Moved to AZ, now my car sounds like it's wheezing :(

**Naaman** · 09-08-2011, 10:16 AM

I drove my car down to AZ and when I got here, I noticed that some part of the powertrain makes a wheezing sound that seems to rise in pitch with road speed (not necessarily engine speed).

The motor also feels generally more sloppy, which I'm assuming is the result of heated metal expanding during a long drive. I've noticed that when I park the car in a cooler climate (I've been back and forth between AZ and SoCal), the car feels more like I'm used to. But no matter how long I let it cool down in AZ, it always feels the same as after a 1000 mile drive.

Is it normal for the car to suck in 100+ degree heat?

**cammed goat** · 09-08-2011, 10:33 AM

You are most likely experiencing heat soak where the heat from the engine is being sucked into itself.

***SMWS6TA*** · 09-08-2011, 10:34 AM

The hotter the air the worse the car performs, also air density matters too. Higher elevations cars tend to be slower then at sea level.
That is for any car.

You may need to service your coolant and do some basic maintenance like MAF cleaning, filter, oil, tire pressure, etc... These simple things can make a difference.

Old oil and coolant tends to make the car run hotter.

we have a few members on here that live in AZ I'm sure they will chime in too.

The wheezing sound could be from the tire tread. I notice my tires sound different on hot days vs cold vs road surface.

**Naaman** · 09-08-2011, 11:01 AM

Yeah, I know about hot air and altitude affecting performance, which is what I've assumed is the case. I originally drove the car from WA to CA and when I got there, it felt sloppy in the same way that it does in AZ. But, in L.A., after a few hours of cool down, everything was back to normal. Here, it just sucks no matter what

If I change the oil, should I go with higher viscosity? It's got Mobil 1 5W30 right now. Also, is there a different kind of coolant for hotter climates that I should be looking for?

**cammed goat** · 09-08-2011, 11:32 AM

I don't think you need to switch vescocity for oil. And you should be good with fresh coolant specified by your owner's manual. You might want to look into a tune as it will allow the engine to run cooler. The tune will set the fans to come on at a lower temperature. Some members even use a lower temp thermostat as well as a tune.

***SMWS6TA*** · 09-08-2011, 11:45 AM

throttle body by pass mod would help too.

**Naaman** · 09-08-2011, 02:00 PM

Ah, yes... the TB bypass... I'd been meaning to do that one for a while and totally forgot about it. Any tuners recommended in AZ? I'd prefer not to do a mail order tune as I don't want any downtime for my car...

**cammed goat** · 09-08-2011, 03:07 PM

I don't know of any, but someone will post here.

**67CamaroRSSS** · 09-08-2011, 09:20 PM

Originally Posted by Naaman

Ah, yes... the TB bypass... I'd been meaning to do that one for a while and totally forgot about it. Any tuners recommended in AZ? I'd prefer not to do a mail order tune as I don't want any downtime for my car...

Are you here in Az permanently? I ask as while I now live here I'm originally from LA and when I go to visit I also notice that the car is way stronger there (in LA) than here (PHX). It has to do with the DA (density altitude). While PHX is basically at 1250 Feet above sea level the dry desert air makes it seem more like 3500 or so and we tune accordingly.

If you're willing to pay for a dyno tune I can recommend the best tuner in the Valley. I can also recommend a car club you might be interested in... PM me for details.

**Naaman** · 09-16-2011, 10:54 PM

Jim, I've tried PMing you twice, yet for some reason my PMs are not getting sent (I have no messages in my "sent" folder. Anyway, maybe you can PM me, or just post the info in this thread? I look forward to getting some advice on my car... it's really sucking since the move.

**KMdef9** · 09-17-2011, 09:44 AM

I agree with Scott, I would clean/ check some of your sensors as well. MAF could be dirty, O2's could be on their way out, etc. Even the catalytic being clogged up could hurt.

How many miles do you have on your ride?

**Naaman** · 09-17-2011, 10:58 AM

64,000 miles... I'll get under the hood this weekend... with regard to the cats... how do I clean those out?

**KMdef9** · 09-17-2011, 11:03 AM

Originally Posted by Naaman

64,000 miles... I'll get under the hood this weekend... with regard to the cats... how do I clean those out?

I wouldn't worry about them if you only have 64k. No way to clean them, they would need replacing.

**Naaman** · 09-17-2011, 11:09 AM

Originally Posted by SMWS6TA

The hotter the air the worse the car performs, also air density matters too. Higher elevations cars tend to be slower then at sea level.
That is for any car.

You may need to service your coolant and do some basic maintenance like MAF cleaning, filter, oil, tire pressure, etc... These simple things can make a difference.

Old oil and coolant tends to make the car run hotter.

we have a few members on here that live in AZ I'm sure they will chime in too.

The wheezing sound could be from the tire tread. I notice my tires sound different on hot days vs cold vs road surface.

I stay on top of my oil changes, but I'm not set up to do a coolant flush... I guess it couldn't hurt to get that done. As for the wheezing sound, I analyzed it the other night and it only seems to occur when I apply the throttle (when off throttle, the sound goes away, even if I'm already rolling along at 50+ mph), so I'm thinking it's not the tires?