Drone/Hummmm loud at 55mph

[Daveskis]

Please help Diagnose: I posted earlier and got few replies.
2004 Limited V8. Drone/vibration/hum loudest at 50 to 55 mph, much quieter at other speeds. It is definitely speed dependent and contimues if shifted into nuetral or put into 4x4 high or O/D is turned off. It started a month or so ago. I thought it was the original tires having worn. I replaced them and the noise is still there and seems to be getting louder. I had oil blowout from my trans a couple of months ago. A dealer cleaned it up and topped it of and said "they just do that once in a while"

What is this? Trans? transfer case? Wheel bearings?
Thanks, Dave

 

[Tbars4]

...i would check the motor mounts but, i would first check the tranny mount...since you said it vibrates in neutral....

 

[02whiteXLT]

the people that work at the dealers ussualy have no idea what they are doing "they just do that once in a while" isnt the answer, the fluid could have been over filled and came out the overflow, remember the O/D should be turned off under 50mph it, if not it causes a lot of heat build up and will end the life of your tranny sooner, how many miles on the car? the wheel bearing should be fine, and i dont think it would be a motor/tranny ount since the car is pretty new

 

[Daveskis]

Reply/More info

the people that work at the dealers ussualy have no idea what they are doing "they just do that once in a while" isnt the answer, the fluid could have been over filled and came out the overflow, remember the O/D should be turned off under 50mph it, if not it causes a lot of heat build up and will end the life of your tranny sooner, how many miles on the car? the wheel bearing should be fine, and i dont think it would be a motor/tranny ount since the car is pretty new

I agree. I do turn off the O/D, more often now, on hills and when I am towing. The truck has 65K miles, as I have vacationed a LOT. I am taking the truck into an independent local shop. I've been jerked around by the dealer too many times. "Oh, you're a "customer for life", sorry we MEANT to give you the free lifetime oil changes, but just forgot to check our records. We CAN'T credit your Visa card. We'll have to give you a "dealer credit" good for your next visit." BS. No more visits.

The thing is it sounds just like bad/noisey tires. But, I started to notice it, I knew I needed to replace the tires. I did and it still does it and it's getting worse. It is totally speed driven and doesn't change if I shift to nuetral while travelling. Makes me think it not the tranny. If it is what's the warranty on the trans? 50K?

 

[Grey Wolf]

Is the drone/humming only happen when slightly on the gas at 50-55 mph? My '05 has it too, as did my '02 (both V8's). My hum comes from the rear diff. Ford said it was normal!!!!

Just reread your post. It is in neutral too, so this wouldn't be it.

 

[ghoster]

mine also makes a weird humming noise, seems to be from the rear end also.
might take it to the dealer and see if they can try to fix it. I'm about to install my exhaust so before doing that i want them to hear it while driving

 

[johnnie1]

the dealer is about as useful as a hole in the head dont bother with the dealer the price is way to high for them to do nothing except tell you that you need parts that you really dont need check out your local shops do your homework get a second shop to look at it before you do anything to many shops out there jus tryin to screw you out of your money dont trust jus any shop talk to many if they all come to the same answer than youknow your not gettin screwed trust me dealers are only there for people that have too much money and not enough brains

 

[Daveskis]

Still wondering and thanks for all the ideas

If it is the trans or engine mount wouldnt it be RPM dependent and not just speed dependent?
I will make an appointment with a local private shop. I went to the Car talk guys website and found a local shop that works on Explorers and they had many good reviews. I am definitely stumped about what this is. It is speed related and it does it all the time. It's just loudest at 55 mph. It has not done this before. It started before new tires and continued after new tires were installed. I am definitely done with the dealer. They were supposed to fix something on one visit, under warranty, ran out of time, and then when I brought is back the next time they wouldn't fix it under warranty. Mileage is past warranty. They had no recollection of the conversation, and I didn;t MAKE them right it on the receipt. Silly me.

 

[jonafin31]

I have the drone/howl noise too. I was concerned at first but its been like that for about 2 yrs now...I wonder what it is, its coming from the rear end under light accel

 

[dmagerl]

Ford has issued a TSB on differential whine. If the car is under warrenty, it will be fixed for free, otherwise you can attmept to negotiate with the dealer. It was over a $1000 repair for mine. I paid $300 the dealer paid the rest.

http://www.ford-trucks.com/tsb/fulltext/show_article.php?tsb=05-23-3

-dickm

 

[coled43]

These noises could be the infamous rear diff, but don't rule out wheel bearings. Both the front and rear are common on these explorers. I was looking for a vibration/humming noise for a while. It wasn't tires or the diff. Eventually it got a lot worse and turned out to be a front wheelbearing/hub. If the noise changes as you are turning, it is likely a wheel bearing, but that might not happen until it starts really going.