Odd whistle from the dash

n8bachelor

Dedicated LVC Member
Joined
Dec 30, 2005
Messages
1,622
Reaction score
12
Location
Bentonville, AR
Here's an odd one for the group: I have a strange whistle from the front dash shortly after I start the car. Seems reproducible at the first medium acceleration after the car is started. If I keep it under 2k I don't hear it but that first time pulling out onto the highway or main road it is there. I would describe it as an electrical charging whistle/whine followed by a click. It may be coming from the driver side footwell or elsewhere in the dash. Could I have a faulty relay in the fuse box or is there another likely culprit? I will post a video clip shortly...
 
I have the same thing from the same place on my 06. I always wondered what it was. Sounds semi electronic also. But I am not for sure. High pitched.
 
DO you have Navigation?

SSM 19419 - 2003-2006 LINCOLN LS - HIGH FREQUENCY NOISE IN THE PASSENGER COMPARTMENT - ADVANCETRAC SYSTEM - DO NOT ATTEMPT REPAIRS/REPLACEMENT - NORMAL OPERATION
SOME 2003-2006 LINCOLN LS VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH ADVANCETRAC AND A THX AUDIO/NAVIGATION SYSTEM MAY EXHIBIT A HIGH FREQUENCY NOISE IN THE PASSENGER COMPARTMENT FOR 2 TO 3 SECONDS DURING THE FUNCTIONAL SELF-CHECK OF THE ADVANCE TRAC SYSTEM. THIS SELF-CHECK HAPPENS ONCE PER KEY CYCLE THE FIRST TIME THE ENGINE REACHES 2500 RPM OR HIGHER, WITH THE VEHICLE SPEED BETWEEN 15 AND 55 MPH, WHILE NOT BRAKING. THIS IS A NORMAL CHARACTERISTIC OF THE VEHICLE, SO NO REPAIR SHOULD BE ATTEMPTED.
 
Yes, unfortunately it is normal if you have the THX navigation option. The sound is actually coming from the door speaker, not under the dash.
 
I thought I was crazy for hearing it through the speakers. My car has the THX navigation option... but I have replaced the head unit with an aftermarket Pioneer. Using joegr's plug schematic I was able to retain the factory speaker system. However, after running for about 6 months I have decided to replace the factory speakers and amp too. I heard it when stock so the noise is not generated in the THX head unit it must be interference picked up from the Advance Trac. I will have to rewire the front doors and hope to eliminate the noise. I would be pissed to hear that through a new component set. Could it be interference from the amp?

i'll get that video up sometime.
 
Last edited:
Did you keep the factory amps like I did? I still have the tone too. I suspect that the factory line-level wiring from the headunit to the 4-channel amp would have to be replaced and relocated to eliminate this.
 
Yes, I was able to keep the factory amps. Your posts showed me how. Bummer about that tone, I didn't really know what to say when passengers asked me what that tone was. I'm running all new wires when I replace the amp and speakers after Christmas. I'll let you know if it goes away after that.
 
Also had it. Drove me NUTS! It got to be a game with me to see if I could get on the freeway without getting the tone. As the tone only happens the 1st time through the affected RPM when the A/T runs its self check, I asked the dealer if I stayed below that RPM (mine was after ~2800 RPM) did that mean the A/T wouldn't run the self-check? He didn't have an answer. I was considering putting a Faraday Cage around the amp or the head unit or ABS unit up front but never got around to it. I did tell the girl that bought my car about it.

At least my 535i is quiet and I got 31.5 mpg coming back from PHX. I was even able to maintain 100 for a few minutes without my wife noticing!!
 
I do have a 06 w/ Nav and THX. But it is not that loud or annoying. In fact it only last for a few sec's.
 
Did you keep the factory amps like I did? I still have the tone too. I suspect that the factory line-level wiring from the headunit to the 4-channel amp would have to be replaced and relocated to eliminate this.


I am running aftermarket on ex-THX and not using any stock amps and I still have the sound.
 
RE: SSM 19419 - 2003-2006 LINCOLN LS - HIGH FREQUENCY NOISE IN THE PASSENGER COMPARTMENT - ADVANCETRAC SYSTEM - DO NOT ATTEMPT REPAIRS/REPLACEMENT - NORMAL OPERATION


One of the many improvements on the 2[SUP]nd[/SUP] GEN by the sounds? :shifty:
 
I am running aftermarket on ex-THX and not using any stock amps and I still have the sound.

Are you still using the stock wiring between the headunit and the amp?

RE: SSM 19419 - 2003-2006 LINCOLN LS - HIGH FREQUENCY NOISE IN THE PASSENGER COMPARTMENT - ADVANCETRAC SYSTEM - DO NOT ATTEMPT REPAIRS/REPLACEMENT - NORMAL OPERATION


One of the many improvements on the 2[SUP]nd[/SUP] GEN by the sounds? :shifty:

To be clear here, this is only if you have THX nav (no tone with the other audio options), and THX nav wasn't an option on the gen I. Clearly this was a design mistake, and it probably has to do with the way they ran the line-level audio to the 4-channel amp.
 
Yea am still using stock wires. Just clarifying that it isn't the amplifiers.

That's good to know. The effort to run new wiring front to back for the amp is too much for me compared to the slight annoyance of the tone.
 
Update: I replaced the stock amp and ran my RCAs and new door speaker wire down the center of the vehicle. The noise is gone!

I expect it was the line level signal picking up interference.
 

Members online

Back
Top