Hello everyone! I have a 2001 Ranger with 59000 miles on her. She has a cirping under the hood and I can't seem to locate the sound. It does it most of the time (but not always). It sounds like there is about a million crickets under the hood. I have changed the belt tensioner, belts, power sterring pump, alternator, and water pump.
Thanks for any suggestions.

 

Does the chirping noise change any with the increase and decrease of engine rpm? It sounds like a problem with belt alignment. If it is alignment, you can spray WD40 or something like that to diagnois the problem. That is not a fix, just a way to determine where the noise is coming from. Does it change any with the A/C on?

 

The sound is steady. We did some street and interstate driving. The noise did not change. Also, it doesn't matter if the ac is on or not.

 

I would not recomment WD40! Try belt dressing instead. Is the noise there when running with the belt off? Are the pulleys clean? If the grooves in the pulleys fill with dirt the belt squeezes and packs it in. This results in less belt contact to drive the pulley.

 

Thanks for the reply. We will check it ASAP. Husband is currently down with the flu.

 

No doubt it is cam shaft synchronizer. Sounds just like a bird chirp. Take it to some one who knows how to set timing of synchronizer when installed.

 

Absolutely the Syncro, you have done all the belt work. I am willing to bet the sound comes and goes to some degree with the ambient tempature of the engine? Sitting in traffic hot little or none, run cool on hiway and come to stop the sound returns? Also one other test, remove belt start engine and listen, if it chirps it the Syncro shaft.