Whistle noise here when accellerating only.

[fordbluefamily]

Whooo whooooooo. I got the whistle too. We just turned 93K miles on our 04 4.0 XLS, and I just heard it for the first time ever on a 100 mile trip. I was 60 miles into it, so it has nothing to do with engine temp. Same conditions as the rest of you, below freezing ambient temp, and just starting to roll back into the throttle and only around 2300 rpm. Once it starts, I can keep it singing with the throttle and it will whistle away, or I can give more gas and it goes away. I cycled all the climate controls and it made no difference while whistling.

Its doing it more and more lately, random and never know just when its going to happen, but seems to be on days below freezing. My air filter is 12K old and everything is stock.

I sure hope we can come up with something to cure this. Between the butt crack on the rear hatch, the noisy cold cam chains, and the glove box freezer, I don't need any more reasons for people to make fun of my Explorer!

 

[Dan95-5.0]

just bought a 04 Sport Trac. the previous owner told me about a weird whistle noise that he hears sometimes but i did not hear it. he said its coming from the intake somewhere.

when the engine is cold in this freezing Canadian weather, i get the Death Whistle. as soon as it gets to temp, its gone.

it is loud and annoying. also a little embarassing.

there has to be a fix. its so cold up here, i dont want to even take a peak.

 

[skawtland]

Mine has the same whine in cold weather. Has always had it. It's an 04 XLS 4-door. I just pretend it's a nice twin-screw supercharger! Well, until I press the accelerator pedal anyway!

 

[ascmclarencoupe]

I have a 2002 Explorer XLT 4-door with the 4.0L engine and 141,000 miles. Mine just started whistling on trip to Chicago last Monday. Temperatures outside have been below freezing all week. It was not whistling at all up until that afternoon when it started after the truck had been parked for a couple of hours.
It's very noticeable at low speeds and seems to diminish as you go past 45 mph but that could be do to wind & road noise drowning it out.
it is still doing it even after it is fully warmed up.

Brent

 

[jsmart2]

is this the whistle y'all are talking about?

how bout this instead?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fdKINDi_3vw

XLT with Supercharger (I wish)

 

[superfestiva]

i have the same whistle noise but its not the cold weather for me, as i live in San Diego and cold for me is 60 degrees! and it still happens in 75+ degree weather, i found this though, maaaaybe it could be a possibility???

http://www.explorer4x4.com/iac.htm

I live in the Dominican Republic and cold for me is 70F...hear this soft whistle when cold...

 

[Richard Harder]

I bought a 04 Sportrac in the Peg before being posted to NS. My whistle started at around 75K. Around air filter change time.
Must be a simple fix, too bad no one can figure it out.

 

[jettgirl]

This whistle is my nemesis! Mine started after I replaced my old dirty air filter, and then I started getting an egr sensor alarm on my computer. Hmmmm wonder if they are related, my truck was purrrrrrfect before I tried taking care of it, haha. It's not the first time I've heard the air intake mentioned with the whistle before. Anyone tried any mods or after markets to fix whistler sound?

 

[jrford]

What year/engine is yours? Only think i have heard, is there might be a new throttle body gasket. . .haven't looked into it. Funny you mention the filter, now that i think about it, i replaced mine before the whistle started. I used a Fram airfilter. I just changed it again and i noticed the Motorcraft one seemed to have much better quality to it. So i'm using that one now, gotta wait till winter to find out if that was it.

 

[Curtis]

hopefully we're all talking about the same noise.
I hear mine first thing in the morning as I leave the driveway and proceed down the street.
whooooooooooooo
If i let off the gas, It will stop
Apply the gas again and it will whistle again.
But once I'm at the bottom of the street and make a left, it wont happen any more.

Sounds to me like its low center of the vehicle.
I read previous posts on this and the consensus was that it was transmission fluid moving around. something like that. Once the fluid warmed up a little it stops.

Now the intermittent squeak is another annoyance... sounds like its out side at the rear.. I haven't pin pointed it yet. just a small single squeak!

 

[unc25]

Ive got a high pitch whine..almost a whistle, but only when the A/C is on and only when youre at a slow speed....(less than 10 mph) Its also affected by the throttle...give it gas and and its constant, take your foot off and it goes away.

Ive tried cycling the controls, but it doesnt seem to change anything.

mine is an 2003 XLT with the 4.6L 2wd 3.55 rear....

Any other suggestions?

 

[mauricel]

I have the dreaded whistle too...My heater selector went out at about the same time...The dealer told me i needed a blend door actuator but i want to ask him today if it may be a vacuum leak since the heater selector switch seems to be vacuum operated...There is a bunch of vacuum lines behind the selector switch...

 

[zerodevil]

lol i DID NOT read to the end of this thread!! here is my knowledge about this whine/whistle...both of my 03's have done it(one a v6, the other a MODDED v8), i believe it is because of how ford has the intake draw air from behind the headlight, and its just somthing about how the air moves when its cold + speed...i have a completely redone intake...(CAI, TB, plenum, manifold)....and mine still does it....there is no fix to my knowledge...other than reconfiguring for it to draw from somwhere else...My Dads 07 limited DOES NOT DO IT!!!...the gen 4's actualy draw air from infront of the radiator.

I feel for you man, at -20 as it usualy gets here the wistle is almost constant...but rest assured its not a problem with your vehicle...just somthing ford overlooked.

 

[L8RBRA]

Yippee i can be part of this too..... My dads 04 does this randomly on road trips. Normally it is around 70mph and when it is cold. We have all tried to pin point it but no luck. Must be under the hood or dash. I dont think my o2 has ever done it.

 

[jcmuscarello]

Just bought a 2003 xlt,it seems to have a howl(kinda ghostly) only when I have the AC on,and accelerating. Is this a different issue?

 

[unc25]

Just bought a 2003 xlt,it seems to have a howl(kinda ghostly) only when I have the AC on,and accelerating. Is this a different issue?

Thats what mine does too.

From what I can gather its the actual A/C compressor and I think there was a TSB on it. If you want to get rid of the sound you have to replace the compressor. It doesnt affect the function of the vehicle nor the A/C itself, just kind of annoying.

 

[tripplec]

Just bought a 2003 xlt,it seems to have a howl(kinda ghostly) only when I have the AC on,and accelerating. Is this a different issue?

If its coming from the A/C compressor for certain. A close ear and/or stethascope should confirm this. Adding some compressor oil (correct type) may be a solution.

 

[tom010]

hello,

i have this wihstle too on my 04 xlt explorer.
is there any solution for this issues so far?

thx, tom

coold out site -15°

 

[The_SoCal_Guy]

2003 Ford Explorer XLS, 109,000 miles. Was driving to Vegas and noticed the whistling noise only while on the gas. 50+ and I can hear it. When I let off the gas the noise goes away. While at a bathroom break while my wife was in the restroom I had the truck in park and stepped on the gas. I didn't hear the whistling noise. It's only while driving.

I contacted a Ford repair shop and they said it's probably the wheel bearings, but I told him the sound ony happened when I was on the gas. He then said it could be the tranny or rear end. I don't know that much about cars but I find that hard to believe, since he just serviced my tranny and said everything was good.

 

[Huskerbob]

I've noticed this noise on our '03 4.0 as well. It's not all the time but if for sure is a whistle and it's not wheel bearing or trans. Comes and goes and on a recent 750 mile road trip didn't hear it once. Not too concerned.