Whining noise from engine on '97

[jcmalek]

My 97 (4WD 4.0L SOHC, 190K miles) recently started making a whining sound from the engine area. It increases with increasing engine speed, and it does not matter whether the vehicle is moving or not. Nothing is leaking (yet anyway), and otherwise the vehicle is performing normally.

Any ideas on what would be the cause?? Thanks!

 

[akrada]

I'm gonna guess idler pulley or tensioner pulley is shot(just happened to me).
Take off your serpentine belt and check all accessory pulleys. If the noise stops with belt off that should help pinpoint the problem. My idler pulley started off with a whine but froze up and broke the serpentine belt within 100 miles of hearing the noise. I was waiting for in to get warmer to investigate it. It ended up breaking on me with the family in the truck with bellow 0 F temps 40 miles from my tools. Not very fun waiting an hour in the cold for a ride to show up. Cost me just under $100 to get both the pulley($38) and the belt ($60?)from Ford. Not hard job but not too fun being stuck out in the cold working in the dark, makes a 30min job take twice as long when you have to warm up every 10mins

 

[jcmalek]

That sounds like a good possibility, and thanks a lot for the help. It can sometimes get down to the low teens here this time of year, but nothing like what you experience in Alaska!

 

[gsx220]

could be the sensor on the intake the mine made a noise like a whistle or something before i replaced it

 

[KPT]

could be the sensor on the intake the mine made a noise like a whistle or something before i replaced it

You're talking about the IAC. That is not the OP's issue. The noise a dirty IAC makes won't increase with engine speed. In fact it should only be making the noise at idle.

 

[jcmalek]

Good call... it turns out that it was the idler pulley! Thanks!

 

[99XSP]

Mine started to "whine" about 1 week ago, after an automatic car wash. Only when starting the vehicle and then for about 2 seconds.

Just got my vehicle back from Ford. They replaced the serpentine belt (it had cracks), cleaned and repacked the idler pulley with new grease. $80 plus tax. I'd say a fair deal.

Greetings!