Hello all..Just signed up to this forum..As i picked up a 1988 T-Bird from old lady with 55k miles on it..Its 5.0 lx Auto Aod with column shifter..Unfortunately she had it sitting outside for 5-6 years vs garaged..ggggrr..Anyways..Ive had to spend a few buks here and there just to get it in a daily driver mode..After getting all my issues fixed..And runs very nice considering still stock..
Only problem is i have a sever hissing sound coming out of my column shifter..And when i pull the shifter forward to switch gears it gets more loud..When i drive and give gas..It goes away..But lay of the gas then the hissing is there..Has any one of you had or have the same problem..? Is it normal for these cars? Or is it as vacum leak of some sort..? Any help is much appreciated.As before i do and upgrade to my TBird..I have to fix all or any problems first..Thankyou
Sounds like a vacuum leak to me......does your car have the auto release parking brake when you put the car into gear? I would start there......
Yep that's what it sounds like to me. Esp since when you step on the gas it goes away cause it loses vacuum when the throttle blade is wide open
Definitely a vacuum leak, either from the automatic parking brake release or from the brake booster.
The APBR plastic vacuum collar is located underneath the dash, on the end of the column, right by the firewall. It's white in color. You'll need to remove the underdash insulation panel to see it.
There's one nipple on the front side for the small line to the dash (gear selector).
IIRC there's another nipple on the other side. That's for the larger line coming in from the vacuum tee in the engine bay.
I've seen where that larger line splits so check that first. If you don't want the APBR or just want to test, you can cap off the nipple on the vacuum tee in the engine bay (it's marked B/R).
Otherwise you could have a bad brake booster. I've had one go bad and it will hiss just like that.
These should give you some starting points.
I would even play around under the dash, just cap off b/r on the vacuum tree like eric mentioned and if it it goes away its fixed... I hate working under the dash lol
No it does not..Are the 88cat/birds supposed to have that? Is that hissing sound maybe the reason it doesnt release?
That makes sense..Appreciate the feedback..Will check it out..Thanx
When you move the shifter and hear it getting louder, I would imagine that your foot is also on the brake pedal. With the engine idling, try slowly moving the brake pedal without touching the shifter and see if the sound changes in any way.
I suspect it's the booster. I had one start leaking in my '86 XR-7 and it drove me nuts.
Im curious. does the cruise control work? theres a little piece right around where the brake switch is on the peadl assembly that is adjustable. It is sopposed to create a vac leak when you hit the brake to kill the cruise. maybe its out of adjustment?
Just an idea?
I have this same problem on my 80 Bird, I will have to check these things since the dash is out right now.
hMM..Havent tried ccontrol. yet..Will do..Thankyou all..This forum is awesome..
Auto park brake release will not work if it has a vac leak. If the port on the vac tree under the hood labeled "BR" has a line coming off of it, you have this feature.
Yes the Cruise Control does work.And my car doesnt have the break release..Ive done research on other forums..And it seems that its a rubber bushing that goes arond a moon shaped plastic part under the steering column..It has nothing to do with Brakes or Brake release..
My 88 LX has the auto release, so I'll bet yours does, too. Mine was the same way, I just unplugged the line and stuck a small bolt in it. I'd be crazy to even use my parking brake, so an auto release is just silly.
Oddly enough my 20th had the BR capped off but does have auto e-brake release.
the little plunger is cracked on the side so i capped it off,, rarely use the Ebrake for anything.
take a picture of under your column, pictures are worth a thousand words.
Be crazy to use your parking brake?? Or crazy not too?? Parking brake is whats going to prolong your AOD tranny..Once you put it in park..And take foot of brake pedal..The car..Any Auto car has some play after you take foot of brake pedal..Little back and forth action that is not healthy for your tranny..Parking brake before you take foot of brake pedal..Stops that eerk and jerk...
I think that what he meant by that post (#14) was that most of our park brake cables are rusty and seized, and if you step on it, you'll have a hell of a time getting it undone.
Put it this way; I've never heard of, or seen a problem with not using a park brake as a backup to "P" in an auto...now in a stick car, yeah, I'd probably use it for more practical things, such as doing something when the engine is running, etc.
Back in the late 50's early 60's when auto trans were getting popular, the word on the street was, if you don't use the parking brake and somebody bumps your car while parallel parking, it will ruin your transmission.
The parking pawl is pretty stout in modern cars. Unless you park on a hill with a serious grade, letting the weight of the vehicle rest on the pawl won't ruin the transmission. On the other hand, it's a good thing to use the parking brake often - this will keep it from rusting and binding.
Nice thought, but the clutches will wear out way before the rest of the tranny.
That sounds like the vac switch for the auto brake release. The shift mechanicals run down the column. When u shift it, it moves the vac switch and sends vaccum to the break release and causes it to release. There is nothing else at the steering column that needs vaccum.
Exactly. If I set my parking brake, I'd probably not ever get the car to roll again. I live in a salt state, so ebrake cables are something we get used to not having functional.
Cool..thanx for info budd..
I think an explaination was needed. I was confused myself when I ran into it. Tore half the dash apart with foot on brake and engine at idle to find the stupid leak. When I found where it was coming from, all I thought was "what the hell is that?". From there I had to trace the vac lines to find one going to the E-brake. A lot of time and a dangerous situation just to find it to be a system that I think is useless.
I wasn't trying to be a smart ass, i apologize if my post was construed that way. I was just saying it was my hunch all along.........
I didn't take it that way. Just sayin he was told about it a few times and wasn't getting it. Needed a more detailed explanation. I don't blame him for thinking we were throwing him way off track. It's a weird problem.
agreed.......it can be maddening to listen to that incessant hiss coming from the dash.......
Thanx all for your help...Awesome forum...
did that fix the problem? mine hisses at me as well and my wife drives the car, sometimes the idle jumps up and the car lurches, I figured it was the booster and replaced it but that didn't help can't wait to look and see if just plugging the b/r on the vacuum tree fixes it.
So I plugged the b/r port on the vacume tree and that fixed it. Thanks for the info