Stange Sounds... IAC?

[RammaR]

I'll double check the fan just to be sure. It seemed to get a little better for a few months or maybe I just got used to it. But not that its colder out it seems louder again - maybe its just me paying more attention again. Oh, how does your temp guage read? Mine moves but never above the first 1/4 of the guage - so it never reads "normal". I'm guessing the thermostat is stuck partially open or else maybe the temp sender. Any chance that could be a common thing with the whistle?

Thanks.

 

[1996XLT-68]

Mine goes to the center of the gauge normally... for a while it was fluctuating under driving conditions, about a quarter of an inch but it sorta went away. That was weird. I've got a pinhole leak of coolant somewhere, on cold mornings I've got a little puddle under the car. That's a whole other story though.

 

[RammaR]

Anyone have any luck yet with a solution to the strange whistling noise? Its starting to get annoying again.

Thanks.

 

[Strike12]

Ok , after reading the results from almost a years worth of head banging , I come up with this.

1.IAC , clean and make sure that the pintle is seated when not engaged , Also the return spring for the pintle should feel springy , but not stiff. If its a new IAC , never mind . A clean IAC still can have problems if the return spring is weak , causing the pintle/ valve to come off the seat allowing air to bypass . KInda like a clarenet.

2. Vacuum Leak , Could cause the problem but there'd be other driveability problems , which no one has mentioned thus far.

3. EGR , Have you pulled it and make sure the passages wheren't partially/plugged , egr's really dont start kicking in til that range , typically more so under load .It could make a noise if almost plugged.Trying to pass gas through a small hole with alot of back pressure could make for quit a squeker , lol . But you get my drift . Sorry

4.Collapse Vacuum Hoses , check out all the soft lines and make sure they're firm , not soft .

5.Bad one way check valve , they use diaphrams and can go bad , and as air passes over them could make the sound you describe(vacuum)

6. Dont want to say this one but I will any how , make sure your air intake hose isnt loose and you have a clogged air filter . It has happened. Really

7.Deer Sirens , You have them , do you?

 

[Big6ft6]

Are you guys sure your whistles are in your engine compartment and not behind your dash? I have a very annoying high pitched whistle from the vacuum hoses that operate the heating/cooling ductwork behind the dash.

It usually kicks in when I take my foot of the gas at highway speeds, the vacuum picks up and I get the squeal/whistle...if I switch from "floor & defrost" or "floot" or whatever heating position I'm in to "vent" it goes away instantly.

Are the whistles you guys are hearing really high pitched? If they are try switching your vent position next time you hear it to see what happens.

Of course this is only in Explorers with automatic HVAC controls...(which suck for this reason)

 

[Lt.Jim]

Big6ft6 do you realize this is a 4 year old thread?

 

[bounsoul]

Sure this post is years old, but...

...I think it's a pretty common problem. I have a 4.0 SOHC and get the same noise, only within a particular RPM range and only intermittently. I am not too savvy under the hood, but vaccum hoses or a fan sound like the problem. Most important question: HAS ANYONE HAD ANY LUCK WITH THIS???

The top three annoying things about my explorer:

1) BROKEN REAR PASSENGER AND DRIVER-SIDE INTERIOR HANDLES! Anyone have a fix for this? I bought new handles for both sides, replaced them, and they also broke. I am sure that I have the child locks in the off position and the problem appears to be that the steel rod that engages/disengages the door catch is slightly curved (warped over time?), just enough to make it impossible for those cheap handles to handle the force needed to disengage the catch. I was thinking of getting maybe some steel pipe and reinforcing those cheap little steel things.

2)Whistling noise as detailed in this post.

3) Rattling noise when I accelerate (cold) detailed in another thread (timing chain rattle) that will cost 1500 to fix (not worth the price).

If I could clear these three things up, my car would be headache-free (besides the fact that two months ago my girlfriend tried shimmying from the driver's seat into the passenger seat while hungover and sat on that cheap, cheap armrest that is suspended in mid air, cracking it to bits. I know there's all kinds of kits out there to fix that one but I just glued it back on and now support the front of it with two pieces of 3'' 2x4 screwed underneath a cheap plastic three dollar console eyeglass/cellphone holder box.)

Regards!