2002 Taurus 3.0 engine squeak

I have a '04 Ranger that has the same problem. It seems to be originating from the serpentine belt. Next month, I'll replace it.

You are quite right.... the car has no distributor.... But if it did have one, it would be, in all probability, right where the squeak is coming from. At this location, there is a drive adapter.... It is geared to the camshaft. The bottom end drives the oil pump and, at the top end is the cam synchronizer.

It is this drive adapter that is squeaking....

Warning.... it is posible to replace this assembly without the special tools required... but you need to be ANAL about what you see and do.... I have seen techs screw this job up even USING the special tools.

FWIW, this isn't an uncommon failure with these engines... On a scale of one to ten, I rate "first time successful" repair at about a 12.... The signal generated by this device is very important to the PCM... The PCM has a very low tolerance for abberations....

YMMV.

Sounds like a job for a pro. While I hate to take it to a dealership, I know one with a reputable service department. I'll call for an estimate later, but how about some advance warning. Is this an expensive job? Not sure how much disassembly is required other than maybe removing the intake manifold for access.

Christopher

Here is a quick update for anyone who has been following this thread or comes across it in the future:The source of the squeak was the cam position sensor.=A0 This is located under the intake manifold near the throttle body and that is where you will hear the noise if yours goes bad.=A0 A local dealership with a reputable service department handled the repair, which they said was common with the 3.0 V-6.=A0 Total cost was around $250.Christopher

Like I said.

I had the same problem with my 2002 Taurus SES. It is the cam synchronizer going out. Don?t let any body tell you different. Please take it to a trustworthy dealership. Hopefully, your car is still under warranty. It would have cost me around $300 but I had warranty and just paid $100 deductible.

good luck

"blickcd" wrote: > I thought I had some belt noise or a bad water pump bearing > but the > squeak, a nice rhythmic chirp that is based on engine rpm, is > coming > from the top of the engine near the throttle body or under the > intake > manifold. > > After doing a search here I found out that the older 3.0's > would > sometimes have part of the distributer wear out and that was > the > source of the noise. However, this car doesn't seem to have a > distributer. Just has one of those ignition coil packs > mounted on the > front valve cover. > > FYI, this car has about 55,000 miles on it and this is the > regular > 3.0, not the 24 valve model. Hopefully this is a job for an > above > average shade tree mechanic. > > Thanks, > Christopher