High pitched squealing at idle

[Blackhawk]

In the last couple week I noticed my car has a high pitched squealing at idle, sounds like a belt or bearings of an accessory(I hope).  Has anyone heard this before?  The car is a 2011 with 52k on it.  It seems to go away or get masked with increasing RPMs.

https://youtu.be/DYA3uP6YCYc

 

[MiWiAu]

Sounds like maybe a belt squeal. Does it get better after the car warms up?

You could try squirting a little "belt dressing" on the belt. If the squeal goes away, that's your culprit. A good cleaning of the pulleys and a new belt would get you back in business.


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[glock-coma]

I would guess it's the tensioner pulley bearing.

http://www.tascaparts.com/ford/taurus/bt4z6b209b/2011-year/sho-trim/3-5l-v6-gas-engine/maintenance-and-lubrication-cat/belts-and-pulleys-scat/?part_name=serpentine-tensioner

 

[glock-coma]

If you can take a long screw driver or an automotive stereoscopic and put it on the tensioner bolt you should hear the grinding pretty easily.

 

[Blackhawk]

Didn't seem to quiet down after running for a bit.  How the hell do you get to the belts on these cars anyways, through the fender?

I still have some warranty left on it, I guess to the dealer it goes.  My biggest fear was water pump.


Thanks for the suggestions guys.

Sounds like maybe a belt squeal. Does it get better after the car warms up?

You could try squirting a little "belt dressing" on the belt. If the squeal goes away, that's your culprit. A good cleaning of the pulleys and a new belt would get you back in business.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[MiWiAu]

How the hell do you get to the belts on these cars anyways, through the fender?

Yeah, looks like through the wheel well. XSport procedure attached. Probably similar for most other 3.5L GTDI.

I have a new belt for mine which I have not yet installed. Before I installed my OCC I had some oil dripping out of the throttle body that I cleaned off with some engine degreaser and water. I think I contaminated my drive belt, since it's pretty squeaky now. Worse when it's cold and seems to go away when it warms up. Mine is definitely a belt, since belt dressing quieted it down temporarily.

EDIT: I see in the SM, it says to NOT apply any lubricant or belt dressing to the accessory drive belt. Oops. LOL. I'm planning on replacing mine soon anyways, so I don't really see any harm in using it in that case.

 

[pmezo33]

Belt is accessed through the right front wheel well.  Just spray some wd40 and see if it quiets down.  It won't last, but it will help you narrow down possible culprits. 

 

[ZSHO]

Does your A/C work.?  Check to see if its more noticeable with the A/C ON.  Z

 

[Jimmyb]

If you are sill under warranty get it to the dealer asap.  My 2011 Flex ecoboost just seized after eating three turbos. only 62K on my rig.  Not many, if any spare parts anywhere in the country.  My guess is there are a lot of 2011 engines eating/blowing themselves up.

 

[ZSHO]

I found using plain old bottle of spray water(H20)to be more effective and safer than belt dressing or silicone spray on the belts IMO.  Z

 

[derfdog15]

Mine squeaks in the cold but only every once in a while, and its the stock belt, with 14.5K on the clock. I can notice it when turning the car off but thats it, even then its maybe 1% of the time.

 

[Blackhawk]

It turns out it does go away after the car warms up a bit.  I was hearing it still after driving 10 mins but it seems to disappear by the time I get to work in 25 mins.  I'm still going to run it through the dealer when I get a chance though.