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1998 Chevy Lumina Whistling in Engine

Tiny
MAD KING
  • MEMBER
  • 1998 CHEVROLET LUMINA
  • 6 CYL
  • FWD
  • AUTOMATIC
  • 165,000 MILES
Hello,

I have a problem and don't know what it can be.
The engine on my 1998 Lumina car is whistling when it is in idle state. As soon I get on the gas pedal the whisteling is gone. It is not the V-belt. It sound like it is coming from the engone block.

Does anyone know what this can be?

Thank you
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Wednesday, August 18th, 2010 AT 1:49 PM

15 Replies

Tiny
SATURNTECH9
  • MECHANIC
  • 30,869 POSTS
If it sound's like a tea kettle then most likely you have a vacuum leak.
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Wednesday, August 18th, 2010 AT 2:19 PM
Tiny
MAD KING
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  • 25 POSTS
That is exactly how it sounds. A vacuum leak? Where?
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+3
Wednesday, August 18th, 2010 AT 2:35 PM
Tiny
SATURNTECH9
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  • 30,869 POSTS
That's the fun part of vacuum leak's is the where you will have to find it. If it's whistling though it should be easy to find.I would think since it's whistle it's leaking at the intake manifold. But try this to find it. Let the car idle get a can of carb spray and spray all the vacuum line's and around where the intake meet's the head and the intake itself. If the idle goes up or down or stumble's or die's you have a leak there. The fix will depend on where you find the leak.
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Wednesday, August 18th, 2010 AT 2:41 PM
Tiny
MAD KING
  • MEMBER
  • 25 POSTS
OMG. Hopefully not the manifold gasket. It was just replaced 4 month ago with a very good one.
I will try to use the carb spray.

Btw with the carb spray do you mean carburetor spray cleaner?

Thank you

EDIT: I forgot to tell that I have filled Techron in my last tank filling. Can this caused the problem?
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Wednesday, August 18th, 2010 AT 2:53 PM
Tiny
SATURNTECH9
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  • 30,869 POSTS
Yes carburetor spray and no the techron would not have caused the vacuum leak.
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Wednesday, August 18th, 2010 AT 3:37 PM
Tiny
MAD KING
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Thank you. Will try my luck.
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Wednesday, August 18th, 2010 AT 3:49 PM
Tiny
SATURNTECH9
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Your welcome let me now what you find. Also thanks for the donation.
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Wednesday, August 18th, 2010 AT 7:03 PM
Tiny
MAD KING
  • MEMBER
  • 25 POSTS
UPDATE:

Changed all vacuum hoses, but this howl what I call it now is still there. As soon I give a little speed it is gone, but when I get away from the speed its howlin again.
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Wednesday, August 25th, 2010 AT 5:10 PM
Tiny
SATURNTECH9
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So in park at idle it's there as soon as you give it a little throttle it's gone?Also you said the noise changed?What did you find when you sprayed the carb spray around?
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Wednesday, August 25th, 2010 AT 7:49 PM
Tiny
MAD KING
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I didn't find anything when I sprayed around, but I changed the hoses. Thought, shouldn't hurt anyway.

It is not only in park idle but also when I drive and stay at the red light with the foot on the break. As I give a little throttle, it is gone.
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Wednesday, August 25th, 2010 AT 8:08 PM
Tiny
SATURNTECH9
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The only thing I can think of that would make a whistle like at tea kettle then go away when you raised the throttle is a vacuum leak. You said it changed from a whistle to a howl?Did that happen when you changed the hose's?
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Thursday, August 26th, 2010 AT 12:58 PM
Tiny
MAD KING
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No. It was before I changed it.
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Thursday, August 26th, 2010 AT 1:15 PM
Tiny
SATURNTECH9
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You agreed on the tea kettle sound I wouldn't call that a howling so you threw me off when you said that. Have you checked for code's to see if it has any code's that refer to a possible vacuum leak?I just hate to see you look for something else when you most likely have a vacuum leak somewhere.
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Thursday, August 26th, 2010 AT 7:43 PM
Tiny
MAD KING
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Just a short update:

You were right. After I changed all hoses I did not see, that the L form thing on the PCV was to soft. I din not change this one, because it seem fine for me.
Today, I went through everything again and noticed that this L piece was compressed from sucking in. That caused that noise. It is like you are blowing through a watering pot, if you know what I mean. After changing it to a hard L piece, the engine is purring like a cat again and that with 170.000 miles.

Thank you
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Friday, August 27th, 2010 AT 6:09 PM
Tiny
SATURNTECH9
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Glad to hear you found the leak and that I was right lol. Your welcome that's what were here to help people fix there car's. Also thanks for using 2carpros.
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Friday, August 27th, 2010 AT 8:48 PM

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