I recently bought a used '03 Sable GS Sedan from a private dealer and I absolutely love the car(other than the terrible 21MPG Highway fuel economy). However, the car has developed an idle squeak that I cannot figure out where it's coming from or what is causing it. It usually happens when it's cold or humid out, randomly disappears, and is not caused by the serp. belt(I figured that out when I ran through a rather deep puddle and heard the belt go ballistic for about an hour). It sounds like it is coming from behind/inside the engine area on the driver's side. I have tried pulling a vacuum hose and nothing changed.

The squeak is always the same pitch, it speeds up slightly as you rev the engine, but once you hit about ~1750RPM is stops completely. It's not like it's squeaking fast enough to become one solid squeak, it just disappears. This happens in park, drive, and neutral. The car has 119k on it, but runs fine other than terrible fuel economy, I change the oil on a regular basis, drive it rather nicely, I just don't know what it's problem is. As much as I love the car it's irritating at stop lights when it sounds like some junk-yard amber light special.

If anyone has ideas please PLEASE post them, no matter how stupid or insignificant they may be.
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Edited by: UTMorpheus

 

Not drivers side. 3.0 Vulcan has ps/ac/pump/idlers/alt passenger side. Get a several ft long heater hose and hold it near/touching body ofaccessories. The source should be apparent.Likely ps pump or water pump.

 

It's not coming from the accessories or anything on the passenger side from what I can tell. It sounds like it's coming from behind the engine on the driver's side. That's what has me confused. It it were a simple PS pump or something I'd be able to figure that out, but all the noise is coming from the opposite side of the engine.

 

1750 R.P.M. is hardly a rev. Does your A/C work? Your 20 MPG seems to be off quite a bit. A/C compressor could be on the fritz? Would explain the bad fuel consumption. How does the squeak get the worst?