i've had this odd squealing/screeching noise that comes and goes. i'm 98% sure it's not the belts or the tensior puller for the p/s. all i have is the power steering and alternator (no a/c). my hunch is that it's the water pump, maybe? the noise comes and goes and increases with the speed of the engine but is unaffected by it. by this i mean reving doesn't necessarily make it disappear. any ideas?

 

okay, it's most pronounced in extreme cold especially upon startup. and it really sounds like a supercharger. anyone?..anyone?

 

It could be your water pump, or the alternator, check to see if it gets louder or more constant when the alternator begins to charge.

 

thanks for your input but, what exactly do you mean "begins to charge"? isn't the alternator always charging the battery while powering on-board accesories simultaneously?

 

try spraing some wd-40 on the pulleys for each alt,,,pump....excetra and if it stops when you spry one of them ...that where yourproblem lies

 

turn on the head lights and listen to the alt. switch to high beem and listen for changes.

 

Check the Ford Ranger Forum. There is a group working on this problem there as well.

 

I had that problem too. check your alternator belt. mine was chewed all to hell, and it finally broke. a new belt and now theres no squeeling

 

okay, i sprayed the belts with some wd-40 with now change in noise, tempo or pitch. i did notice though the sound was most prominent on on the drivers side of the engine. this indicates to me it may very well be the water pump. i stethoscoped it with no result. until i replace the pump and that eliminates the noise i'm just going to assume that it's the culprit. i don't plan on r&r'ing it unless it fails.

fyi, adding any electrical load didn't change the noise either. cl8ton, do you have a link to the particular ranger forum troubleshooitng this issue.

 

Hello Entropy
It can be found at:-
www.ford-trucks.com/forums/forum35/
So far they havn't had much luck tracking it down either
Have a Good One!