I have a 2004 ford taurus with 50,000 miles that makes a chirping noise from motor that comes and goes with no set pattern. I put on a new belt and idler pulley. Noise sounds like a bird chirping. Dose anyone have a idea of what this could be?
I think you are on the right track. Definitely sounds like a slipping belt or pulley bearing. It wouldn’t have to be an idler pulley though; anything the belt turns could be making the noise. Alternator, water pump, etc. If my car, I’d get a length of garden hose and use it as a sort of stethoscope to try to determine where exactly the sound is coming from. Sometimes a length of wooden dowel can help narrow it down too, by listening on one end, and touching the other end to suspect non-moving parts. I have a similar problem on my Corolla, not a chirp but a ticking noise, and I used the garden hose technique to find out it is the alternator that is ticking. It’s still ticking 10 years later, as it causes no other problem. You have to be very careful working around running engines, so if you don’t have the proper expertise and knowledge, don’t do this yourself, ask a mechanic to do it for you.
Do you have the 3.0 OHV Vulcan?
If yes, the noise is probably the camshaft synchronizer
We have tons of Tauruses just like yours in our fleet, and most of them have eventually developed the same problem as your car
Another vote for the camshaft synchronizer drive. Common problem on the 3.0 engine.