alternator---changed the belt first & was a waste of time. Good luck.

 

My 07 4.6 has started having this same issue. I am at 30k miles so I need to get it in before my warranty comes up.

 

suggest you pick a day with a cold forecast & take it in the night before so they hear it squeal frozen in the am. Good luck!

 

Born2huntwi,
Thanks for mentioning the power steering. I sat in my truck this morning while warming it up (17 F) and the whine started right at startup. I turned my steering wheel and the whine stopped briefly and restarted when I turned the wheel back to center. Every time I moved the wheel it would stop briefly an restart when I returned the wheel to center so my whine must be in the power steering. It will last about 3 or 4 minutes Thanks for the info.

 

Same here, power steering noise on cold start. Guess we live with it? Anyone have Ford replace the pump and did it help?

 

I brought my 05 in a couple days ago and mentioned the hight pitch noise at startup in <10* weather. The weather was in the mid 20's the past couple days so I doubt they even checked it, but they replaced the alternator and idler pully.
ERIC

 

There several ideas here for the different fixes.

My 99 F150 4x4 is doing this as well. I had a similar problem last late winter and it turned out to be the AC unit. Now 7 months later it has returned. Does the fact that I never refilled the freon have anything to do with it?

Maybe something else is failing this time? Tension Pully?

 

my 2004 5.4L 69K miles also is making a whistling noise while driving down the road almost sounds like some type of leak. I thought at first it may be alternator, but I think it maybe something related to the intake system. Very annoying and loud.

 

My 05 4.6l is making that high pitched noise as well. It has been doing it only in the winter months for the last two years. Noise goes away if it gets warmer out. Does not do it at start up however. Hard to listen for it when it is moving. My first impression of the noise was something with the intake though. It is damn loud. Alternator seems to be the same answer from the majority. Is that the final answer?

Thanks
C

 

Now this is supposed to be covered under Extended warranty right?

 

The whistling on mine and i do mean whistling im 100% sure its not a pulley or belt. And only if its 10 and colder like others have stated. Its especially loud at 70 mph. It whistles so loud its actually kinda scary! as soon as i go to 71 or 69 mph it stops. I am pulling out my hair and freezing my butt off trying to figure this one out! Recently ive noticed it starting around 50-52 mph. and as soon as i get to 53 it stops again... wierd!

 

I can't guarantee it, but it's the alternator. I just keep putting up with it

good luck -jim

 

I hade the same issue about two weeks ago. squealing when cold, would come and go,....thought it was an idler, tensioner, alt.....turned out to be a bad belt....at 4700 miles.

 

Well i fixed my Whistling problem!!! Turned out to be a bad PCV VALVE! on a hunch i removed my air intake (stock) once again to double check all gaps and hoseclamps and double checked all vacuum hoses to check for the air leak. When i had the air intake off, i peered down into the throttle body and saw that there was a film of oil in there and i actually saw oil about to drip from the hole where the hose comming from the pcv valve goes into the intake manifold. Picked up a new oem valve, changed it out and NO MORE WHISTLING!!! and it was very cold out when i test drove it on the highway to verify my repair so im 99.99% sure that took care of it. im so happy it was probably the most annoying sound ive ever heard a vehicle make. hope this helps anyone else on their search for the noise!

 

Probably your power steering. My F250 makes that exact type noise everytime it gets to 10 degrees. The colder it is, the longer it takes to go away, but never up to a minute.