Loud annoying whining (not the wife or kid)

[jackonfire]

Hey everyone, I'm a new member here on the grand marquis site. I have a 94 Grand Marquis with around 175k miles on her that my family has had since new. Its always been a good car to us. Runs strong and shifts good for its age and still has cold AC!

Lately its had a strange whining, almost whistle at certain acceleration, but recently on a 200+ mile trip the whining became extremely loud and high pitched to point of giving me a headache. But it continued to drive and shift just fine.

The whine would get softer and certain throttle positions and higher at others, but would disappear if I let off the gas completely, and then make a grinding whine when slowed under 15mph all the way to a stop.

It doesn't sound like power-steering because the sound continues even at speed and it doesn't squeek when turning in and out of parking spaces.

I'm really at a loss for the cause of this whining, I usually can figure anything out with my car.

If this question should be placed in another category please let me know.

Thanks for any help.

[gadget73]

Sounds like its problems in the rear. I'd be suspecting pinion bearings but at 175k, the rear is due for an overhaul. The outer bearings and the axles pit and cause a lot of funky noises.

[86VickyLX]

Does the noise change when you're making a turn?

[jackonfire]

The sound does not change at all when turning, or changing lanes. If the rear is due for an overhaul, what does that involve. Is it something I can do myself or should a professional do it?

[85crownHPP]

Can you tell if its front or rear? If it sounds like front, maybe under the hood, it could just be a vacuum leak. I've fixed a few vacuum leaks on different Fords that made a weird whistle/whine noise that changed with the throttle (since vacuum changes with the throttle)
Tweak the throttle from under the hood with it running and have a listen. The slowing-down grinding could be non related.
I wouldn't think bearing noise would change that much over the range of throttle position, more just on/off the gas and with overall speed.

[85crownHPP]

Can you tell if its front or rear? If it sounds like front, maybe under the hood, it could just be a vacuum leak. I've fixed a few vacuum leaks on different Fords that made a weird whistle/whine noise that changed with the throttle (since vacuum changes with the throttle)
Tweak the throttle from under the hood with it running and have a listen. The slowing-down grinding could be non related.
I wouldn't think bearing noise would change that much over the range of throttle position, more just on/off the gas and with overall speed.

[jackonfire]

My dad and I listened to it while in park and revved it up and down, but it never made the sound. It only makes the sound when moving, so it seems it must be some kind of moving part within the drivetrain or connected to the drivetrain.

[86VickyLX]

Next, check for leaks from the back of the transmission, and around the pinion flange. If you see leaks from either, most likely a bearing is toast.

[dcu1976]

know u said it only makes noise when the car is movng, but I was thinking fan clutch, maybe under load the clutch gets noisy, just trying to help. Good luck!

[p71]

hey, new to the site, my car is doing something simular, i have an 05 police interceptor, when in reverse or drive will make a loud grinding/whining noise sometimes, when not in motion and when in motion, it would come and go,. then in park or nuetrel the sound completely goes away. we pulled the debree gaurd from the front of the tranny underneith and found it was rubbing the torque converter/flywheel. bent it back to shape and put it back up and the sound went away! how ever the other day i had the car out around the corner and i got on it a little bit and i thought i heard the same noise again breifly then i got off the gas and it immediatly went away! we thought it could be loose or broken flywheel, but there is no vibrations following the noise! and its only when the car is in motion now at quick acceleration only sometimes! any suggestions? (i posted in this thread because same idea, sorry) thanks

[slymer]

might be a worn out trans/motor mount. Might should check those.

[BerniniCaCO3]

wheel bearing?

Do some more test drives, and determine exactly when the noise occurs. acceleration? deceleration? deceleration with brake? left turn? right turn? in all gears?

I had a noise that seemed to happen on acceleration, that was a wheel bearing. Guess it loaded it up. Turns didn't seem to affect it. The classic, "if you turn left and you hear it, it's the right front wheel bearing," doesn't always hold true, or even often hold true.
You can always put it on jackstands, or take it to a shop and put it on a lift, and shake everything down-- all four wheels and the driveshaft too, in case. Have someone run it to 40mph and listen with a $1.50 stethoscope behind every wheel.

On acceleration: check that it is indeed drivetrain related, because acceleration = rpms, too. Put it in park and rev it to 2, 3 grand. Do you hear a noise? Then you've just eliminated the entire drivetrain, and can start listening at accessory pulleys for rough gravelly noises through the stethoscope.

[p71]

thanks for the advise ill check into it 2mor0 and keep you guys posted!

[p71]

well, im starting to think that its something lose in the transmission caseing, because even at idle i hear a minor rattle, almost like a bolt vibrating freely on a metal caseing! so i kno its not wheel bearings or any other driving components. now im gonna take off the debree sheild again and see if i can hopefully find somethign in there. keep yu posted, thanks

[TomO]

Does the whining noise seem to vary at all in pitch? If so, does it vary with road speed or with engine speed? That could possibly help you narrow down the source.

[p71]

no the noise doesnt change with acceleration or higher rpms, all together just sounds like if u were to put a screw in a can and shake/vibrate it extrmely fast! now i took off my debree sheild on the front of the tranny once again, took the car for a lil spin both fast acceleration and slow and the noise completely left... i checked it, not loose, not bent... but that seems to be where the noise is when it happens. it comes and goes on idle and while the vehicle is in motion! i also do not loose any power or slipage, trannsmission fluid is nice and pink/red, not dirty and no metal flakes, o/d works and shifts nice through all gears.. could it maybe be debree somehow found its way into the tranny and is rattling around everyonce in a while? would really hate to tear it apart to find out its somethign small and stupid lol!? any help is greatly appreciated, thanks