Just trying to get some general feedback from folks since it has been a long time since I owned a car like this.....

Basically, how loud is your engine noise?

With the hood up?
The hood down?

People talk about this being a muscle car - I remember after I first got it and my brother got his, with the hood up and the engine definitely sounded 'different' than what I figured for a 'muscle car' - very queit as a matter of fact. But then again, I am no big expert, this is a new Pony, and the performance is the important point anyways.....

But over the past year, the engine noise is prominant and louder...... so much so that when running with the hood down, inside or outside the car, I can clearly hear the rythmic 'tapping' as the engine runs...... I mean to me its very obvious, especially when it is running on the confine of my garage. When I took my car in last year for TSBs, the tech checked it out and said the engine noise was NOT the TSB for the ticking sound (which I thought/hoped it was), as the TSB noise didn't happen ALL the time and was a sporadic thing.

I may be wrong but to me, this doesn't sound normal - so I wanted to get some feedback from as many people as possible to see how they would describe the engine sounds coming from their Pony.

PLease give any impressions or observations - thanks!

 

Pretty normal...

At least from what I've heard.

Also my old 3.8 was a noisy train as well...even worse than this engine, by a long shot.

 

Mine has the "rhythmic 'tapping' " noise also. With the hood up it's pretty loud, with the hood down it's barely audible. But from what I've read on this forum its normal fuel injector noise.

 

Yea, mine is loud too. I'm only at 627 miles and I can hear it inside the cabin at a stop light with the window down. When I roll into the garage, it gets amplified in the closed space and I really hear it there. Or getting food at a drive-thru, you really hear it against the wall as one drives up to pay and get the food. Ford should have made an effort to fix this. The dealer I took it to said it was normal valve train noise for the 3 valve engine. It may be normal as they say, but it wouldn't surprise me at all if down the line way too many people complain and Ford is forced to deal with it, with a redsign or heaven forbid real problems are associated with the noise and a recall is ordered. This is not the way a Mustang should sound at low idle. It sounds more akin to a desiel engine at low idle.

 

This is too funny except it isnt. [img]style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/banghead.gif[/img] I have a new '06 and it does not have that
sound so far after 1800 miles. I DO have that tapping sound on my Lincoln LS V8.
I thought that there was a problem and it really increases as I move it into the garage
just like seaclam's. I'm glad it just isn't me and I'm the unlucky one but this still stinks.
I've wondered how easily others hear that tapping....like when you're slowly moving
through a parking lot. Your muscle car going tap-tap-tap is not the sound we or FORD
was looking to produce I'm sure.

By the way those old 3.8's were known to sound like a train. I had a '99 and after I read
about that I noticed that's exactly what it sounded like. That's why I never want to own
that engine again. I hope the new V6's sound good.

 

Welcome to mod motors, they are very noisy under the hood.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(FordFun @ February 12, 2006, 5:28 PM) Quoted post</div><div class='quotemain'>
....like when you're slowly moving
through a parking lot. Your muscle car going tap-tap-tap is not the sound we or FORD
was looking to produce I'm sure.[/b][/quote]

THAT'S part of what kills me....... its like hey check out how #@*%^@#%^ noisy my engine is.,,,,,,,,
[img]style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/dunno.gif[/img] [img]style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/nonono.gif[/img]


Thanks for all the responses so far - glad to see I am not alone.....

 

honestly its very loud. there was a guy in a yellow gt cruising next to me and his engine was even with my door and when he dropped it and took off i was like WOW!!!!

 

You could aways engine swap an old 289 with dual carbs in there if you want a different sound [img]style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/biggrinjester.gif[/img]

 

The 4.6 in my Mountaineer is noisy, too. I can really hear it when it echos off a building. Like at a drive up window. [img]style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/headscratch.gif[/img]

 

the 4.6 is a noisy motor, especially those fuel injectors

A borla or bassani exhaust should make you forget about it

 

Ahh! You hit the nail on the head! I'm getting a Bassani axleback for sure.

 

My engine got louder when I added the CAI. That may have something to do with yours being noticeably louder, Dave. I think mine has also gotten louder over the last year. I am pretty sure it's normal for an engine to be quieter when it's new, and then get louder as time goes on. My brother-in-law put a crate motor in his old F-150 about 8 months ago, and it is definitely louder now than it was when he first started it up, that's for sure. I wouldn't be too worried about it. I don't think it's a problem.

Edit: I will also add that if you get that Bassani x-pipe with the high-flow cats, you definitely won't be hearing the engine anymore. All you will be able to hear is that smooth, metallic sound of the x-pipe coming from the rear. [img]style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/thumb.gif[/img]

 

CAI definately adds to volume as does, obviously, exhaust change.

 

Hey Dave,

Can't remember but I think you have the Cali hood? Could one of the contributing factors be the aftermarket hood doesn't insulate sound as well as the stock hood? [img]style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/dunno.gif[/img] Just taking a stab here since you mention it was quieter when you first got it which would've been with the stock hood. And before the mods which like others have said could accentuate that sound. Regardless, I agree with you, not the sound a muscle car should have.

I think my car has it too. Right now my car is under 2ft of snow so I can't do a comparo check on mine for ya. Next time I use my car I'll be sure to check.

 

Haven't heard the engine at all since I put the Magnapacks on, and personally I like the sound of the exhaust more than engine noise.