I wouldn't think that would manifest as a sound in the driver's door (or in general a sound to the left of the driver).

 

[Keeper0311]

I don't think it could be the torque converter. When the squeaking starts if I put slight pressure down and out on the door, the squeaking will stop. And once I remove the pressure it'll start again.