2000 Mercury Mountaineer AWD 5.0 growls in a slow turn.

[rs2k]

I have a 2000 Mercury Mountaineer AWD 5.0 that makes a light and deep growl in a slow speed turn (walking speed to 10ish MPH) in either direction. The sound is in sync with the wheel rotation. It has a bit of a pulse to it. At first I thought it was a piece of the paper like splash guard rubbing on one of the wheels. After removing it the noise remained. It seems to happen more often when the car is first driven. After driving it a few miles the noise seems to go away... but not always. Using brakes doesn't seem to alter the noise. The noise is louder the sharper the turn. The car drives straight as an arrow and has no shimmy or vibration at all at any speed.

Any ideas?

 

[curt1007]

Sounds like the hubs may need replaced

 

[penske2584]

Does your Explorer grind more when you turn left than right? Or opposite? Is it humming at higher speeds? Grinds more at low speeds? grinding when not moving but turning the wheel?

I gather its when you turn only. Could be wheel hubs (bearings), power steering, front suspension, speed sensor, or something else.

Try to locate exactly where it comes from.

_

Im working on mine now. My 96 xlt (5.0 awd) has check engine light on. One code Im working on this week is the speed sensor issue.

I get slip traction kicking in. The one rear wheel will hop and spin faster while the front wants to stop.

This sensor fail sends the signal that either rear or front is moving faster than the other one. In fact, it is not. Two sensors I am told. Some reason I think there are five. If its only two, I am cleaning both (sensor & connector). Going to reinstall and try it. No go. I am going to replace both. $30 new for both. Cheap date.

 

[JCase]

CV Axles

 

[Dave 1955]

A bad wheel bearing can throw a abs light.

 

[penske2584]

CV Axles

Hope not. If it were cv axles, would it be only when turning or constant?

A bad wheel bearing can throw a abs light.

Not to mention a leak in the brake lines eh?

 

[rs2k]

I can only hear it when going slow, and only in a turn. Both left and right, but right seems worse and I think it's coming from the right. It almost sounds like it's a tire causing the noise. It's sounds like something hitting tread. If there was as problem in AWD could that cause this issue?

I'll check to make sure there's no brave fluid leaking. I don't think it's a bad CV axle, I've always heard clunking or had vibration from those.

There is no CEL.

 

[Turdle]

If you jack up the front end, and use the tabs on the front of the lower control arm as a jackstand pad ( this loads weight on the front end to eliminate cv binding) you can rotate a front wheel. The other one should rotate in the opposite direction, smoothly. Feel for any binding.
Then check the bearings by grabbing a tire at 6 and 12:00, try to wiggle it. If it moves any other direction than around, the bearing is worn.

Are the tires all matched up size and brand?

 

[Allen Tedrow]

I have the same issue as RS2K with my 2004 Explorer AWD 4.0 liter. I have replaced the both rear wheel bearings and left front wheel bearing. I’ve also done all 4 brakes including new rotors. After being driven on the highway for some distance the growling takes over maneuvering into the gas station, equally with both right and left slow turns. You can hear real well inside the vehicle and feel it through the steering wheel. The CV boots look fine and it isn’t a clunking sound. Could it be the front differential or propeller shaft?

 

[Mbrooks420]

Does your Explorer grind more when you turn left than right? Or opposite? Is it humming at higher speeds? Grinds more at low speeds? grinding when not moving but turning the wheel?

I gather its when you turn only. Could be wheel hubs (bearings), power steering, front suspension, speed sensor, or something else.

Try to locate exactly where it comes from.

_

Im working on mine now. My 96 xlt (5.0 awd) has check engine light on. One code Im working on this week is the speed sensor issue.

I get slip traction kicking in. The one rear wheel will hop and spin faster while the front wants to stop.

This sensor fail sends the signal that either rear or front is moving faster than the other one. In fact, it is not. Two sensors I am told. Some reason I think there are five. If its only two, I am cleaning both (sensor & connector). Going to reinstall and try it. No go. I am going to replace both. $30 new for both. Cheap date.

Your 5.0 issue has nothing to do with your noise, unless it’s an ABS issue. Your AWD cares nothing about speed sensors.

 

[Mbrooks420]

Does it do it in reverse? Check your cv boots for tears carefully.

 

[Allen Tedrow]

I haven’t been able to check recheck the CV boots yet but the instance of the growl is very much an after highway/freeway trip when you pull into a parking lot then it starts. Taking off in the morning and then running errands, no problem. Just occurs after a prolonged relatively high speed drive. Weird!

 

[Mbrooks420]

Is the diff low on fluid? I’d run it until it growls and put a hand on it.

 

[koda2000]

CV joints tend to click when they go bad. Sounds like a bearing problem to me. Bearings tend to growl when they go bad. If you're lucky it's a wheel bearing assembly.

 

[Allen Tedrow]

Pretty sure its not a wheel bearing as I’ve replaced 3 of them just recently with zero play in the 4th. I’ve described this as a growl thus far but the feeling through the steering is a rumble.