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    What is this sound?

    Anyone ever heard this?

    https://youtu.be/8H3tHqgM3FQ

    I’ve heard this noise off and on since I’ve owned this car. It doesn’t seem to affect anything but it’s something thats perplexing me lol.


    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

    #2
    Herd to tell. What comes to mind is the speedometer cable. Another thing it reminds me of is a piece of rubber seal flapping in the wind on my windshield.
    Something flapping in the wind seems like it would be easy to listen for and pinpoint.

    Does it sound like it's coming from the dash/steering column/cluster area?

    If it happens while not moving then both of my guesses would be wrong.
    Vic

    ~ 1989 MGM LS Colony Park - Large Marge
    ~ 1998 MGM LS - new DD
    ~ 1991 MGM LS "The Scab"
    ~ 1991 MGM GS "The Ice Car"

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      #3
      It’s very specific when it happens and doesn’t happen when it’s sitting still so I can’t even listen to it closer. It sounds like it’s coming from around the fuse box area. I guess the sound could be bouncing around though. I’ll put phone around the area to try and better pinpoint the issue.

      On a side note, have you had any issues with your door switches when the car has been running for a while? Mine seem to do that, perhaps from heat.


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        #4
        My guesses would be:
        - speedo cable;
        - speedo itself;
        - a breaking down relay (the autolamp one tends to rattle like this sometimes).

        Hope this helps...

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          #5
          Speedo cable is a good possibility based on where it sounds like it's coming from. I'm told you can lube the cable but I've never done it. Disconnecting the cable at the cluster and slowly pouring lube in (trans fluid?) should work. If the inner sheathing is fraying, all the lube in the world might not help.
          Vic

          ~ 1989 MGM LS Colony Park - Large Marge
          ~ 1998 MGM LS - new DD
          ~ 1991 MGM LS "The Scab"
          ~ 1991 MGM GS "The Ice Car"

          Comment


            #6
            No auto lamps so that’s out. I guess it could be the speedo cable but wouldn’t it happen all the time? It’s only under certain conditions especially decel. The needle does bounce a little but I thought that was normal for a mechanical speedo.


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              #7
              That is terrible.

              Time to start driving and use one hand to start pressing on things to see if you can change its tone and ultimately pin point where it is originating from.

              It sounds like a vibration of sort, something rapidly tapping against something. Can definitely understand the relay contact comments.

              Whatever it is please find it and let us know.
              ~David~

              My 1987 Crown Victoria Coupe: The Brown Blob
              My 2004 Mercedes Benz E320:The Benz

              Originally posted by ootdega
              My life is a long series of "nevermind" and "I guess not."

              Originally posted by DerekTheGreat
              But, that's just coming from me, this site's biggest pessimist. Best of luck

              Originally posted by gadget73
              my car starts and it has AC. Yours doesn't start and it has no AC. Seems obvious to me.




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                #8
                It may not be constant although it seems that it should be. My '89 had a scratchy speedo cable near the end of its time. It was very infrequent and I never fixed it since I retired the car a year or two later. The sound I hear in the video does not have me 100% convinced that it is the speedo cable though.
                It's been a few years since I've messed with the VSS, but I think you could remove the driven gear on the end of the VSS and see if the noise goes away. (Or shave the teeth off a JY gear.) There may be some safety or legal concerns to consider if doing this, so do so at your own risk. This test would only be useful if the sound is easy to reproduce.
                Vic

                ~ 1989 MGM LS Colony Park - Large Marge
                ~ 1998 MGM LS - new DD
                ~ 1991 MGM LS "The Scab"
                ~ 1991 MGM GS "The Ice Car"

                Comment


                  #9
                  I just took it out on like a 5 mile ride and no noise... it sounds like an old fashioned oven timer. I replaced the speedo gear a while back thinking it would correct for my gears but it also did it before that too so that goes out the window too. My guess is speedo cable too though since it’s only at a specific speed. I don’t know what else would cause that that’s down there.


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                    #10
                    Originally posted by 87GrandMarq View Post
                    No auto lamps so that’s out. I guess it could be the speedo cable but wouldn’t it happen all the time?
                    I had this issue thrice maybe? in my mom's Passat, and moreover now in the MGM. It was an intermittent sound; the car mech told us that most probably, as the cable is made of small wires "screwed" (sorry, don't know the right word for that...) together, when one of them starts to break, it might scratch the armor/cover, and, until it breaks totally, produces the sound. Broken speedo in Passat was a moreover constant sound, but it also varied with speed, moisture, etc.

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                      #11
                      Have you tried looking at the fuse panel, maybe one of your relays is glitching out or shorting that sounds almost like electric shorting to me I’m far from an expert on this stuff though but if it’s not the cable i’d check that.

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                        #12
                        check the ash tray and glove box for loose change, cigar lighters, screws, pens. Make sure the ash tray metal pan is fully seated in the tray. It may also be the fuse panel rattling if the screws have come loose. Had that issue in one car and just needed the screws tightened in the corners that hold it in place.

                        Only two things are infinite, the universe and human stupidity, and I'm not sure about the former. -- Albert Einstein
                        rides: 93 Crown Vic LX (The Red Velvet Cake), 2000 Crown Vic base model (Sandy), 2003 Expedition (the vacation beast)
                        Originally posted by gadget73
                        ... and it should all work like magic and unicorns and stuff.
                        Originally posted by dmccaig
                        Overhead, some poor bastards are flying in airplanes.

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                          #13
                          I am going to say the speedometer cable. You can try to lube it, With thin grease, not fluid. however if it is original, it more than likely is worn out or is ready to break apart. I would replace it ONLY with a FORD part. Those after market parts in my opinion are a waste of money. Cut to fit does not make it. If I remember correctly, many years ago I had a problem like that. It was the cable. The bouncing of the speedo needle stopped or at least reduced when the cable was replaced.

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                            #14
                            I’ll look at the fuse panel, but I’m thinking it is the speedo cable now too. No loose change and the insert is actually in the trunk lol. Do you guys know what length the cable is? It looks like it’s sold in a few different lengths for our cars.


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                              #15
                              Two ways to get the right one: Pull out the old one out and measure it.
                              If you have the same type of transmission in the car, take the vin into ford to get the proper Ford number. I would go with this if possible.

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