Hi guys, Well, I did a search on this topic and I found my very own thread from almost 2 years back! http://ferrarichat.com/forum/showthread.php?t=20743 I don't think in that thread I was referring to what I have been hearing lately. My 348 makes this whistling sound when it is running, and it can be heard especially at idle. I think the sound comes into full fruition when the car is warm. It is a consistent noise at a consistent pitch. Hmmm, how can I describe it? It sounds like the sound made by a recorder (yes, the flute-like disgrace of a musical instrument) when it is played at a level note. If it is a belt rubbing up against something, why would the resulting sound be a whistle? PS major service performed 03/2004 at 10,000 miles; currently the car has 21,xxx miles
Just a quick thought here. Why dont you slip under the car and take off the alternator belt and a/c belt,one at a time to see if the noise goes away. Doin that takes the load of the alternator bearings and the a/c clutch bearings. Take a belt off,start it up,listen,if its still there,take off the other belt and do the same. If the noise goes away,then you know what it is. If its still there,maybe something in the Tbelt area. Give that a go bunji Cheers
My old 348 made a whistling sound turned out the gas cap seal was rotten and pressure was escaping the gas tank. Not good Mike
My car whistled like a banchee and I ended up putting the inserts in the exaust pipes. Hard to beleive, but it solved the problem. Do a search for exaust inserts. Good luck. - Ron
I could be all wet on this, but if the noise is consistent as you say and doesn't increase in either decibels or tone/note/pitch as you rev up the engine while in neutral, then I'd think it must be related to a non-RPM part of your car such as your air injection pump/rails, bad gas cap seal, etc. For a first test I'd simply remove the gas tank cap while idling. Does that change the noise? For a second test, does the noise change when you depress your clutch?
Just for kicks, try disconnecting the air intake tube, from the rear quarter pannel intake, above the wheel wells. Do one at a time to see if that makes the whistling go away.
That sounds like a good test, Ernie...but can he just disconnect the hoses at his air intake box for an easier method of the same thing?
Hey guys this all sounds like good advice, thanks. I will follow up with you in several days when I am home to try out the car!
Nothing better than a length of hose stuck in your ear for tracking down noises, and it gives the family a laugh...
Well guys, I said I would get back to you about the whistling sound, so here is the latest. I finally got the car into the shop (Wide World of Cars) and the 348 doctor said immediately that it sounded like a "bearing noise." That meant a couple of things: it could be the timing belt bearing, in which case the engine would need to come out of the car (ouch!) to fix it; or it could be a bearing on one of the accessory belts (alternator or a/c belts), in which case it could be fixed simply with the car on the lift. I prayed and prayed that the engine wouldn't need to come out of the car, as the major service was performed just two years ago. Well, luckily for me, I received a call indicating it was the alternator bearing So at the moment it's being fixed; the $ damage shouldn't be too bad. I'll keep you guys posted.
