Fan noise while towing - 2006 Explorer XLT

[ben1000]

Howdy...

I have a 2006 Explorer XLT V8 with the tow package


I have noticed when towing up a long hill, there is what sounds like a
'second fan' that switches on after a while. I assume this has
something to do with the transmission cooler.


My issue is that the fan intermitently squeals. My Ford dealer says
this is normal, but I have a hard time believing that becuase it's
intermitent.


I'm not sure how I can reproduce this for my dealer, as it only happens
when I tow and only on long hills, There are no hills nearby..


My questions are:


1) Is this a 2nd fan coming on, or just the standard radiator fan
spinnig up to a higher speed. It is far louder than the noise the
engine makes when not towing. It sounds like turning the A/C fan on
full, but of course, it's not the A/C fan


2) Is this squeal unavoidable? It sounds like a bad fan belt, but I'm
not sure if these fans even have belts. The squeal is intermitent,
which makes me feel like there's a problem.


Again, my dealer says they can't fix what they can't reproduce, and that
there is no other fan that could be making the noise, and it's normal
for the radiator fan to sound that loud when towing up a hill...


The loudness isn't what bothers me. Just the intermitent squeal...


Any help would be appreciated...


Best,


Benjamin

 

[BrooklynBay]

Welcome to this forum! My first question is if you have an electric fan? While going up a hill, your fan will be at an angle, and may cause the blade to have uneven pressure. If the bearing is going on it, it will squeel when the blade tries to center itself with gravity (against the incline), then stabilize when driving in a straight path.

 

[IAmTodd]

They're a belt driven fan. Unless they changed in '06. I would try a new fan belt. Or a little sand on the belt to see if it helps stop the squeal. The sound is just the clutch locking up more to help cool the engine since its working hard.