I just bought a 2005 Lincoln LS V8 with 72,500 miles. When the car is cold in the mornings there is a whining noise coming from the engine compartment. Somewhat sounds like the belts or a pulley and it is coming from that area. After 5 or 10 mins and the car warms up the sound disappears. Any advice on diagnosing the problem?
Whining noise coming from engine?
- Thread starter mumbles6
- Start date
This is general, not car specific as I never have owned a LS.
Use a 1/2 inch rubber hose for a poor man's stethoscope. See if you can hear the pulley that is whining. If no luck, start replacing idler pulley, tension pulley, and the alternator in that order, cheap to getting up there in cost. If still noisy, that leaves the water pump, power steering pulley and air conditioner.
I doubt it is one of the later three because the noise stops when it gets warm. The Idler pulley is cheap. I'd replace that one right off the bat. Then the tensioner pulley. and finally the alternator.
I'm trying to find a mystery squeak like yours that goes away after a few minutes on the wife's Continental. I've already replaced a bad idler pulley several months ago. At about the same time I replaced a leaking water pump. Next I'm replacing the alternator, because my rubber hose says the noise is on the top of the motor AND the tensioner pulley is a PITA to replace (you have to raise the motor 4 inches to get the bolts out.) But Murphy's Law say the alternator ain't gonna fix it.
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Thanks for the help! I think I have narrowed to down to what I think is the alternator. But, I'm no expert and don't know exactly which part I'm hearing the noise from. Does anyone have a belt diagram? The noise is coming from the pulley on the top right (passenger) side.
Thanks in advance for your help!
Thanks in advance for your help!
That's the tensioner... I had to replace the pulley and it quieted right down....ummm, I think there's two on there...I think I replaced the whole thing...cheaper than the two pulleys. Quick way to find out...squirt a little oil in the bearings and see if it quiets down.
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Thanks guys for your help. Let me tell what was actually going on. I first time I took it to the shop I told them to replace the idler pulley, while they were under the hood, they noticed that the water pump was leaking coolant. So, I had that replaced too. Sound still didn't go away, so the next time I left it over night so they could hear it in the morning (the only time it would do it consistently).
I guess the water pump had leaked fluid on the serpentine belt making it whine. So, replaced the belt and all is good now.
I guess the water pump had leaked fluid on the serpentine belt making it whine. So, replaced the belt and all is good now.