Strange Shhhhh noise..

[sednwol]

You guys know that Iam new to this and this is probably normal but when I turn the heater on (XR8 s3) the settings other than recycle and screen I hear what sounds like a shhhhhhh sound, it's not that loud but a bit irritating. The AC is off. This is not the fan, when I turn the knob to screen it stops, same for recycle. When I turn the car off it continues for a couple seconds then decrease and stops, sounds kinda like a ballon hissing down. Is this normal? If so what is it, if not what is it.

[clontarf_x]

Vacuum hoses. You will probably find one is loose/split. Time for a dash rebuild

[sednwol]

Vacuum hoses

Wouldn't that effect the "screen" setting as well?

[AWD Chaser]

Once you take the dash apart and look at the back of the air flow knob, it has a heap of vaume hoses coming from it. The heater turn knob also has 2 hoses too. So unless you know the route of every hose and pipe in the knob assembly, it's hard to say why it does it on one setting and not the other.


It sounds like a vac. hose, but could be the selector knob assembly too....

[sednwol]

I think taking the dash apart is beyond me, I'll just put up with it. It's not that loud and with radio on you'll never hear it! That will have to be my fix I think :

[GK]

The noise doesn't neccessarily mean a hose is split, there is vacuum noise when you turn the dial from one setting to another. Happens in my cars all the time and there's no loss of performance in the heater/cooler controls.

If your heater etc is working ok, I wouldn't worry about it. Noises can get very irritating though can't they?

All the best with it.

GK

[S3SR]

i had the exact same prob when i bought my SR all i did was kept changing those setting like full cold, top fan speed, different flows and i managed to get something right but now it doesnt do it...dont no why but just keep fidling im sure you'll find it

FalconSR

[sednwol]

Thanks guys, Iam sure it wasn't happening yesterday. GK, everything works fine, noise is a bit of an irritant but if I have it on screen no noise. FALCONSR I try what you did and see if it works. I did smell intially an odd smell coming from it, not refridgerant but something similar, that's stopped now.

[Bucknaked]

I can sympathise with you. I get an annoying noise every time i press the accelerator. Sound of a 6 cyl :

[LUXO_8]

my parents' au fairmont makes that sound almost every time its shut off after you've used the climate .... ive got no idea what it is but there is no issue with the climate system.... ive been driving it around all this week ( diff broken in mine:P) and the system works just fine

[galaxy xr8]

Mine does this too, I think it's just normal.

[sednwol]

Mine does this too, I think it's just normal.

That's interesting galaxy xr8, do you hear the shhhhing noise all the time your heater is on ? Maybe it's an xr8 thing only? I was hoping another XR8 owner would say it's normal, I hope others with an 8 can say the same, I guess i'll wait and see.

[XR6-VCT-2000]

Mine was doing the 'shhhhhhh' noise with the heater on the feet before i pulled apart the dash to change the lights in the clock and cfp. I found a few of the small clear rubber hose couplings that connect the vac hoses to the controls on the cfp were half hanging off ( they were still connected but needed pushing on firmer ) . Big improvement , no more noise .

[galaxy xr8]

Mine does not make this sound all the time, only when the fan has been on full and you then turn it down, or move the direction off the flow from windscreen to feet, etc. and then it only makes this sound and goes away, it's not continously there.

[sednwol]

What's involved in pulling the dash out enough to fix the tubes? Is it a big job?

[AWD Chaser]

Tools required - 4 long thin tools, or the proper ford tool to remove the radio, 1 average phillips head screw driver, 1 stubby phillips head screw driver.
The screws may be VERY tight, therefore rubbergrip screwdrivers may work better.

1. Take out radio, remove radio plugs
2. Take out ash tray
3. Remove 4 screws - 2 from behind the ash tray, 2 on either side of the radio hole area.
4. The whole cfp (center finish panel) (black, or dark graphite colour) should just unclip from the main dash. It is only held in with a series of wedge clips.
5. To reach the vaccum hoses at the back of the controls, you will need to remove the clock (two screws on each side), and the main centre vents (three screws - 1 centre top, and one on each side).

You should not have to remove the heater control cable to get enough room to get your hand behind... from here you can check your vaccum hoses.

[XR6-VCT-2000]

Complete to/including step 3 , (this next bit only takes about 2 mins extra to do and will save you heaps of time trying to squeeze in behind the cfp ), also imo put the car in gear position #1 before starting, to give you a bit more room removing the radio and cfp - if you have an automatic.



4. Turn the 3 cfp dials/controls to about 8 o'clock (full cold & fan off - on the last 2 dials ) .

5. Remove the glovebox ( just clips out ) .

5. Behind the glovebox to the bottom left / unclip the multi-colour vacume hoses/line connector , follow the the coloured vacume lines from the connector you just unclipped to right behind where the bottom of the glovebox would be , the coloured hoses/lines are clipped onto the plastic here with small metal clips , get a flathead screwdriver and pry them off from the under side of where they are clipped on, or use long nose pliers and pull them off .

6. Unclip the thick controls cable from its plastic mount just behind where the glovebox would usually be ( there is only 1 thick cable there ) , unclip the cable retainer from the plastic mount. (leave the cable retainer clip attatched to the cable) .

7. To easilly remove the cfp without breaking it , Unclip the cfp pulling from the bottom first with hands on the bottom both sides , pulling evenlly working your way towards the top.

8. Once you have carefully unclipped the cfp about 2" to 3" away from the dash , behind the cfp unclip the clock connector/plug , unclip the aircon connector/plug and unplug the power connector ... untwist the bulb/globe connector for the ashtray and unclip the plug off the back of the cigarette lighter ( 4 electrical plugs to disconnect and 1 light bulb holder to untwist form the ashrtay mount in total on series 2 xr ).

9. The whole cfp is now ready to remove from the dash , carefully pull it towards you while guiding the vacume lines (the one you unplugged from behind the lower left of the glovebox ) and cable (the one you disconnected from behind the glovebox) . Pull the cfp fully away from the dash while carefully guiding both vacume lines and the cable ( still attatched to the cfp and controls ) through. When the cfp is removed you will have the vacume lines and the cable still hanging off/attatched to the cfp .

Much easier to access the back of the cfp now ( can take it inside and work on it ) , you can make sure all hoses are propperlly clipped onto the controls, and change any cfp or clock lights while at it if needed. Installing again is just the same procedure in reverse .

All up really , after the radio is removed , this whole procedure only takes about 5 minutes max to remove it / and about the same to put it back . Its actually quicker and easier than trying to squeeze a small stubby phillips head screwdriver behing the cfp to undo the clock and the vent , and at least you'll know for sure that 'ALL' the vacume lines are on propperly for sure , unlike when the cfp is still semi connected you can't see behind it , your just judging off feel . cheers .

[AWD Chaser]

IMO - just to check vaccum hoses, I don't believe you should have to actually remove the whole cfp... but yeah - the above should give you something to do on the weekend now - enjoy!

[sednwol]

Iam not confident doing things like this myself I'll get someone else who knows about this. Interesting I did as FALCONSR suggested, full blower moving b/n settings and hot/cold and now only one setting has the noise (go figure) and that is footwell, the one I want to work. I think I will continue doing what FALCONSR suggested as it may have been a blockage?

[XR6-VCT-2000]

Originally Posted by au3 chaser

IMO - just to check vaccum hoses, I don't believe you should have to actually remove the whole cfp... but yeah - the above should give you something to do on the weekend now - enjoy!

True , you don't have to fully take the cfp off to check the hoses , but the clock and the vent must be unscrewed from the back of the cfp to get to the vac hoses / which is a pain in the butt in the small space you end up with.

Once you know how to remove the cfp, imo its actually quicker and easier to fully remove it rather than trying to squish a stubby phillipshead screwdriver though the small gaps to behind the cfp to undo the above . Besides that, once the cfp is removed there is no need to undo anything else to check the vac lines, and they can then be checked propperly.

Definatelly sounds like a hose is not on propperly though ;) , i had exactelly the same noise as you Sednwol, a 'shhhhhhh' noise in just the footwell .

[GK]

There's been some good step by step instructions given here, they's go great with a photo tutorial as well.

Anyone keen to take apart the dash? LOL!

I'm asking because, I don't work well with just a written set of instructions, I need the pics as well.

A tutorial like this could help a lot of people out.

Just a thought!

GK

[XR6-VCT-2000]

I originally used Russells document in the Tech part first time i dis-assembled it , there is a few b/w pics there , no photo's though , maybe not to clear for someone not to sure whats what , helped me though .
http://www.fordforums.com.au/vbporta...warticle&id=37

I might post some photo's on this soon as it would only take me a few mins to remove the cfp and put it back in, for the sake of making it heaps easier for others who unsure. cheers

[DJM83]

Originally Posted by Bucknaked

I can sympathise with you. I get an annoying noise every time i press the accelerator. Sound of a 6 cyl :

V8 withdrawls bucky iam to after just looking in the forsale section tonnes of AU XR8 for cheap

[Bucknaked]

Originally Posted by 00VenomXR

V8 withdrawls bucky iam to after just looking in the forsale section tonnes of AU XR8 for cheap

I've never owned a Ford V8, and my last V8 was a HQ with a 253 with 3 on da tree. I did a Manual to Auto Conversion one weekend after the jamming of the linkages in the column shift became all too much to put up with on a regular basis :

I sold the HQ in 92. So its been 14 years. Severely withdrawn.

Like you said, theres some well price XR8. Like the one Whoosha is selling for his mate. Some bargins to be had.

[Dark Horse]

Let us know how you go if you do plan to start pulling things apart. Mine makes the same noise also, coming out of recycle. Been that way since new so I thought it was normal.

[Bucknaked]

I've got a noise on my which sounds like the fan blades may be broken. My E-Series was famous for broken fan blades. I think the same has happened to the AU.