I have the 4.6l V-8....frist questoin..I noticed last week when I had my drivers window down, open accelerating, I hear a loud high pitch whisling sound coming from the engine (sounds like a air leak somewhere) It goes away when you let of the gas, but as soon as you slightly hit the gas again it's there once more! What can that be?

The second question is when I'm sitting at a red light, or parked when the engine on. I feel the engine knocking me around, it's like it's missing or something. If I put a cup of water down in the cup holder, you can look at it and see how bad the water is just moving around just from the engine being a ideal? Is somethign wrong here? It's been doing this since day one brand new and don't know if somethign is wrong! I took it in a week after I got it, and the dealer said everything checked out good on the computer. I just don't think I should feel the engine as much as I do knocking around like it's doing. Also when I look at the RPM's when sitting, the needle does bounce up and down just a hair though, but I just think it's normal and the dealer isn't helping me much. Can you guys help?

 

I have the same whistle. I have searched high and low trying to find out where it was coming from. Definitely sounds like a vacuum leak. Let me know if you find out anything. Thanks JP

 

For the whistle, check where the air intake box hooks to hole in the fender and make sure it's properly secured. That's about all I have to offer on this post...

 

my truck did the same thing at a red light. took it in and a coil had gone bad. they fixed it under warranty and voila its perfect again

 

i have the exact same problems. i think that whining is the air getting sucked into the intake. thats just my guess.but the rough idle i dont know. im going to take it in soon for the numerous problems i have.

 

i got the truck back today after having the back end shudder fixed. I also had them take a look at why the truck would feel like it's missing. They said what I am feelign is the cylinders shutting down on me when it's in park or at a red light. They say the cylinders in these engines shut down at low speed to to consum gas! I never knew that!? So they told me what I am feeling is the cylinders shutting on and off. interesting huh?

 

Why would shutting cylinders down consume gas? Why would Ford want the truck to consume more gas?

 

Well thats a bunch of B.S. These trucks do not have cylinder de-activation! Even cars that do have it don't do it at idle. Sounds like its time to find a new dealer to me!

 

was what they told me not true?????

 

Triton...sounds like somebody at the dealership is confusing your problem with the 'limp-home' feature that activates when there's a coolant loss.

 

Absoutely not! My '04 had the rough idle and a re-flash fixed it. My '05 idles as smooth as glass. No Ford engine has cylinder de-activation at this time, closest thing is complete engine shutdown upon stopping in the new Escape hybrid.

 

what the hell! I'm pissed! I can't believe that dealer lied to me right in my face! errrr!!!!

 

I know it kinda sucks. Well you could always bring it down here, we have a really good shop. Can't promise a rental car to go back to Ohio though!!

 

Is it even a remote possibility that the fail-safe cooling system is abnormally activating (depending on semantics, a form of cylinder deactivation), albeit I've never heard of such a system failure in vehicles with that feature.

 

This is true. I was assuming that Triton's truck was checked out and the cooling issue was ruled out. I guess technically the fail safe cooling system could be called cylinder de-activation but he would notice it all the time, not just at idle. and he would have a check engine light.