# Loud ringing/squealing when the car is not accelerating **URL:** \ **Category:** Maintenance/Repairs\ **Tags:** explorer\ **Created:** [June 18, 2007, 12:28am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/loud-ringing-squealing-when-the-car-is-not-accelerating/684 "2007-06-18T00:28:02Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![ztakim](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/ztakim/32/5663_2.png) [@ztakim](https://community.cartalk.com/u/ztakim)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2007, 12:28am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/loud-ringing-squealing-when-the-car-is-not-accelerating/684/1 "2007-06-18T00:28:02Z")
I have a 99 Explorer with 91000 miles on it. When i’m not accelerating or over 40 mph per hour, I hear a loud squealing sound when the car has been running for a while. My uncle/mechanic didn’t hear the sound when he looked at it and couldn’t find anything wrong with the car. The squealing has gotten progessively more frequent. ---
**Author:** ![Roadrunner](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/d2c977/32.png) [@Roadrunner](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Roadrunner)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2007, 1:43am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/loud-ringing-squealing-when-the-car-is-not-accelerating/684/2 "2007-06-18T01:43:38Z")
Belt squeal or a metal to metal squeal? ---
**Author:** ![me\_art12](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/839c29/32.png) [@me\_art12](https://community.cartalk.com/u/me_art12)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2007, 4:27am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/loud-ringing-squealing-when-the-car-is-not-accelerating/684/3 "2007-06-18T04:27:41Z")
The squeal may be there, and your uncle may not hear it because the abilty to hear higher pitched sounds lessens as one becomes older. Let a younger mechanic listen for it. ---
**Author:** ![system](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/original/3X/1/d/1d47c66a543aa6c5a7873bb2320858f978ff52ed.png) [@system](https://community.cartalk.com/u/system)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2007, 9:33pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/loud-ringing-squealing-when-the-car-is-not-accelerating/684/4 "2007-06-18T21:33:45Z")
Not sure…It started as a loud humming and now is more like ringing. Groaning even. It happens when the car is on for a while and sitting in traffic usually triggers it. It’s completely embarassing whatever it is. ---
**Author:** ![system](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/original/3X/1/d/1d47c66a543aa6c5a7873bb2320858f978ff52ed.png) [@system](https://community.cartalk.com/u/system)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2007, 9:34pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/loud-ringing-squealing-when-the-car-is-not-accelerating/684/5 "2007-06-18T21:34:59Z")
I son’t think it’s his hearing. I think’s more that he didn’t have it sitting in traffic like I typically do. It starts ringing/humming/groaning when I’ve been in traffic a while and not at a consistent speed. ---
**Author:** ![Beadsandbeads](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/c57346/32.png) [@Beadsandbeads](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Beadsandbeads)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2007, 1:11am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/loud-ringing-squealing-when-the-car-is-not-accelerating/684/6 "2007-06-20T01:11:18Z")
Does it do this at idle? If so, can you get out and open the hood and see where it is coming from? ---
**Author:** ![Doohickie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ecccb3/32.png) [@Doohickie](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Doohickie)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2007, 3:06am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/loud-ringing-squealing-when-the-car-is-not-accelerating/684/7 "2007-06-20T03:06:59Z")
If it sounds like a sheet metal rattle or groaning, it could be the heat shields on the exhaust system. If it’s a ringing (almost like a bell) it could be the end pieces of the flex pipe that have broken off and are rattling up and down the pipe. If that’s it, you fix it by either tightening the clamps, putting on new clamps, or cutting off the loose pieces.