Explorer A-Pillar Rattle/Noise

[Trembler]

Hi guys,

In case you missed my previous post, I’m available to help by forwarding the details to the Customer Service Manager in your region. If you haven’t already, please send a PM with your contact information, approximate mileage, dealer name/state, and VIN.


Thanks for the update, JH2011. Keep us in the loop with how it goes.

Cory

Quick question, how do I send a PM in this forum?

Thanks,

 

[hosedagain]

video of the flapping noise from A-pillar here. http://www.dropshots.com/chimoman#date/2011-04-17/18:57:14

Also here: http://youtu.be/hdiVa_5TO0w

Note: Even though I showed this video to my dealer, he still insisted on trying to duplicate the issue.

TSB # 21760
2011 EXPLORER NOISE FROM THE A-PILLAR MOLDINGS
MESSAGE TEXT DISPLAYED UNDER A PRIOR CODE
EFFECTIVE DATE: 03/01/2011

Note: My dealer said this only applied to early build models (4th quarter 2010, 1st QTR 2011) so you may get flack on that.


He was more impressed with the following shop trouble shooting procedure provided by another forum member:

Use an air compressor at 120-140 psi and a nozzle. Point it at the inside edge of the rubber pillar gasket at about a 45 degree angle and horizontal to the ground. (About 2 inches from the gasket.) Run it up and down the gasket. Where the gasket is looser, it will start vibrating. My drivers side does it toward the top and at the bottom, the passenger side only does it in the middle. Seeing the mechanics of it, and isolating the weak spots, I do think some well placed double sided tape, or even electrical tape, would serve as a temporary fix if you are waiting on parts and heading out on a windy road trip. Hope this helps those with this problem and have a dealer who won't fix it because they can't recreate the noise.

PART #s:

SPO BB5Z 7803137 AA, SPO BB5Z 7803137 BA, SPO BB5Z 7803136 AA, and SPO BB5Z 7803136 BA

Hope this helps, good luck

I brought this print-out with me and left it with the service manager.

Thanks for the videos, that would drive me up a wall having to listen to that every time I was on the highway, Good luck...

 

[GWA1]

Quick question, how do I send a PM in this forum?

Thanks,

Click on persons name in the message ( upper left) and scroll down to send a private message.

 

[Trembler]

Click on persons name in the message ( upper left) and scroll down to send a private message.

well, that was easy,
thanks for the help!

 

[Trembler]

Thanks for the videos, that would drive me up a wall having to listen to that every time I was on the highway, Good luck...

I can't take credit for anything but consolidating the information from throughout this thread. Videos, part numbers, and part#s were posted by other forum members.

 

[FordService]

Quick question, how do I send a PM in this forum?

Thanks,

Click on persons name in the message ( upper left) and scroll down to send a private message.

Trembler,

It looks like GWA1 already jumped in and answered.

I’ll keep an eye on my inbox.

Cory

 

[JH2011]

Picked up my Explorer from the dealer today. Confirmed that they were able to duplicate the sound on the highway before they did the work (so they did not rely just on my video recording on my iphone). They replaced the right side A pillar molding part #BB5Z-7803136-AA (this is one of the parts posted above). The clips holding this molding part were broken, causing the rattling. The dealer test drove it on the highway again and did not hear it. I will not be able to test it myself until the weekend but I am hopeful this is resolved. The dealer has already received another call on this and ordered in some extra parts to have on hand.

To the guy from Verona, NJ who posted here, go see Verner-Cadby in Fairfield, NJ.

 

[Spengracin]

Jh2011, thanks for update, going back to dealer after the 1st, parts should be in by then for both a-pillars.

 

[ercole]

To the guy from Verona, NJ who posted here, go see Verner-Cadby in Fairfield, NJ.

Thanks JH. I'm going to give Fette Ford this information. I wasn't aware that there was an official "TSB" for this problem. I have an earlier build date also. With the temps now low, the buzzing is constant now.

 

[Black Mounty]

Just had my fourth set of A-Pillars and Gaskets installed. The first two had the buzzing/flapping sound (with the 2nd set separating from the car at highway speeds) . The third set introduced a high pitch whistling sound, probably attributed to the clasps that broke. Is it the installer fault or the design that the clips holding on the pillar break?

Im picking the car up tomorrow to see whats foing

 

[soloxx]

Molding, Shmolding

They can replace the gaskets and plastic all they want. But, until they replace plastic with metal the problem will continue in one way or another: Vibrate, Fly off, whistle, scratch, crack, shatter, suck.

Not to mention the increased likelihood for corrosion, debris and other crap nestling itself underneath this Fisher-Price toy design. Leave it to techie engineers to mess with a structure that was perfected nearly fifty years ago for the sake of being different. I wonder why Ferrari, Mercedes, BMW, Audi, Toyota, Honda, et al. come up with this chintzy bit of brilliance.

I now have low-temp 3M electrical tape securing my $45,000 A pillar. I haven't had an investment blow up in my face this badly since the crash of '08 .... or the last time I bought an American car in 1972.

 

[blwnsmoke]

After 15,000 miles and 9 montha of ownership, my drivees side started this week. I only noticed it because the radio was silenced while I was flipping through my ipod.

 

[jrmexplorer]

Has anyone tried using silicone? Use painters tape to mask off your window right next to the gasket seal and lay a thin bead of silicone UNDER the gasket. You may need someone to help fold back the gasket as you go.

I bet that would keep wind from getting underneath it and hold it tight to the window, and nobody would notice.

A better fix than electrical tape I'd bet.

 

[Flying68]

Had another trip over the holiday. The passenger side started buzzing. Sounds just like a taught rubber band buzzing. Didn't notice it on the drivers side, but the crosswinds were from the left to right. On the way back we had mostly tailwinds. Anyway, I am at 6000 miles now after 2.5 months. Done traveling for a while now, so not going to worry about it until I take it in around the 7500 mile mark. I will let them know about that as well as the various other issues I have.

 

[deerfarm]

After 15,000 miles and 9 montha of ownership, my drivees side started this week. I only noticed it because the radio was silenced while I was flipping through my ipod.

If you have to turn down the radio to hear it, it is not up to full song yet. The second time mine went bad, it started low and got very bad after a few weeks. Mine has been fine after the second repair. I am cautiously optimistic for the future.

 

[blwnsmoke]

If you have to turn down the radio to hear it, it is not up to full song yet. The second time mine went bad, it started low and got very bad after a few weeks. Mine has been fine after the second repair. I am cautiously optimistic for the future.

Ya, that's what I figured too. I'm not going to even attempt to bring it in now until it gets worse. The radio had to be muted in order to hear it.. a low volume radio would have covered it up. So I can't say that it is annoying by any means but it has begun lol.

 

[lmello]

A Pillar fixed

Hey all I have read all the posts and learned a lot about the buzz sound in head and cross winds. I have a 2012 white plat. limited 4x4 X with 2,200 miles as of today. We had a good cross wind on I-5 up here in Northern Calif.
I came up with a fix today I wanted to share. Instead of using gasket glue I used the door & window adhesive foam strips. Since it was 3/4 in wide I cut it in half the whole length of the right A pillar from top to bottom. I then lifted the rubber edge against the windshild and tucked it under the rubber all the way against the A pillar. I used a wood dowl so as not to scratch the window or pillar and tucked it in tight. Went back out on I-5 and took her up to 80 mph -- not a single buzz and the X even sounds more quite inside!! This is the same material I used to fix the glove box rattle a couple of weeks ago. (see the glove box thread for those details). I think this works because wind gets under the rubber and the A pillar plastic and makes the plastic shutter - that is why some have blown off. This totally works and could be an easy TSB fix for Ford. I feel this is better than gasket glue in case you need to replace the windshied. I am now 100% happy with my X after being frustrasted that dealer could not replicate and fix.

 

[757driver]

Looks like dealer visit number 5, (for the same problem), could be the winner. Took car in after Cory contacted Mark in Customer Care and left it with the dealer. Days 1-3 had the dealer unable to recreate the noise so I suggested they go to a spot on the 5 freeway in San Clemente where it always happens, (due to the velocity and angle of the wind).

Viola', verified and new A-Pillars installed. The new and improved A-Pillars have stiffer rubber running alongside them and do not allow air to get under them. Haven't had gusty winds yet but at freeway speeds, it appears to be gone.

Wonderful news. Now if I can just get them to recreate the front left strut grinding noise and fix that, I'll be thrilled.

Thanks for the help Cory and pass along thanks to Mark as well.

 

[FordService]

...Haven't had gusty winds yet but at freeway speeds, it appears to be gone.

Wonderful news. Now if I can just get them to recreate the front left strut grinding noise and fix that, I'll be thrilled.

Thanks for the help Cory and pass along thanks to Mark as well.

You got it, 757driver! Drop me a line if you’d like a follow-up for the left strut noise.

Cory

 

[deerfarm]

New pillar experience

I live in North Carolina, where it seldom gets very cold. I had my passenger side pillar fixed twice and it has been fine for months. This morning it was about 20 degrees F outside. While drivng at a low speed (about 35 mph) I heard short bursts of A-pillar rattle on both sides.

I would think that those of you that live in really cold climates would have experienced this. Have you?

I don't plan to have anything done about it unless it gets worse. I would have to schedule a service appointment on one of the five cold days we have each year.