I have a 2000 F-150 with a 5.4 V-8, automatic transmission and 4WD.
For the past couple months, there has been an intermittent whistling noise. It sounds like an elementary kid playing a recorder. It is not constant, but last for a few seconds, several times each minute. At least once it seemed like this noise continued for a couple seconds after I shut off the engine. It never seems to change much in volume or pitch.
My oil light came on a couple times when I pulled into a parking spot. I would then turn off the engine and check the oil level. All was fine. I would start it back up, and there was no problem. Even the whistling sounds were (temporarily) gone. (So I am thinking that the whistling is somehow connected to the oil light.)
The third time this happened, the ?Service Engine Soon? light came on. The diagnostic codes were
? P1285 Cylinder head overtemperature sensed
? P1289 Cylinder head temperature sensor high input
No particular problem was diagnosed at the garage. The oil was fine. The coolant was fine.
Last night I drove a couple miles. Lots of the whistling sounds. Suddenly the oil light comes on. I check the oil gauge. Normal. I check the temperature gauge. At the top. I have just started up a hill, so I accelerate. The oil light goes out, and within a couple seconds the temperature gauge drops back to normal. The whistling noise has stopped.
Everything was fine ? oil level, etc. And there were no bad engine noises. This morning I drove the truck a couple miles to work, and the whistling sound is still gone.
It may be a small steam leak from the coolant system. Have the engine coolant system pressure checked with the engine as warm as you can safely remove the radiator cap (below 212F degrees).
by: hellokit