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-   -   High Pitched Whistle Coming from Engine in Cold Weather? (https://www.f150online.com/forums/2004-2008-f-150/229292-high-pitched-whistle-coming-engine-cold-weather.html)

copbait 01-10-2010 08:04 AM

Trust me this noise that some of us are experiencing, it doesn't matter how old you get it will not go away. You might not be able to hear the squeal after your 6 ft under (maybe).

copbait 01-10-2010 08:06 AM

Davidmaupin... I would start with an Alt. sound exactly like mine. It seems to be a problem with the 04-06 models. I got my alt used from an 08 for 45 bucks

CometFlash 01-10-2010 11:48 AM


Originally Posted by copbait (Post 4035770)
Trust me this noise that some of us are experiencing, it doesn't matter how old you get it will not go away. You might not be able to hear the squeal after your 6 ft under (maybe).

LOL! I got rid of my 2004 Lariat engine whine by trading up to a 2009 Platinum, problem solved.

machinehead 01-10-2010 04:04 PM

Add me to the list



Originally Posted by 2stroked (Post 3557957)
I think if you read back through this thread you're going to find that there's a number of different "whistles" folks are talking about. I believe there's at least two main types here: 1) A noise when the vehicle is cold - regardless of engine RPM - and it goes away when the vehicle warms up, and 2) a noise only right around 1,800 RPM when it's cold - that never goes away unless you change the engine speed. Warming the vehicle up has absolutley no effect on this one.

Here's the important part. The TSB just posted up does not deal with the second condition. I'd seen this TSB a while ago and actually purchased the part - along with a new alternator. (I had condition #2.) We put the alternator in first and it solved the whole problem. I took the other part back. So, before you run out and do something silly ...

Thank you 2stroked on clarifying the noises, reading through all the posts it seemed nobody was agreeing on what, when or how the noise was occuring.

Mine is doing #2. Just started doing this a couple or weeks ago when it has been -20 degs. My truck is an 05 with 49,000mi. Looks like im gonna be looking into a new alternator.

2stroked 01-10-2010 06:52 PM


Originally Posted by machinehead (Post 4036273)
Add me to the list




Thank you 2stroked on clarifying the noises, reading through all the posts it seemed nobody was agreeing on what, when or how the noise was occuring.

Mine is doing #2. Just started doing this a couple or weeks ago when it has been -20 degs. My truck is an 05 with 49,000mi. Looks like im gonna be looking into a new alternator.

No problem. Glad I could help. The noise in mine drove me crazy and the dealer said nothing could be done about it - under warranty. Then, after the warranty ran out the next winter - I replaced the alternator out of my own pocket. As soon as we pulled the old one off and spun the pulley, it was quite obvious that it was the problem. You might try popping the serpentine belt off of the alternator and spinning the pulley first.

acoers 01-11-2010 12:16 AM

http://www.ford-trucks.com/tsb/fulltext ... sb=04-18-8

check this website out i was having the same problem and a guy told me to look at this site, i tried and it did make a difference going down the interstate so just give it a try,

tlsmith 01-11-2010 12:32 AM

My truck with 155,000 miles had a whine related to the rpm and I thought it was the alt. but was the tensioner pulley. It was a lot cheeper than an alternator.

Jeepville 01-20-2010 09:36 AM

So I have a sound that just popped up and has gotten really loud really quickly.
I first thought it was the tensioner wheel so I replaced that and it didnt help at all. So while the belt was off I spun everything and I feel a slight grind on the alternator and if you spin it backwards just a little it squeals.

I shot a quick video of the sound.
It is a 2005 5.4 this is the truck fully warmed up and it was 26 deg outside. It is rev based it gets louder with rpm's. It also doesnt go away.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=syVT54fq9-8

Jeepville 01-22-2010 07:11 AM

anyone have any advice or help from the video. Sometimes its not too loud sometimes its really loud.

the4by4freek 01-22-2010 10:04 AM


Originally Posted by Jeepville (Post 4054787)
anyone have any advice or help from the video. Sometimes its not too loud sometimes its really loud.

How old is the belt on that truck? I just replaced mine AGAIN since I have had the truck. Dayco poly cog belt will make that noise go away. I also just had the squeel show up about 2 weeks ago. The truck currently has 78,000 on it. This is the first time I have heard it. It went away once the truck warmed up a bit. It also doesn't get that cold down here that often. It is usually about 28-32 degrees here in the winter. This year, I have seen 12 degrees! It was like 18 when I heard it.... I haven't heard it again.

TruckGuy24 01-22-2010 10:37 AM

I have a squeak similar to that. I feel like it takes away from the trucks, but I had the belt changed when I bought my truck last February. It was gone and seems to appear when it is cold or when we have had rain or snow. My guess, and again, just thinking out loud, but I am thinking that moisture gets on the back side of the best like if you hit a puddle or rain whatever and it squeaks. I can't think of anything else it could be. Once the summer and spring comes and it is dry, it stops if I remember correctly from this past spring/summer.

Jeepville 01-22-2010 10:47 AM

its an 2005 with 65,000 miles on it. I might try swapping the belt out should be an easy and cheap fix if that's it.

TruckGuy24 01-22-2010 10:52 AM

It doesn't hurt to try, but like I said... I bought my 04 back a year ago with 36,2xx on it. I just hit 44,000 last night. The squeak was there, then went away after the belt change (serpentine belt) then it has since come back. So now I juse live it with it. Someday hopefully the whine will be the sound of a whipple blower :lol:

tlsmith 01-26-2010 09:30 AM

Jeepville,
If you can feel a little roughness or hear any whine by hand turning your alt. pully, it will be a lot louder with the tension fo the belt and the high rpm's of the truck. If it is the belt you might be able to spray a little wd-40 or something else on while it is running and change the tone of the whine. My rpm related whine was the tensioner pully. A couple of weeks ago when we had temps around 0, I did have a high pitched whistle that came when I had driven about 5 miles. This happened 3 or 4 times but it didn't last long and it seemed like it drove thru it. In other words it started quiet, gained volume, then slowly got quiet again. It never lasted more than 2 minutes, probably closer to a minute. Sure was a strange sound though. Certainly different than the belt, pully, alt. related sound.
Tim

copbait 01-27-2010 09:38 PM

Please people read these posts 2stroked nailed it. It is either the alternator or the tensioner pulley. Usually the pulley only squeals at idle and goes away when the motor is warm. The alternator squeals between 15-25 hundred rpms and does not go away after the motor warms up


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