clunking sound when accelerating plus rpm surge and hesitation while driving | Ford Explorer Forums - Serious Explorations

  • Register Today It's free!

clunking sound when accelerating plus rpm surge and hesitation while driving

CTroxtell

Well-Known Member
Joined
November 7, 2010
Messages
150
Reaction score
0
City, State
High Point Area, NC
Year, Model & Trim Level
94 EB 304k and counting
2 days ago my x started making a clunking sounds while accelerating especially when going up any size incline..does it on level ground just not quite as bad. The sound is coming from under my feet it sounds and feels like, also when it starts doing this the rpms seem to surge and its like the transmission is confused as to what gear it should be in. I can be on the highway and be doing 55mph and when its running right my rpms are at 1500 but when my x starts this it jumps to over 2k. Its done this before and then it stopped but its driving me crazy. The engine seems to be hesitant while in gear but seems fine when out of gear. Does anyone have a clue as to what might be going on? Thanks in advance.
 



Join the Elite Explorers for $20 each year.
Elite Explorer members see no advertisements, no banner ads, no double underlined links,.
Add an avatar, upload photo attachments, and more!
.





have you check your u-joints on your driveshaft and the linkage going to the trans?
 






have you check your u-joints on your driveshaft and the linkage going to the trans?

I'm under it now...pushed, pulled, tried shaking or twisting driveshaft but it seems rock solid with no movement.
 












How are your radius arm bushings?

The passenger side is basically gone...the driver side isn't bad. When I cut the wheel you can hear the passenger side metal on metal...its ovaled the hole in the support braket. I have just received my braket and bushing kit in the mail.
 






Replace your bracket and bushings on both sides then see if the noise goes away.
 






Replace your bracket and bushings on both sides then see if the noise goes away.

I'm going to, just didn't figure that could be causing the truck to run like crap eith the hesitation and the confused transmission.
 






Well clunk while giving throttle while having bad sway bar bushings or no bushings at all can cause a clunk type sound because the arms move.
 






Sounds like there might be some slipping in your transmission possible. Does the clunk happen when shifting between the gears? The clunk by your foot could be the radius arm bushing. If the transmission is slipping it could be the TC not engaging properly and clunking out of place
 






When accelerating it clunks several times at least. Doesn't do it while its changing gears more so when accelerating all together.. I. Engaged the 4x4 button earlier when I was checking the output shafts and shaking the drive shaft and hadto take my cat to the vet and now its not seeming to clunk at least up to 45mph. The locking part of the auto hub on passenger side is not installed as I broke it doing a wheel bearing replacement if that makes any difference. I had seen a similar post talking about the transfer case might need an overhaul but didn't know since my 4wd hardly never got used.
 






ive had the RPM surge on hot days when i shift gears like from D to P the engine runs away. never figured out what it was. it was also on really hot days like 112 degrees in the late afternoon. could be a vacuum issue? IAC or perhaps a sticky accelerator?
 






It is doing it in all kinds of weather...it only seems to do this when I hit about 52mph and it shifts into I guess that last gear. Then the transmission jumping between the gears and you can hear the rear differential clunk as the tranny can't make its mind up as to what gear it wants. There is a 3 to 4 shift switch inside tranny pan I believe what happens if that goes out or starts to go bad?

EDIT: Just found out if I put it in drive instead of overdrive it stops the clunking
 






It is doing it in all kinds of weather...it only seems to do this when I hit about 52mph and it shifts into I guess that last gear. Then the transmission jumping between the gears and you can hear the rear differential clunk as the tranny can't make its mind up as to what gear it wants. There is a 3 to 4 shift switch inside tranny pan I believe what happens if that goes out or starts to go bad?

EDIT: Just found out if I put it in drive instead of overdrive it stops the clunking

I get this on the highway too, even in OD. I can only get up to about 60MP/h and it'll keep going between 3rd and 4th, so I have to slow down and keep it in 3rd. I have an Automatic btw ^^
 






I get this on the highway too, even in OD. I can only get up to about 60MP/h and it'll keep going between 3rd and 4th, so I have to slow down and keep it in 3rd. I have an Automatic btw ^^

Well sounds like we have the same issue now we just need to find out the problem. I was thinking it might be the 3 to 4 shift soleinoid but I would of thought the code pull would have given an error about it if it was broken but all I get is a egr sensor out of range and 536 which is some brake light circuit failure switch.

EDIT: I was just reading in the Haynes manual and seen this bit of info about the Brake On-Off Switch "The brake light circuit is controlled by this switch, and burned-out bulbs or other circuit problems will cause the engine to idle roughly." Who would of ever thought that this switch going bad could cause rough idling...don't make much sense. I know my switch is having trouble as I can push the brake pedal down an inch and the brake light will come on and then go off, it will not stay on solid unless I have the pedal pushed down about as far as it will go.
 






Come on...someone else has to of had this problem and surely someone has figured this out.
 






Back
Top