tistanle

I have a 2003 Ford Taurus SE 3.0, automatic. When I start the car there is a loud chirping noise coming from the front end. The loud noise goes away after the car is warmed up but is replaced by a constant low chirping noise. I have no idleing problems, loss of power, or check engine light. I have read in other posts that it might be the cam synchronizer/sensor or both. If I let this go on to long will it cause a problem. Please Help.

jwko

Thats probably what it is. You need to get that fixed before it siezes up and causes some serious damage. The pic shows the location of the synchronizer assembly, while the car is cold, see if you can grab ahold of the assembly & you should be able to feel it as it grinds/chirps. Its a common problem with the Taurus & is a pain to change thanks to the flat plastic wiring harness running right above it. Be sure you know what you are doing if trying to change this yourself as you can throw the car out of timing. The cam position sensor also sits on top of this assembly and may need replacing too if the vein has came in contact with it. This pic is of a 01

tistanle

I think I located the cam sensor/synchronizer. I started the car and then held on to it like you said. I couldn't feel anything as it chirps. I don't know if this is anything, but the sound was coming from a little bit higher up and to the left from where the cam sensor is.

jwko

It's got to be the sync assembly making the chirp noise. The only other possibility would be the belt or pulleys and you can eliminate that by pulling the belt and starting the car and see if noise stops.

I went through this a few years back and it drove me nuts trying to figure out where it was comming from. Thanks to harmonics, this sound kept me looking all over the engine compartment until I finally went to ford and talked to a mechanic and he told me what it was.

tistanle

I hate to be a pain, but today on the way home from work there were two distinct chirping noises coming from two different places. Is there any other belts or pully's besides the serpentine.

jwko

No there is only one

tistanle

What kind of cost am i looking at to replace the cam sensor/synchronizer?

jwko

I paid ford a 100 bucks for the synchronizer assembly and did it myself. I don't have a clue what the labor charges would be. I did mine in about a hour so it's not so time consuming but Ford service will charge by the book. I would call them and get a estimate

chenripp

How do you remove the wiring harness to reach the assembly?
Do you have to take off the intake manifold to play with it? It seems really
painful to make some room for the assembly since the lower half of the flat plastic cover that is designed to protect the wires really block the way....

By the way, does a 2004 Sable also suffer from failure of synchronizer
assembly? Just curious since it used to chirp but gone now after lubricating
the bearing in the belt tensioner pulley. This car has 90,000 miles on it.

jwko

It was a PAIN. Had to remove the throttle assembly, and unplug the stray wires running from the harness in that area, removed the 1,2 & 3 plug wires and laid them back, removed the hose you see right above the harness and I was able to raise it up enough to remove the synchronizer assembly. The flat harness cover is in two pieces and after removing the 10ft of black tape that covered the exposed wires it had some flex, just enough to lift the assembly out of the block. I did not have to remove the intake.

I don't know for sure what years are affected by synchronizer assembly failure. They should not fail so soon and wouldn't if it could get some decent lubrication.