High Pitched Whistle Coming from Engine in Cold Weather?
 

Hey Guys,

So it’s driving me nuts. This morning on my way to work this high pitched whistle was going crazy. Granted it was -5 out on my way to work, but any time it’s at or around 20 and below; then engine compartment has this VERY high pitched loud whistle coming from it.

My question is what the heck is it?

Don’t say, oh because it’s cold outside it should be doing it. I realize it’s doing what its doing because its cold; but every one of the five cars my parents own don’t do this. Granted none of them are Fords either.

Duke

maybe the belt squealing? Did the sound vary with the rpms?

No it wasn't a squeeling belt and didn't vary with RPMs. It'd just be while cruising, with your foot barely on the throttle going down the road. Could it be the gas coming out of the injectors at such a cold temperature?

It's the most obnoxious high pitched sound, and you can clearly hear it over the radio on a moderate sound level.

Just whistle loudly and as high as you can for about a 30 - 60 second time span and you'll know the exact sound this is making.

Duke

I wouldn't drive my truck if it was making a noise like that.
Something is definitely wrong. Sheesh, you have more problems
than Triton XLT dude!

Hey Now! I'm not driving it into any garages! :lol:

I'll talk to the dealer about it later today.

Duke

Duke - Mine has done the same thing for the past two winters. Have heard other talk about this on the board by no-one seem to have discovered what the cause.

With the mild winter we have had this year it has not been much of an issue but the temp dropped yesterday and the multi-pitched whistle is back. It is kind of a strange noise, sounds like three or four off key pitches under light acceleration.

let me know if you find out what it is.

How are the LS HID's coming along... Need some pics Duke :)

I noticed that it only happens in defrost or defrost/floor... so it must be something to do with the compressor trying to run in the cold.


Any yeah, it does get annoying

Subscribing, got the same issue

hmm, mine was doing it when the heat was just running regularly. It also happened when I turned off the HVAC controls to see if they were what was whistling.

I don't think it's hurting anything but it's driving me up the wall. I called the dealership and they said to bring it in next week to take a look at it. My response...and if it's not 20 or below, what then? He then paused and said, um yeah then we probably wouldn't be able to fix it. I just wanted to hand him a sign like Bill Engval talks about. Just something that says, Hello, I'm stupid. That way you don't waste your time talking to them. You can just see the sign and say, oops I'm sorry, I didn't see your sign.

Unless the compressor continues to stay on when the HVAC system is turned off, I don't think mine is related to that.

Duke

Side Note: We were waiting on silver carbon fiber to finish the HID retrofit. It should be done this weekend and installed next week. (Sounds like I've said that at least a hundred times)

Add me to the list. I wonder if it has something to do with the air intake? Mine does vary with RPM's, if I let off the gas it goes away. Mine starts around the 20 degrees mark as well.

the compressor runs in defrost mode (whether you run hot or cold air)

if your HVAC is off, then this wouldn't be the whistle/whine that some are getting

I noticed it yesterday when it was around 12-15 degrees out. I get the whistle at 2100-2300 RPM. If the temp gets up to around 20 or higher, no whistle or anything. It goes away after the engine gets warm (5 or so minutes after starting) and i won't hear it again for the rest of the time I drive the truck. I only notice it if it is colder then 10-15 degrees out and the truck has been sitting outside long enough for the engine block to completely cool down (aka all day at work.) I commented about this back in December when we had some brutally cold temps (around 10 days where we never got up above 10 degrees) here in Omaha.

I also noticed at that time a whistle when the truck was first started while the idle was high (I think in the 900 rpm range.) Again it dropped away once the engine got warm and i really wouldn't hear it. We talked about it in this thread back in December but never found any conclusions. I figured its just a belt whining until it gets warm. Interestingly enough, the RPM range I notice the whine changes witht he outside temp. Back when it was cold in december it was around 1000-1200 RPM but now that it is 15 out I hear it in the 2100 RPM range.

Going to go drive it at lunch here in 5 minutes and will see if it does it again. (3 degrees this fine morning.)

My '93, '97, '04 and '05 F-150's all had a squeel now and again on start-up during the winter. The '97 was the worst and would squeel even while driving. Nothing ever went wrong, and nobody ever could isolate it. Sounded like the noise was coming from the compressor clutch to me. It seemed to happen when it had rained/snowed the previous day and the current temperature was sub 15 degrees. Nothing to worry about I guess.

Well this thing is only two years from being sold then. I can't take this whistle sound and it's not related to belts IMO.

This is going to drive me up a wall every time it gets cold then. And that is like 7 mths out of the year in MN.

Duke

Frozen PCV Orifice? One of the largest problems in a PCV system is the freezing of the valve. Well on the F-150 there is a long tube that extends into the intake manifold, and there is no valve. It resembles something like a 3/8 diameter straw. The end of the straw can start to freeze over in extremely cold weather. The PCV “valve” is electronically heated, but it takes a few minutes to melt any freeze up. With only a small area not being frozen over this may be causing a whistle. Be careful if you try to remove the PCV valve, there is an “O” ring that you do not want to damage.

Went and drove it at lunch (1 degree out) after the truck sitting for about 5 hours outside. I hear the whistle at 1900-2000 RPMs and only for a second. I could only get it to make the whistle under acceleration. It sounds like it is coming from the divers side of the engine compartment up by the dash. Is the PCV in that area?

We did get snow last night, and the previous times i heard this we had snow. Maybe there is some corilation with moisture and temperature?

Well if that's the case, then I doubt there is a fix at all for this.

No correlation with moisture. We haven't had any snow and I've got this issue. This is everyone with an F150 in cold weather who is accelerating though.

Duke

I've heard the whistling sound on occasion, but I don't think the noise from my truck is quite as bad as the sound you describe. However, I had noticed a knocking/thumping noise that seemed to be getting louder over the last several months. (This noise is best described as similar to the sound made by a distant helicopter.) I only heard this noise under acceleration--if I took my foot off the gas, it disappeared.

Based on information I read in another thread, I checked the air intake tube where it joins the driver's side fenderwell. Although the intake appeared to be securely fastened to the fenderwell, I found that the assembly can be moved somewhat. Also, the plastic circular piece that surrounds the point where the intake enters the fenderwell can be moved as well. I adjusted both the intake and the plastic ring to ensure they were as secure as I could possibly make them.

This morning (temps around 25 degrees), I didn't hear the whistling noise, and the knocking sound I described above was greatly reduced.

It's my guess that the whistling and the knocking/thumping noises are related to the intake connection at the fenderwell. Try adjusting this connection and see if the noise subsides.

Good luck!

when I had my 04 F150, it made the same sounf in cold temps. Took it to a dealer and they put some kind of pelets into the radiator??? That didn't do a thing. theres no fix for it that I know of or could find

I'll mess with the intake and give that a try this weekend.

Duke

I get a squeal, too. When it dips into single digit temps, when I start the truck, there is a squeal. However, mine is NOT a whine or whistle. It's more of a grinding, fly-wheel noise. It only lasts for about 5-10 seconds and it's gone. Only at start up after sitting for a while.

I just posted an update to https://www.f150online.com/forums/sh...d.php?t=178962

Well, I got the squeal last night. It is a very loud high pitched squeal that lasted for about 20 seconds. Once the truck startedw warming up, it disappeared. The temp yesterday never broke above -15 degrees outside. The temp with the wind chill was approaching -40 degrees. DAMN!!! THAT'S COLD!!!

Mine did it this morning as well, squealed EXTREMELY loud for quite awhile. It was not belt related, like someone else posted it was more of a metal sound. I turned the heater off immediately as soon as it started doing it, but it continued making the noise for a couple more minutes with the hvac controls off. The truck was not moved the entire time it did it. I just started it, and then it started making the noise... I about shut it off, because the noise was so loud I figured the neighbors were about to come out... The truck is a bone stock 06' F-150 4x4, with the 5.4. The truck only has 160 total miles on it...

BUMP

Anybody figure this cold air whistle out yet? Mine is doing it again, it has a new belt so I know its not that.

It has to do with the intake or engine. I'm running an AF1 and Troyer performance tuning on 92 octane gas (instead of the 87 octane I used to run) and I don't have the high pitched whistle anymore.

Duke

I've had a constant high pitched whine for the past year or more. It just started one day and has never stopped since. No mods or anything of the sort at all. Typical oil filters from Motorcraft or Fram and air filter from K&N. Every single time I am giving it gas it makes the noise and doesn't stop until I take my foot off the gas pedal. What it is I've no idea. It the most annoying thing in the world and I cannot wait to get rid of this truck when the '09's come out. It's not like a little annoying rattle or noise here n there (I have those too), this is just horrible. Paying 42k for a truck that does this just isn't right. Time can't go by fast enough for me, I need a new 150 big time, one that doesn't drive me crazy insane with engine whine. :eek:

try a higher octane and see if that helps. For some odd reason I put on the AF1 and am running custom tuning on 92 octane and the high pitched sound you're talking about when you have your foot on the gas is gone.

I agree though it is a joke. Needless to say my dealer was less then helpful last year. I believe wait till it's warmer was their response. Great I bought a warm weather vehicle only for $42k.:devil:

Duke

mine is just a cold weather whistle, only below say 20 degree's outside. Other than that, truck is great. Somebody has a fix, just need to here from them. I will try higher octane gas.

dude my 04 makes that whistle/whine noise all the time. It does it at 50-60mph, and as soon as you take your foot off the gas it stops. dealer said its a common sound for this truck which i think is b.s, just turn the music up louder

Try replacing the alternator. I had the same high pitched whistle last winter, only occurred when the temps were below 30 degrees and RPMs were between 1500 and 1900. Dealer replaced the alternator and I haven't heard it since.

I get the whistle noise at around -18 celcius to minus 50 on acceleration and the whistle disappears when I take my foot of the gas peddle. Was first told by Ford dealer was air intake mainfold. But the belt tensoiner can make that sound also. So Ford is trying the tensioner first. Does not matter to me, all under warranty. Truck is 04 F-150 FX4, no mods.

whistle when cold
 

I had the the same whistle when temps dropped below freezing and the truck sat. The dealer finally changed the clutch fan and it helped in that the whistle only lasted a few seconds as opposed to a few minutes(until till the truck got some temp in it). I have since put on e-fans and have not had the problem for the past 2 winters.

Engine Whistle
 

Guess I'll weigh in on this one also. Have a 05 Screw with the Triton and experience the same high pitched whistle starting a cold engine where the outside temp is below 30 degrees. Sound goes away as the engine starts to heat up. Strangly enough, the sound is of course, intermittent. Some cold days it does not make the sound.......

Please post any solutions, perhaps the Techs out there can sound in.


Thanks

I tried higher octane gas, did not help. Sounds like a common problem. My dealer was never able to reproduce, now my truck is out of warrenty. Other than this whistle, I think I have all the bugs worked out. Hopefully we will get a good fix from someone on here!

Some of the older truck had this problem and it turned out to be the pulley's. Try hitting the bearing with a lubricant and see if that solves the prob.

Here is a loop
 

Ok let me throw a loop in. My 99 4.6 vs has this whisteling when the engine is cold. It is intemintent. However it stops when I give it gas. Once I get off the gas it starts back. And stops when the motor warms up.

I personally think that it's directly related to a dwarf in the engine compartment. You're on your way to work, typically, when you hear this, right?

Haven't you ever seen Snow White & the Seven Dwarfs?

Here's another whistle story. I noticed the other day, a sort of whistle or whining sound that lasts for about 2-3 seconds when I lift off the pedal. It is not super loud, in fact the only reason I heard it is because I forgot the faceplate for my stereo that day. It may have been there many times before, just not able to drown out Stevie Ray, lol.

Anyway, I have since determined it to be loosely associated with cold weather, say under about 40* F. I say loosely, because though it doesn't seem to do it every time, even in cold, but it has not done it on warmer days (so far).

I haven't noticed any performance or fuel economy issues. Just curious, and keeping my ears open to it worsening.

And I thought I was dreaming - because my '05 developed the same whistle this year. It appears to be RPM related, and 60 MPH is about right on the money for mine. Step off the gas, and it goes away immediately. There appears to be a very limited RPM range that it occurs in and I'm trying to narrow it down. I can attest to the fact that it only happens when the temperature drops below freezing though.