Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Just in the past couple of days my car has started making a loud "humming" or buzzing sound, like a muffled vacuum cleaner operating far away. It doesn't make the noise often, only after I drive it for a while, and then coast to a stop. It is most noticeable when idling at an intersection. Noise goes away the second I press the accelerator from idle, but reappears after a while. Intensity of sound seems to be mostly independent of my speed, and whether I am turning or not, so it's probably not suspension components (?).
Anyone who could give me an idea of what it could be? The source of the noise seems to be somewhere inside the hood, if that helps. Could it be a pump going out? Or power steering problem? Maybe a sticking valve? Car is a 1994 Grand Marquis.
I would be tempted to say that you are hearing a fuel pump that is in the process of dying, but the fuel pump is located in the tank, not under the hood.
Are you sure that the noise is coming from underneath the hood?
Since you can hear the noise when the car is idling, I would suggest that you try tracking the source of the noise when it is parked with the engine running.
But...you already told us that the noise is noticeable when "the engine is idling at an intersection".
Frankly, I am confused by contradictory information.
Maybe I wasn't quite clear. I can't hear any abnormal noise when the car is in Park and I open the hood. The noise is only heard after driving for a while and I remove my foot from the accelerator in anticipation of a stop/light. It is very audible when I wait in Drive for a light to turn green. It goes away the second I accelerate. If the light is long, the noise also goes away when the idle RPM changes (the idle RPM in my car always changes after a while if I wait at a long light; this is normal).
Vid sounds like typical fuel pump going bad. They can make this noise for a long time before they finally die.....and usually in a bad location. If you haven't replaced the fuel filter in a while, might give that a try to relieve some of the pressure on the pump. Another issue with the pre-ethanol fuel systems is that they are not refined enough for the crap gas we are forced to buy today. Ethanol has a shelf life of about 10days- 2 weeks before it starts separating in your tank. Most often it's not an issue as folks fill up once a week. But if you're not filling that often, it can totally freeze up a fuel pump as the gas starts to turn to goo. I've got a 91 Bronco EB in the drive with that exact issue now. The fuel pump replacement is not a cheap date so buy a Motorcraft part. The fuel tank will have to come off of the car to replace it so make sure the tank is close to empty. Expect a service bill of about $550.00. The part is about $279.00 for Motorcraft at Rockauto.com I believe Chiltons allows 2.3 hours for the repair.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
