Cracked flexplate?

[JerryC111]

Hi folks,
I have a 99 explorer sport 2wd and it's been making this noise for about 3 months. It's coming from the transmission area.

You can hear it in the video.

Things I found out about this noise:

1. It happens when I put it in Drive and keep my foot on brake pedal.

2. As soon as I give it a little gas, the noise's gone.

3. The noise is still there when the truck is moving at a very slow speed (when I only release the brake without stepping on the gas pedal)

4. The noise is barely noticeable when the truck is fully warmed up. It's really loud when it's cold or not fully warmed up.


The transmission shifts fine to me, nothing weird.


I went a shop and the guy there told me it's gonna cost a lot $$$$$ just to take the transmission down to find out the problems.

I don't know anything about cars, and I did some searching online...and I found out other people had similar problems and theirs turned out to be a cracked flexplate.

Can you guys help me diagnose this noise? Is it a cracked flexplate?
And if it is, what's gonna happen if I ignore it? I've been living with this noise for 4 months and nothing bad ever happened except it's pretty annoying.
If no, then what might be the cause?

Thanks

 

[rb142]

It might be a cracked flexplate. Can't tell for sure. That was a common problem on some of these trucks. A mechanic ought to be able to get a pretty good idea working through the inspection cover whether the plate is cracked. Unbolt it from the torque converter and it should be even more clear.

If it is the flexplate, the transmission needs to come out, so it is a relatively large amount of work (meaning expensive). You might be able to ignore it for a little while, but it will eventually break to the point that the vehicle won't move, and the shrapnel in the bell housing may do some damage. Fix it as soon as possible.

If you doubt the diagnosis, get another opinion somewhere else.

 

[JerryC111]

It might be a cracked flexplate. Can't tell for sure. That was a common problem on some of these trucks. A mechanic ought to be able to get a pretty good idea working through the inspection cover whether the plate is cracked. Unbolt it from the torque converter and it should be even more clear.

If it is the flexplate, the transmission needs to come out, so it is a relatively large amount of work (meaning expensive). You might be able to ignore it for a little while, but it will eventually break to the point that the vehicle won't move, and the shrapnel in the bell housing may do some damage. Fix it as soon as possible.

If you doubt the diagnosis, get another opinion somewhere else.

If it's the flexplate, is it going to give me any warning before it stop working completely? Or it could die any random day.
Does it help if I put it in Neutral every time I stop at red light/drive thru...etc?...just to slow its dying process...

 

[morbid81]

That sounds like the exhaust rattling, that is near your catalytic converter. Sounds like a heat shield vibrating or possible internals on the converter. It seems exhaust related because soon as you give it gas it's gone. You even say its gone when warmed up. Crawl up under there with the engine running and try to pinpoint it's source. Could just be something loose is all. I wouldn't freak out just yet.

 

[boominXplorer]

A cracked flex plate usually only happens to the older 6 bolt style, the 98+ 8 bolt must be much stronger because I haven't seen one go yet. My bet is something with the exhaust since its still running 3 months later. If it is transmission related it could be loose torque converter bolts if the trans had been serviced before, never seen those back out on their own either.

 

[BrooklynBay]

Welcome to this forum! It sounds like it's exhaust related. Have a garage put it on a lift to listen while the engine is running.

 

[rb142]

The heat shields on the exhaust are always a rattle candidate if they haven't already been "fixed". Easy to tell too. Crawl under there and bang on all the sheet metal. If you find something loose, that's a good place to start. It usually doesn't take more than a couple hose clamps to fix a heat shield rattle.

It does seem unlikely that a cracked flexplate would continue to work for long. (And no, I don't expect it would give any warning before it goes.) My point was that a mechanic should be able to confirm that theory without spending a lot of money to tear it all apart and look. It's probably not the flexplate in this case.

 

[JerryC111]

The heat shields on the exhaust are always a rattle candidate if they haven't already been "fixed". Easy to tell too. Crawl under there and bang on all the sheet metal. If you find something loose, that's a good place to start. It usually doesn't take more than a couple hose clamps to fix a heat shield rattle.

It does seem unlikely that a cracked flexplate would continue to work for long. (And no, I don't expect it would give any warning before it goes.) My point was that a mechanic should be able to confirm that theory without spending a lot of money to tear it all apart and look. It's probably not the flexplate in this case.

I crawled under there today and I hit all the metal I could reach with my hand, nothing seems loose.

There are rattle inside the cat , but that rattle sounds different. It sounds like there are sand in it, and the noise I heard is way louder than the cat noise. It comes from this area (blue circle), and it's closer to the driver side than the passenger side:

I don't have a jack stand and I can't reach that area without jacking up the truck, the front tires got in the way. I'm going to get a pair or jack stands tomorrow.

Is there any heatshield or exhaust pipe in that area?

 

[JusTheUsual]

Get a wrench or screwdriver and push on heatshield or other parts of your exhaust while its running and preferably making that noise. It will stop if you push hard enough on the right place if its loose.

 

[morbid81]

yea you have a exhaust pipe there connected to the driver's side manifold. could also be a exhaust leak, stuff a rag in the tailpipe while its running and listen under the truck around all the exhaust parts and see if the noise becomes louder and present's itself more

 

[pcam13]

yea you have a exhaust pipe there connected to the driver's side manifold. could also be a exhaust leak, stuff a rag in the tailpipe while its running and listen under the truck around all the exhaust parts and see if the noise becomes louder and present's itself more

That is the first time I have ever heard someone recommend that lol!!! Would not be my first choice... I would get a friend to rotate the engine crank bolt while staring in the little inspection cover and look for cracks. Mine is cracked in 1 spot along the teeth for the starter... You will see with enough light and an imspection camera if you have one... Very useful tool.

 

[SoNic67]

Might be worn out motor mounts. When on drive with foot on brake, the torque will move the whole engine and the exhaust pipe touches a heat shield.
In neutral or while driving, there is less resisting torque and therefore less engine movement.
It won't show up without engine running. Open the hood and have somebody take a video of the engine while you are shifting from N to D (foot on brake).

If the engine doesn't move, it's something rattling inside your exhaust (cats?).

 

[Winniethepooh]

It might be a cracked flexplate. Can't tell for sure. That was a common problem on some of these trucks. A mechanic ought to be able to get a pretty good idea working through the inspection cover whether the plate is cracked. Unbolt it from the torque converter and it should be even more clear.

If it is the flexplate, the transmission needs to come out, so it is a relatively large amount of work (meaning expensive). You might be able to ignore it for a little while, but it will eventually break to the point that the vehicle won't move, and the shrapnel in the bell housing may do some damage. Fix it as soon as possible.

If you doubt the diagnosis, get another opinion somewhere else.

Can confirm that, my 8 bolt flexplate broke a few weeks ago after it produced a sound similar to your's. It killed also the converter, transmission oilpump gears and the starter. It costs some money and a lot of work and time to fix that all. Cross your fingers that it's a heat shield or catalytic converter. Good luck!

 

[lorraine1]

catalytic converters and mufflers can rattle,i have a converter rattling on one of mine now,when u give it gas it quits,sometimes the baffles rattle in the mufflers.

 

[JerryC111]

I got under my truck today, there is a exhaust pipe that's red so I didn't touch it, is it normal for it to be red? I only drove it for 3 minutes and the truck's still cold.

Here are the pics:

 

[BrooklynBay]

The catalytic converter is probably clogged so the heat from the exhaust is not venting. The pipe will glow red from the heat accumulating in it. The noise is probably coming from the inside of the clogged catalytic converter.

 

[JerryC111]

The catalytic converter is probably clogged so the heat from the exhaust is not venting. The pipe will glow red from the heat accumulating in it. The noise is probably coming from the inside of the clogged catalytic converter.

if it's a clogged catalytic converter, how come the noise only comes when I put it in D or R? Does engine runs different in different gears?

 

[SoNic67]

It is not normal for exhaust pipes to be glowing red, that's definitely a clogged cat.
It might be in a combination with bad mounts, like I explained before.

 

[morbid81]

Is the truck throwing any codes? that would be first place to start. Re Reading above post about it stopping soon as you drive, your forcing the exhaust through the converter, so thats probably why it quits. As above user said its most likely clogged. I would assume you have a check engine light that would be your first place to start

 

[rb142]

I got under my truck today, there is a exhaust pipe that's red so I didn't touch it, is it normal for it to be red? I only drove it for 3 minutes and the truck's still cold.

Are you talking about the rust red that you show in the picture (normal) or are you saying that the pipe was glowing hot red? It makes a HUGE difference.