Couple of Issues on my X

[Greddy X-Plorer]

Hey Guys,

Well I need help on some issues and concerns I have on my X, I've noticed my acting up strange lately and I need help on somethings on it.

1) The first issue, I don't know if anyone has experienced this but I have experienced it ever since I bought my X last August 04, whenever I turn my car on in the morning or later in the afternoon or even at night, let's just say if I turn my car off and then turn it on, there seems to be a rattling noise under my truck like if there's a piece of metal rattling on the muffler, I've gotten down and look and I can't seem to find where the freakn rattling noise comes from and it's sooooooooooo annoying and it goes away when the car has heated up enough or if I drive off with it and wait on a red light when the car hasn't heated up it rattles the car and make it sound like $hit. Could anyone suggest me something?

2) I've experienced another technical fault on my vehicle. Whenever I'm driving straight or normally my vehicle rides fine, when I'm going to do a left turn or a right turn, when I start to steer the steering wheel, my vehicle tends to shake and sounds so awful like if something scrapes very hard but it shakes when I turn left or right, I have to becareful when turning cause if i turn hard it will shake rough. It's like a shake and a rubbing scrape material like thing. I don't have a clue what so ever about it and it started doing that like about a month ago. Any clues?

3) My ride as you all know that you have X's, is so freakn bumpy everything in the car rattles cause of my ride being so bumpy, it's annoying and I can't seem to ever find a smoothness on this car. I've had shocks changed on it less than a year and it still bumps every where, I have to be so careful when driving through potholes cause this animal will shake and shake like crazy and I don't what else to do about it. Please let me know?

4) And last, I've experienced this whistling noise when I shift the gear into "D". When it's parked it's normal but once it shifts into "D" it starts whistling. What could cause this?

Thanks for your help and I will be expecting your replies. Hope I've made myself clear on everything

 

[TPLYNCH]

1) What engine do you have?

2) Is it a 4x4?

3) Welcome to owning a truck.

4) Is the whistling coming from under the hood or under the truck? Is it a high pitched whistle, or could it be more of a moaning sound?

 

['92Bauer]

For issue number 1, I would think that it might be the heat shield for the catalytic converter, if this is the issue you can just rip it off or maybe have a muffler shop tighten it with some welds or something along the lines of that. Hopes this helps some.

 

[Greddy X-Plorer]

Typlynch, I have the SOHC 4.0 Engine and yes it's 4x4. The whistling sound comes from like the bottom of the engine you can hear, if you put your ear in between the front driver side tire and the fender flare you can hear it.

92 Bauer, that's what it seems like it to me to. I did notice a shield on the muffler and the pipes that head to the converter. I will take taht in consideration on taking it to the shop. Thanks please keep the replies coming guys!! I appreciate it.

 

[jayhawkexplorer]

For issue #3, you should look into replacing the sway bar bushings on the front and back, as well as the torsion bar bushings. They seem to be the culprit for lots of front end noise.

 

[rhyno]

I would bet that 92Bauer is right and the rattle is a heat shield from your exhaust. No need to pay a shop to fix it though. If you get under there you should (when the truck is cool of course) be able to figure out which one it is. It has happend to my truck before, and I just had to get a new fastener from Lowes to fix it. It was about a $2 metal hose clamp fastener that you tighten with a screwdriver.

 

[Cdaddy78]

This may sound ridiculous or even obvious, but for #3 I was surprised how much tire pressure and condition has an effect on over all ride quality. Just a thought.

 

[Greddy X-Plorer]

Cdaddy, I've heard of that to, and I've even tried it but it felt the same for me! No Difference

 

[TPLYNCH]

1) Do you know if the camshaft tensioners and timing chain cassettes have been replaced. Those are parts on the SOHC engine that Ford had mucho problems with early on. Search for 00M12 and 01M01 for info regarding the problems and extended warranty. If it is not the loose heat shield (which is a very good possibility) you may need to look into the above items more carefully.

2) Sounds like your Auto 4x4 is kicking in. There was a reprograming done on the '97 GEMs that aleviated this issue somewhat. It could also be bad speed sensors providing incorrect info to the GEM. Have you notice the 4x4 lights flashing at all (other than at startup)?

3) There was a recall on the sway bar end links. They were weak and would break. Make sure that was done. Also, upper/lower ball joints do go bad and lead to clunks/rattles/jumpiness.

4) Try cleaning the IAC. That will moan/whistle when it gets clogged. There is a thread that describes how to do it. Run search for How to clean IAC.

 

[Greddy X-Plorer]

Thanks for the replies but TPLYNCY, I did not understand the first two that you explained, could you explain it to me in a little more detail? If anyone else has more comments please help out, I really want to get this X fixed. I use to have a 93 X and I had so many problems with it and I don't want to start with problems on this X as well, I understand that vehicles always have mechanical problems but I don't want to be dealing with mechanical problems every single month, my budget is low and I can't be affording to pay mechanical shops every month. So please help as best as you can. My X runs great from the engine with the exception of the whistling noise but other than that the engine is fine. This morning I felt my X like if it was going to break apart cause of all the bumpiness on this ride and sometimes when I hit a hard bump my ride tends to move out of the lane. It scares me.

 

[jimcom]

Number 1 - Had the same problem with my 94 explorer, it was the actual clamps (c-clamps I believe) holding the exhaust. They rust out and then rattle around like crazy. If it isn't the heat shield, you may want to check those clamps out next and make sure they are tight throughout the length of the pipe.

Number 2 - Tie rod? I had a tie rod break on me while driving a family members car, they had told me to ignore the scraping noise, lol. You lose steering completely, the wheels go in different directions, it ain't fun.

Number 3 - Maybe get a better shock would help? What type do you have on their now? I know you memtioned you had them replaced, but if they were generic shocks, then maybe a better shock would improve the ride.

Number 4 - Can't help with the whistling, you got me stumped.

Good luck with the diagnoses on all of this stuff.

 

[TPLYNCH]

1) take the truck to a Ford dealer and get the service records. Specifically ask them if the Timing Chain Cassettes, Camshaft Tensioners and Intake Manifold O-rings have been replaced. Your engine has serious issues with these parts, and if they fail you are looking at a new engine.

2) While driving with your truck in Auto 4x4, the GEM (general electronics module) intereprets readings from speed sensors on the transfer case that measure the differences in the front and rear driveshaft speeds. If the sensors are reading a great enough difference in speed, the system automatically applies power to the front wheels (putting you into 4x4) until the front and rear are turning at the same speed. If the speed sensors are malfuntioning, or the GEM is malfunctioning, your truck will be in 4x4 mode when it shouldn't, and when in 4x4, binding occurs because the front and rear drivelines are trying to turn the same speed, but the front tires in a turn travel faster (farther) that the rears. This difference causes windup in the driveline, and the only way to relieve it is for the front wheels to skip/slip or your driveline will snap.

 

[Greddy X-Plorer]

Hey guys, about how much money are we talking about for parts and labor. Could someone give me a list of the parts that I might need and the prices on them? It would really help me so that I can take it to the mechanic and find out what parts exactly i'm going to need and the prices. Please help out on this, I was thinking of the torsion bar bushings and the sway bars as well as what jayhawkexplorer suggested but if you guys can give me a list of the parts and prices then I can go to my mechanic and bring them to the attention. Thanks

 

[Billabong02]

I also had the rattling under my X. Took it to the dealership and they found a rock in my heat shield. No more rattles!

 

[Cdaddy78]

I gotta second the tie rod idea. I remember having a rear tie rod that was bent, It was somewhat similar, Felt like I was being forced into another lane. Not a fun thing to drive on.