Cold Weather Starts

raubt · 11-23-2006, 03:47 AM

I live in Canada and I've just recently heard my 06 V6 making a kind of high-pitched whining noise when I start it after the engine is cold, say, -10 C (around 14 Fahrenheit). The high pitched noise comes at the end of the start sequence (that is, pretty much as the engine actually starts and I can stop turning the key), and then for the next two seconds or so I can hear the high pitched noise if I rev the engine. After that, it goes away completely, and even if I rev the engine there is no more noise. If I start the engine when the air temperature is warm, or if it has been running somewhat-recently and is still warm, no noise at all during the start up or at any point after that.

Has anybody else living in cold climates noticed this, or might there be something wrong with my Pony?

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Ford_Dude · 11-23-2006, 02:57 PM

try a better synthetic oil the sound might be because the oil hasn't fully circulated yet
oils like RP adheres to metal and that prevents damage on cold starts
or when was the last time you changed your oil

raubt · 11-23-2006, 03:34 PM

Oil was changed less than two months ago, I'll check out the synthetic though.

Ford_Dude · 11-23-2006, 04:04 PM

and even though the GT stang says 5W-20 the v-6 says 5W-30
but in such a cold climate it could be a good idea to find 0W-30 I think amsoil makes some

Doomtroop · 11-23-2006, 04:05 PM

I'm in Canada too, in montreal precisly. Anyways, it's normal that the motor has a harder time starting. I don't thing the high pitched noise is normal but I wouldn't panic either, especially if it does it once in a while (it can be the belt making that noise). However, don't rev up your car... especially if it's cold. You can seriously damage your motor if it is frozen and you try to rev it.

I would just simply have someone look at the motor when you start up your car to see if the belt is touching something else or if something is making that noise.

Hope i helped.

raubt · 11-23-2006, 05:16 PM

Yeah, I thought about the belt rubbing or something. About two weeks ago I slid my mustang into a snowbank (one of the ones piled up from the graters) and I was thinking maybe I got some snow into some places in the engine where there isn't supposed to be any snow. A mechanic checked out the car and didn't see anything broken or bent under there, so I'm not sure. And if it was a belt rubbing or something, it would be doing it all the time, wouldn't it? Not just for two seconds after the start, and not just when I start the car after it's been cold for a while. Start-ups when the temperature is warm or the engine itself has been running recently and is still warm are completely fine and normal sounding.

Ford_Dude · 11-23-2006, 06:32 PM

if itâ€™s a belt it could be that when its cold a little water condenses on the belt then it squeals until the belt dries

05SDI · 11-23-2006, 07:29 PM

I too have heard this sound when starting our cars (both of them) when the weather is cold. In my car I switched to synthetic oil the very first oil change (yes I know some feel synthetic oils should not be used during break in) and have ran it since then changing every 2500 miles whether it is needed that often or not.
BUT to ease you mind some:
Last winter when we had about 8000 miles on my car, one very cold morning (about -32 F) I went and started my car and as soon as it fired up it immediately reved to 6200 rpm and bounced off the rev limiter for about 5 or 6 seconds!!!! It was very cold so I didnâ€™t get in the car to start it I just reached in and turned the key. After jumping in and shutting it down, I spent 10 minutes looking for things wrong under the hood and for fluid running out on the ground. After checking things out inside the car I was â€˜sickâ€™ when I found that the heavy duty floor mat I had put in there to keep the stock ones from getting ruined must have shifted as I got out the night before I must have moved it so it pushed the accelerator pedal all the way to the floor!!! I was so bummed that a $15 floor mat might have cost me BIG $ for a new motor! (assuming warranty doesnâ€™t cover being dumb!) Well the car now has over 22K miles on it and I have found NO ill affects due to this mishap.
Bottom line donâ€™t let the sound bother you!
05SDI

SparkYZ · 11-24-2006, 05:10 AM

Its the belt.
My other cars did this.
Moisture on the belt, then it warms up and dries up.

raubt · 11-26-2006, 03:04 AM

Did your car do that all winter? Wouldn't moisture on the belt just last for that one time and then dry up and not happen again?

I don't know if this will help anyone hear what's going on with my engine when it starts cold (or if this is the same kind of noise anyone else has heard), but here's an mp3 of it (inside the car, doors closed). The high-pitched start, a rev with the high-pitch, and a small rev at the end which sounds completely normal. (SparkYZ, this the same kind of noise your cars were making?)

http://members.shaw.ca/raubt/mustang_cold_rev.mp3