What's this noise????

[alphasylum]

Ok friends....since it's gotten cold I noticed my truck making a funny noise when it starts in the morning, I will do my best to describe it.


Normal start: turn key, it goes chigchigchig brooooommmmmmm (started)


Now that it's cold: turn key, chigchig then..(noise that sounds like it's coming from the corner where your battery is and almost sounds like when you try to start a car thats already running) broooooooooooom(started)


only happens when its first started in the winter morning......

 

[Perry]

I think it is one of those winter sounds. When I used to live in Mn. our cars had funny sounds that they would only get when it was cold.

There are a lot of plastic parts on vehicles now that sqeek and make sounds along with other things that get cold. If it goes away when you get better weather or the vehicle is warmed up I wouldn't worry about it.

Besides if it's something that is bad and it breaks then you will know what it was........

 

[MrShorty]

Would you describe it as the sound of a weak battery trying to start the engine? That's my gut reaction to what you describe. You may want to check the battery, if you haven't lately. If it's a maintenance free battery, all you can do is check the dot. If it's a traditional style battery, make sure all the cells are full of water. If it's a few years old and checks out, you may even consider taking it to a parts store; many will test a battery for free.

 

[alphasylum]

I guess I described it wrong......it's a normal startup w/ the addition of a weird wail (like trying to start a car thats already running) thrown in there. No power strain at all. It only happened like 2 days that it was a freezing morning....I just get concerned about anything new I observe...even if It never happened again.

 

[MSTNGGUY88]

Could be the solenoid pulling in and out.

 

[mrboyle]

Sounds like the starter isn't releasing a fast as it should. Its kinda like a human, it just doesn't react as fast when its frozen. As long as it only happens when it gets really cold, I wouldn't sweat it. About the only thing you could do for it anyway would be to either park your X inside at night, or put a block heater in the cooling system to help keep the underhood a little warmer.

 

[redexplr]

i live in alaska, (soon to be hawaii in 5 days!!) and my explorer does all sorts of weird things when starting cold. There was two weeks when is was -20 below and that sucker was straining to start everymorning but it never failed me

you should be fine.

 

[alphasylum]

Well it hasn't happened since that day, I am assuming it's cold weather noises and your posts have reassured me. I just want everything to go wrong before my warranty is up hehehehe. At the rate I am going it will be up in no time. (10,000 freeway miles in 6 months).